Mark of the Ninja, more like mark of awesome-sauce

Mark Of the Ninja.
I hate stealth game.

I just want to put that out right from the start because it is something I think I should let everyone know who reads this. I don’t get Metal Gear Solid. I really don’t. How come snake can carry a remote controlled missile and a bazooka but not got shit crazy using it? I mean really if you’re a guard and you see a guy running at you with a bazooka screaming bloody murder, you would get the holy hell out of there, SCREW THAT JOB!. I will say this; when I played games like Metal gear and sometimes Splinter Cell(older ones not conviction), I just can’t wrap my head around how I am such a massive bad ass with all these sweet weapons but am crawling on my belly and hiding in the shadows or a box that is rarely out of place even if its the only box in the room(I will touch on this again later.).

Then comes Mark of the Ninja from Klei Entertainment. In case you remember this name, it is because Klei Entertainment is the same developer who created the awesome side scroller SHANK and SHANK 2. This game follows their tradition of amazing art style with solid 2D gameplay.


This game made me feel like stealth wasn’t a gimmick but truly apart of the gameplay and is necessary, more importantly I felt like a ninja, a real ninja. Now I know I am saying a 2D side scroller is a better stealth game then Metal Gear Solid but there is a reason. The ninja is unable to carry powerful weapons like a bazooka or a sniper rifle. The ninja is limited to just his blade and small armor on him, depending on the outfit you put on him he can only one attack item and one distraction item, each one has a limited amount he can carry. The tools they give you is more than enough, this is because the game want you to play smart. All stealth games want you to play smart but when they give a BFG halfway though to fight a boss but then lets you keep it. In doing that, it makes me want to play the game differently.

I know what you’re thinking now, “but its a 2D game, how can you compare it to those 3D games?”. Easy, while Mark Of the Ninja is a 2D game sneaking when compared to those game is the same. MADNESS! you say, hear me out. When you sneak in Mark Of The Ninja you will be able to hide in the foreground or the background. The AI will check behind and into those things if they see you moving into them. One could say that it is not the same but how is hiding in a doorway in the background any different from hiding inside a locker. the enemy can and will inspect both if they have a reason to. This was something that really stuck out to me and made me think about how this was stealth game that didn’t feel like you could forget the stealth part. In all this game is something else and what I would look at as a true stealth game.

As of right now it is out on Xbox Live Market place and on Stream both for around 15 dollars.