Developed by Klei Entertainment
Published by Microsoft Game Studios
Released for Xbox 360 (9/2012)
Also on Linux/Mac/PC/PS4/Switch/Xbox One
Back in the '80's, ninjas were immensely popular and the majority of young boys were fascinated by the stealth assassins. I'd compare the popularity of the ninja back then to how big zombies were in the last decade or so. There was Ninja Gaiden, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the American Ninja movies just to name a few examples. For some reason or another, the popularity of the ninja steadily declined over the years thus we saw less ninjas in popular media. There were only a handful of ninja-themed titles that I'm aware of released in the 360's life cycle and Mark of the Ninja stands tall as one of the best pure ninja games I've played on any system.
Klei Entertainment, the same crew that brought us the Shank series, created Mark of the Ninja using the same engine as those games. Players familiar with the Shank games will immediately notice the similarities both in the art-style and character movement/animation. The major differences between Shank and Mark of the Ninja lies in the gameplay department. While the Shank games were beat 'em ups, Mark of the Ninja is focused entirely on stealth (as any true ninja game should!).
The graphics in Mark of the Ninja are quite dark, which is understandable considering the game is all about sneaking around in the shadows. The backgrounds are all well illustrated with lots of detail and there are several layers to help give a sense of depth. The characters look very similar to Shank and definitely remind me of modern cartoons. Initially I was not the biggest fan of the character art style, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the game in the slightest and I warmed up to it as I continued to play. The game makes heavy use of shadows and lighting effects really pop to let you know when your character is illuminated. While at a glance it can be hard to tell what's going in the game at times (mostly due to the darkness), once you play the game a bit and become accommodated you'll be able to navigate with ease.
Mark of the Ninja features twelve stages spread across four differently themed areas. There's a solid variety between the stages, both in the layouts and objectives. One stage will have you setting fire to a building by opening several gas vents while another will have you infiltrate and kill a particular target. New elements are often added as you progress through the game to help keep things fresh. There are frequent checkpoints so messing up or dying never really sets you back too far, eliminating much of the frustration associated with stealth titles. The game runs a bit longer than your average downloadable arcade title, but with the variety on offer here this is definitely a good thing.
Mark of the Ninja features an upgrade system to help add a sense of progression. While this is more or less a trope of modern video games, it works really well here as it allows the player to become familiar with each new ability as they're unlocked and doesn't overwhelm you with abilities from the start. You'll earn upgrade points based on three things: overall score, collectibles found and three sub objectives found on each level. This provides good incentive to go back and replay levels to get more upgrade points. The upgrades range from new techniques like stealth kills and attack moves to equipment such as caltrops, noise makers and smoke bombs. Before starting a new level you have the option to select your loadout and scattered throughout the game you'll find shrines you can use if you wish to change your loadout mid-mission. The game also features a focus technique, which when using most play styles will stop time and allow you to aim your darts, attack or distraction items.
Mark of the Ninja features six different play styles you'll unlock as you progress through the game. These will change the way you approach each level and definitely add a nice layer of replay-ability to the game. If you want more stealth, there's one style (path of silence) where running no longer makes noise at the expense of attack items and a sword. On the other end of the spectrum you have the path of might which adds additional armor and restores health from stealth kills, but your focus will no longer stop time. After you've selected your style you also have a choice between four distraction and attack items (assuming your style allows for it). The distraction items are noise makers, smoke bombs, distraction flares and a cardboard box. These are all useful in certain scenarios, as smoke bombs will temporarily disable laser tripwires, flares blind guards with night vision goggles and the box makes it so you can hide anywhere on the spot. The attack items on offer are the spike mine, terror dart, caltrops and ravenous insects. All of these attack items are useful in different ways and can assist with taking down some of the tougher enemies with ease. All in all, the various loadout configurations add a nice layer of depth to the game and allow you to replay stages using different techniques to complete them.
Mark of the Ninja is an excellent stealth game and provides a wealth of content, especially when compared to your average XBLA title. There's a lot to go back and do for each stage, a well implemented upgrade system and even a new game plus feature that allows you to carry your upgrades over and replay the levels with increased difficulty. There are even two separate endings to wrap up the game's interesting plot. The amount of time you can potentially spend with this game rivals many games that received disc releases. Klei Entertainment really did a fantastic job with this one and Microsoft would have been smart to bring the company on board as an exclusive developer for Xbox platforms, but unfortunately this was not the case and Klei has gone on to support the PS4 over the One in the current generation of consoles. In October 2018, a remastered version of this game would release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch.
Final Verdict: Mark of the Ninja is a fantastic stealth title, easily among the best stealth games on the system and up there with the greats on XBLA. Ninja fans don't miss this one!
DLC: Mark of the Ninja Special Edition
Released 8/2013
Just short of a year after the release of the original game, Mark of the Ninja received some DLC in the form of Special Edition. This grants players an additional level, developer commentary, a new play style and a few new gadgets that can all be used in the original levels as well. The additional level is fun with a design that fits in well with the original stages, featuring a story that serves as a prequel to the main game. The new play style is interesting, taking away the sword and allowing players to knockout enemies instead of killing them. KO'd enemies can be revived if discovered by another enemy. In order to compensate for this the player is allowed to hold more distraction and attack items in their inventory.
The special edition DLC introduces new distraction and attack items as well. Dusk moths are added to the distraction items and fungal spores are the new attack item. The dusk moths work similar to the smoke when thrown at enemies, distracting them and allowing you to move in for an easy kill. Unlike the smoke bombs, dusk moths can be thrown at lights to temporarily block them out, which can come in handy for those indestructible spotlights. The fungal spores will take down a target when thrown at them and will unleash a nasty cloud which will incapacitate anybody who comes to investigate the body. The DLC also contains developer commentary, which delivers an interesting look into the game's design. As a heads up I'd recommend making sure it's turned off on your first playthrough as it does contain several spoilers. In closing, the DLC for Mark of the Ninja is definitely worth checking out for those who enjoyed the main game.
Final Verdict: Even though the Special Edition DLC only contains one level, the extra play style and items that carry over into the main campaign make it worth a look, especially for just $4.99.
Related Links:
Buy Mark of the Ninja - Xbox Marketplace
Mark of the Ninja - Official Klei Entertainment Page
Mark of the Ninja - Metacritic
Mark of the Ninja - GameFAQs
Mark of the Ninja - True Achievements
Mark of the Ninja Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
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