Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: The Mark of Kri

Written by Chris Reiter on May 21, 2002

First Impressions: Mark my words...this is shaping up to be one hell of a game.

Not normally will you find an adventure game to be rated Mature by the ESRB. The Mark of Kri isn't your every day adventure story, though. Sony Computer Entertainment is ditching the standard, a young boyish character with a sword, and anteing up on the blood, the gore, the killing, and the cool of what you'd really catch a glimpse of if you were slicing an enemy with your maximum sized sharpened blade in a Conan the Barbarian thematic romp around mystical worlds. Coming this summer, The Mark of Kri will surely leave a mark on the world of video games, as we know it.

The story of the game follows Rau, a strong willed, and skillful combatant with weaponry. His animal friend Kuzo, a raven that serves as his watchful eye, accompanies Rau. Heading on a long journey to find six pieces of an elaborate sign that when put together form "The Mark of Kri," Rau has been mysteriously drawn into this quest. If the wrong hands were to obtain this unimaginable power of mass destruction, it could mean the end of the world for everyone. And even though Rau doesn't know exactly why he has been summoned to piece the puzzle together, he decides to continue to look for the answers.

Done entirely in a movie sequence styled action format, much of the gameplay focuses heavily on battling as many enemies as you can rather than it does on puzzle solving. Just like in Conan the Barbarian, Rau will have at his disposal the necessary tools with which to kill with, including a sword, a spear, a bow and its arrows, and a giant clobbering axe. Each weapon though has a distinct quality. Certain weapons are better used for the right situations, and as well, have their own property benefits. In technical terms, a sword isn't as powerful as an axe. Rau will be able to only take down 3 guys at once with the blade, while on the other hand you'll be able to swing the axe in one massive blow up against 9 enemies. The weaker the weapon, the lesser the chance is you'll survive a full-scale battle. But by using the weapons, Rau can also perform combo techniques. One example of this would be flipping an enemy in front of you while thrusting a blade through an enemy's back that was once positioned behind you. By the sound things, Rau is a one man, unstoppable killing machine.

And even though Rau could be described as a hulk that can't be terminated in any shape or form, he does have his moments where he must use his brain instead of his brawn. By borrowing Metal Gear Solid 2's method of sticking a character up against the wall, and then sliding silently against it, Sony will have Rau do just that. While shimmying through the shadows, you'll be able to surprise guards from behind easily and then, draw your blade, and pin them against the wall with it. Rau is also capable of using stealth on multiple guards, and even firing at an enemy from a safe distance with the bow and arrow. Bringing the opposition death from whether it be out in the open or out of the shadows sounds greatly entertaining either way.

Straight out from the Schwarzenegger film Barbarian, like the bird in it, Rau's feathered friend Kuzo also appears to be more than meets the eye. Kuzo acts as Rau's security system. By letting him perch in spots up above the ground, you'll see whatever Kuzo sees through his eyes, and will be able to detect the upcoming danger ahead. Additionally, how you play the game seems to affect the outcome of what secrets or special items you'll gain once you finish through it. If you sneak, expose yourself, or rely on Kuzo's abilities too much, you'll only obtain a certain degree of quality items. But besides that, the implementation behind this should give players the incentive to want to repeat playing the game for a decent amount of time, long after they have purchased it.

Former Disney and Don Bluth artists are the working force behind The Mark of Kri's animation department. Put into a grand world full of places such as ancient architectural surroundings, snow drenched forests, and an exquisite jungle locale, as Rau you'll be able to experience cell shading at its best. Scattered within the engrossing cartoon world, as Rau, you'll also be able to smear enemy blood across the screen as you roam through the adventure in all its movie-esque glory. It should be interesting to see what Sony can do while working together with both artist teams from highly talented companies as the ones mentioned.