![]() The whole thing, from the in-game graphics to the polished cinematics, looks great, and Klei even touched up the audio for those who enjoy high-definition 5.1 quality sound. It's also worth noting that, while the game is landing on PlayStation and Switch for the first time, those who own the original on PC and Xbox 360 can update to the Remastered version for a small fee, a nice touch if you've got an Xbox One X and want to see the game played as it was intended. The original compressed graphics have been re-exported and if you've got the setup for it you can now enjoy them in 4K, which is ideal if you're planning on playing on the big screen. Everything feeds into providing you with the information you need to make educated decisions, with light and darkness, depth, and sound all visualised clearly and elegantly.Īnd that's not mentioning the new-look visuals, which have undergone a bit of a refresh for this release. The art style isn't just easy on the eye, it's functional too. ![]() Klei's greatest success is probably the ease with which you can assess each situation, and that comes down to the superb visual design. ![]() Equally, your options expand a little if you're prepared to get your hands dirty, although you can nearly always sneak past patrols, dodging their line of sight and sticking to the shadows if you prefer a non-lethal approach. There's a lot going on at any one time and there are usually options built into the environment, whether that means slipping in via the vents or lowering yourself down from the ceiling. These new mechanics - superhuman abilities linked to the ink in the tattoos that adorn your body - are layered on at just the right pace, and as you delve deeper into the adventure and face sterner challenges, these new abilities become part of your repertoire, ready to roll following any mistimed button press or ill-fated dash to safety. Your ability to improvise is aided by a steadily growing range of abilities, and there's really pleasing character progression throughout the story as you unlock new skills, each one essential at certain points as you traverse the different environments. Much of the time you can use a bit of quick thinking to get out of a dangerous situation, letting you return to the shadows and find another point of attack. That said, Mark of the Ninja works so brilliantly because of everything that can happen when the shit hits the proverbial fan. It doesn't help that the soldiers can be quite persistent once you've caught their attention, and you're in big trouble if you get cornered by a couple of them. While you're given the tools to deal with or avoid every enemy in front of you, that's easier said than done. The soldiers you encounter on your various missions are actually quite dangerous, and if you fail to stick to the stealthy script then you'll find yourself on the receiving end of a hail of bullets. That said, when we're not slinking around the place, there's also the option of moving around the space at lightning-fast speed, either using your grapple to zip between platforms in the air or nipping in and out of cover on the ground as patrols search all around. Whether he's tiptoeing around enemies or scaling walls, his low centre of gravity makes every action feel measured and deliberate. Your little ninja has a really distinctive way of moving that makes him look and feel utterly unique to control. The controls in Mark of the Ninja are, for want of a better word, sticky. Now, we realise that's quite a bold claim to make, so let's dive into why we think Mark of the Ninja is so good, even six years after its original appearance on PC and Xbox 360.įorgetting the action-packed story and stunning cartoon art style, the most immediately striking thing about the game is the way it feels to move around the levels. Upon discovering that this remastered version was in the works, we resolved to remedy the situation because with this game Klei has probably crafted the best stealth-platformer ever made. So, yeah, we missed Mark of the Ninja the first time around and only got around to playing it long after it was originally released. Klei's stealth platformer has been spruced up for its return and has landed in all its 4K glory on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and as a potentially portable adventure on Nintendo Switch. We recently got the chance to go back and look properly at Velocity 2X, for example, and Mark of the Ninja Remastered is another case in point. One of the things we've really enjoyed about the fact that indie devs are flocking to the Switch with their re-releases and remasters is that we've gotten the chance to go back and visit a few games that we missed the first time around.
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