Mark of the Ninja Review

Stealth, befitting of its very definition, sneaks into our games in many forms. Sometimes it slips in under the guise of a role-playing game, such as a no-kill play-through of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. In other instances, it blends with an action title, like the Sam “Panther” Fisher version of Splinter Cell Conviction. And not often enough, it comes in its purest shape, in which you face near-certain death – or at least, extremely long odds – if you’re spotted. The Thief series, quintessentially. Or, in 2012, Mark of the Ninja.

Patience is a virtue, just like your mother said.

Laudably, there isn’t just one trick in Ninja’s bag. Instead, it takes the best ingredients from both new and old examples of the stealth genre and mixes them into a potent knockout brew. The look is gorgeous thanks to the same talented artists and animators responsible for developer Klei Entertainment’s other Xbox Live Arcade series, Shank. Anytime you make an undetected kill, the camera zooms in and darkens the background, highlighting you and your victim as you plunge your blade into him and then toss his body aside or through a grate. You’ll be forgiven if you mistake what you’re watching for an M-rated animated series on Adult Swim.

But gameplay is most important. In a move that’s simultaneously refreshing and familiar, Mark of the Ninja is a 2D stealth adventure that, at first glance, looks a bit Metroidvania-esque. You’ll jump and grapple-hook your way around mostly linear levels (though occasional path choices and backtracking occur), clinging to walls and ceilings, hiding in floor grates, and pressing B to duck behind potted plants or in doorways – all in the name of avoiding detection.

You begin with only these most basic of moves, but as you finish levels and secondary objectives within each mission (such as completing an area without raising an alarm), you’ll earn medals redeemable for new moves that significantly liven up the game and open up your options. For instance, there’s a taunt that lets you string-up your kills in order to terrorize the other guards, a la Batman. Or the not-so-subtle nod to Metal Gear Solid: the cardboard box. Seeing your black-clad hero reach out from underneath the simple disguise, grab a victim, and drag him back under the box while his buddies ignorantly walk by is as sadistically rewarding as it is hilarious.

If you get found out, especially by a dog, you're in trouble.

More seriously laudable is Ninja’s scoring system. While many stealth games claim you can play them how you want (read: lethally or non-lethally), this one actually rewards you with medal-earning XP either way. If you knife every fool, you’ll earn some points. Hide their bodies when you’re done and you’ll net more. Terrorize them and you’ll bag yet more. Or score plenty of points just for sneaking by the bad guys undetected. This is complemented by additional play styles that become available as you go, like “Way of the Ninja.” This removes your sword – thereby making it nearly impossible to kill anyone – but gives you extra distraction tools, such as the aforementioned cardboard box, firecrackers, terror darts, etc. It wholly changes the way the game is played, akin to watching a different director’s cut of your favorite movie.

All of these added perks culminate in the highly recommended New Game Plus mode, in which the enemies get tougher but you’ve got access to your full arsenal of unlocked goodies right from the first stage.

You’ll want to replay the 6-8 hour campaign, though probably not for the story (but oh, those drool-inducing animated cutscenes!). The plot starts simple and never really evolves, though it’s just engaging enough to make you stop and think when you reach its forked ending. Unfortunately, neither choice at the campaign’s climax pays off with a revelation or additional backstory. Or anything, really.

Theatricality and deception are powerful tools...

Ninja’s only other crimes are, first, that its gorgeous animations aren’t showcased enough; there simply isn’t enough variety in the kills. Nearly every fatal scene shows you slicing a bad guy at the neck or through the belly. Even the gameplay side of this could be fresher – you’re always pressing X and a cardinal direction for every fatal blow. We would’ve loved to have seen (literally, with this gorgeous art style) more choice in ways to off your enemies.

And second, Ninja loses its way a bit around two-thirds of way through the game with a mildly frustrating stage packed with platforming puzzles. It doesn’t last too long, but it is the clear weak point of the campaign.

Begone, pesky light bulb!

Still, forget about being among the cream of the Xbox Live Arcade crop – that much is a given. Mark of the Ninja is among the finest stealth games you can currently play. And if you need an extra anecdotal – but almost always dead-on accurate – verification of Ninja’s greatness? Playing it at the IGN office was like shining the Bat signal into the sky. Fellow editors kept walking by my desk, independently inquiring, “What is this?” in a curious tone tinged with pure excitement. The most common quips? “This looks amazing.” “This is from the Shank guys, isn’t it?” “The animation is beautiful.” And, finally: “Wow.”

It’s a head-scratching shame that Microsoft chose to give Ninja an atypical Friday release date, and with seemingly no promotion to boot. So let me do you a favor and shine a guiding light on this shadow-dwelling hero. Play it. You’ll thank me later, I promise.

Ryan McCaffrey is the Executive Editor at IGN Xbox. He used to own a DeLorean, which is weird. Follow him on Twitter, on IGN, catch him on Podcast Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

Source : ign[dot]com

Is The Walking Dead FPS Convincing?

As a big fan of The Walking Dead in all its forms, I entered the Gamescom presentation of this survival-FPS with one hope: that the doubt I’ve felt since Activision announced the game last month will be put down for good by a crossbow bolt to the brain. By the close of the session, I’m heartened by some of what I’ve seen and heard, but the doubt still lingers. I wish I could say otherwise, I really do.

The presentation is hosted by developer Terminal Reality’s principal effects artist, Glenn Gamble, which seems an apt name for someone working on an attempt to marry a franchise associated with strong narrative with a genre that often eschews it. The biggest disappointment thrown up by the session is that it’s presented via a series of static screenshots, despite Gamble stating that a playable build exists (and is in fact where the screenshots have come from).

A gameplay video could have done much to reassure me that comments made earlier this year by franchise creator Robert Kirkman (during which he said a straight-up run and gun FPS of The Walking Dead “would be pointless”) need not apply to Terminal Reality’s efforts. However, as the presentation plays out, Gamble raises some interesting concepts that the team are working into The Walking Dead. It suggest the developer agrees that if it’s to make this project work, it needs more meat on its bones than a straight-up, gung-ho shooter can offer.

First, the choice of character: Daryl Dixon, who so far has existed only in The Walking Dead AMC TV series, was introduced to the fiction as something of a loose cannon. His evolution through series one and two has seen him become the show’s rough diamond; the bad boy with a heart who’s not afraid to do what it takes to get the job done and survive in a world that’s gone to hell

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If you watch the show and play the game you’ll get a much deeper and broader sense of his character.

“He’s a survivalist, which is a huge part of the show as well as the game,” posits Gamble. “His evolution of character through season two has let us work with AMC to try, with our story, to plant those seeds of change earlier on. So now, if you watch the show and play the game you’ll get a much deeper and broader sense of his character."

If Daryl is a survivalist then his brother Merle is, frankly, an ass. A highly strung fellow of low moral fibre, Merle will be along for the ride as a companion to the player. This concept of companions, which will take in various other survivor NPCs met along the way, is a second positive factor.

Each survivor NPC has skills that can aid the player and while the NPCs do not appear to join in the zombie killing (all of the screens show only Daryl embarking on missions into towns to gather resources), they contribute to the group and introduce an element of resource management and survival considerations.

In addition to skills, the NPCs also have their own back-stories, as well as pros and cons that must be balanced when considering whether to take them with you: one guy might have a medical background which will be useful when you’re able to source medicinal items, but he’s also an extra mouth to feed, which will necessitate more food to be sourced when Daryl heads into a town.

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I wish we had co-op, but the decision was that since it’s easier to tell a better story with single-player than with multiplayer.

Vehicles, too, have their own attributes to be considered as you try to make your way across state for a currently unknown reason. Some vehicles will offer bountiful passenger space (think along the lines of the RV that belonged to poor old Dale) but will guzzle more gas; a pick-up truck, meanwhile, has plenty of room in the back for equipment and resources, but only limited space for survivors.

Despite the seemingly blatant potential for co-op play presented by the two brother set-up, Gamble reveals, somewhat wistfully, that the team believe a single-player-only experience will serve them better from a narrative standpoint.

“I wish we had co-op, but the decision was that since it’s easier to tell a better story with single-player than with multiplayer, we decided to go with the single-player,” says Gamble. “That’s because story is bullet point number one; bullet point two is survival; bullet point three is the walkers”

Unlike the comics and TV show where it’s the living that can provide the greatest threat, it appears from Gamble’s presentation that it will be the walkers that the player will have to be most wary of. Gamble describes them as being “super environmentally aware”, able to see, hear and even smell the player. So, while sneaking past a lone walker may seem sensible, it leaves one more to add to a potential horde if you’re foolish enough to cause a commotion within earshot of the walking cadaver later on.

Overall, the survival elements, resource management and strong narrative aspects suggested by the presentation cast The Walking Dead in a positive light and do much to encourage hope that maybe wanton zombie slaying will come a distant second to the focus on survival. In-game footage and, ultimately, hands-on time with this survival-FPS will be necessary to ascertain whether Terminal Reality can deliver on the concepts introduced here. Until then, despite wishing it were otherwise, the doubt will continue to gnaw at me.

Stace Harman is a freelance contributor to IGN and is convinced that zombies will one day inherent the Earth. You can follow him on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com