The Mark of Kri
Encyclopedia
The Mark of Kri is an action-adventure game
developed by SCE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
. The game was released for the PlayStation 2
on July 19, 2002 in North America
, March 14, 2003 in Europe
and October 23, 2003 in Japan
.
, The Mark of Kri offered a juxtaposition of cartoonish character designs and graphic violence
while employing a unique visual style influenced by various Polynesia
n cultures and art. The game was followed by Rise of the Kasai
, which was released in April 2005.
, Rau Utu, is known as a great warrior. Trained by his mentor and adopted father, Baumusu, he was taught stealth and extraordinary skill with his sword. He was also taught to help those in need rather than act as a mercenary
. The games begins with Rau being asked a favor by the village tavern keeper, he says that bandits are keeping business away and asks Rau to look into it. After Rau takes care of the bandits his ability as a warrior spreads far and wide. This leads to a mysterious man showing up in the tavern and offers Rau money for his services. Despite the uneasy feeling that Rau has about the man he accepts his offer. Rau returns home from his job to find that he's been taken advantage of by the mysterious man and his village has been attacked and destroyed. His mentor and adopted father, Baumusu, tells him of his path in life and that Rau must find his sister who was taken during the attack on the village.
s. The left is used for movement and the right for locking on to surrounding enemies.
.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
developed by SCE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
. The game was released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
on July 19, 2002 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, March 14, 2003 in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and October 23, 2003 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Background
With an art team consisting mostly of former 2D animatorsTraditional animation
Traditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
, The Mark of Kri offered a juxtaposition of cartoonish character designs and graphic violence
Graphic violence
Graphic violence is the depiction of especially vivid, brutal and realistic acts of violence in visual media such as literature, film, television, and video games...
while employing a unique visual style influenced by various Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n cultures and art. The game was followed by Rise of the Kasai
Rise of the Kasai
Rise of the Kasai is an action game developed by BottleRocket Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America for the PlayStation 2 video game console. Released in 2005, the game serves as a followup to the 2002 game The Mark of Kri...
, which was released in April 2005.
Plot
The protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, Rau Utu, is known as a great warrior. Trained by his mentor and adopted father, Baumusu, he was taught stealth and extraordinary skill with his sword. He was also taught to help those in need rather than act as a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
. The games begins with Rau being asked a favor by the village tavern keeper, he says that bandits are keeping business away and asks Rau to look into it. After Rau takes care of the bandits his ability as a warrior spreads far and wide. This leads to a mysterious man showing up in the tavern and offers Rau money for his services. Despite the uneasy feeling that Rau has about the man he accepts his offer. Rau returns home from his job to find that he's been taken advantage of by the mysterious man and his village has been attacked and destroyed. His mentor and adopted father, Baumusu, tells him of his path in life and that Rau must find his sister who was taken during the attack on the village.
Gameplay
The game makes use of the DualShock 2's analog stickAnalog stick
An analog stick, sometimes called a control stick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joystick, consisting of a protrusion from the controller; input is based on the position of this protrusion in relation...
s. The left is used for movement and the right for locking on to surrounding enemies.
Reception
The Mark of Kri received favorable reviews and was awarded Game of the Month in the August 2002 issue of Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
.