Oh, hey: thanks for calling me over Tulpster!
I haven’t played Mark of Kri in, like, ten years, but I have really fond memories of it. I’d hope it would hold up, but even if it doesn’t, I bet it’s worth a go.
To this day, I think it remains unique in a few ways. As neva-01 mentioned, it has a very strong vision for its Disney-esque aesthetic along with a pretty neat and coherent world that gets across without any real world building other than a legend, and nicely rendered environments. All the aesthetic aspects of the game are fantastic with the actual in-game graphics obviously limited by the era. The cinemas are creative with excellent art, the voice acting is great, the animation transcends its polygons with excellent “acting,” and the levels really really feel like a place. I find the music a little bland, but it’s definitely original and appropriate to the setting. Sort of Fallout 1 level ambience. And–best of all–all of these elements work together to really create a time and place. So yeah: find it really pleasureable just to experience the presentation of the game, and as I play I really get that feeling of craftsmanship that you get when the creators obviously had a vision for every part of something.
Watching the first few minutes of the game should give you an idea of whether you’ll feel the same way. I guess, ultimately, it was just thoroughly “cinematic” in a way that many games wanted to be at the time but almost none seemed to be able fully grasp. It’s in the realm of Beyond Good & Evil in that regard.
As for gameplay, to me there’s some historical interest because it’s from that era when designers were still figuring out how to smoothly convey combat and movement in 3-D space. In my mind, Ico was is a touch stone for a certain type of limited combat, with Mark of Kri offering a slightly clunkier but more thorough missing link to a button masher like Prince of Persia: SOT, which I’m guessing was further refined into something God of War (never played)? I dunno. I guess the Devil May Cry series was already around during all of those.
Anyway, outside history, I’d guess that Kri’s battle system is still fun? Basically, they wanted you to be able to fight hoards with a coherent idea of what you’re doing but also have it be simpler than a fighter. So, as enemies approach you (often in groups) you sweep the radius around you with right analog stick, that assigns them a button, and then for each enemy you have one-button combat, with the computer dictating your combo variations and handling how you jump between enemies. I remember it feeling really fun and satisfying. The depth comes from managing the spinning plates of a group of six people while also runing around them. Oh, and there’s blocking and comboing, so it’s not too button-mashy.
But actually, the thing that really surprised me about MoK’s gameplay and makes me think it’s an original experience worth playing today, is the level of investment the levels require. After the first sort of introductory level (which is just teaching you combat and pretty short) most of the levels are best approached as stealth levels (because early oughts) and as a result become pretty tense. Not sure how MoK compares to other dedicated stealth games (I never played Metal Gear or Splinter Cell), but for me it was a unique experience: I remember the levels being about an hour long, and during that time you’re often scouting the level out with your hawk, slowly picking off guards, and basically working your way deeper into the level. I remember the levels being well designed in this regard. Some of them you kind of enter through a linear passage that expands–others you have to kind of circumambulate. My main gameplay memory is this feeling of being really immersed in these marathon levels.
Oh, also, if I remember correctly, the game is mostly bossless. I think sometimes the level ends with the hardest group of barbarians or one might be harder than others. But overall, your challenge is the level and the mission, and there’s no major major high point. I really liked this, because I have anxiety issues, and the prospect of a 3-D boss fills me with genuine dread that’s not entertaining.
So yeah, I highly recommend at least tring Mark of Kri. Definitely deserves its status as a famous “hidden gem.”
