Review: Mark of the Ninja: Remastered (PlayStation 4)

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered

In Mark of the Ninja, you’ll know what it is to truly be a ninja. You must be silent, agile and clever to outwit your opponents in a world of gorgeous scenery and flowing animation.

Pros:

  • Superb hand-drawn graphics.
  • 10.42GB Download size.
  • Platinum trophy.
  • Opening tutorial along with a how to play section in the menu.
  • Two game modes- Main story or Dosan tale (DLC).
  • Can skip cutscenes.
  • Ninja stealth puzzle gameplay.
  • Developer commentary option.
  • So easy to get into.
  • Upgrade tree- Three areas= Style, Distraction and attack. Earn points to use by collecting scrolls, Finishing levels and doing plenty of stealth kills.
  • Fluid responsive controls.
  • Constant checkpoints.
  • Can peek out of doors/grates etc without risk of being seen.
  • Unlock new abilities as you play.
  • So much fun.
  • Many enemy types like shielded guys or dogs or guys with flares.
  • Boss fights.
  • Special items- Daggers, Noisemakers etc and time slows right down when you bring up this menu.
  • Massive play area with multiple routes, secrets to find.
  • Collectibles- Scrolls and altars.
  • All levels are dark and lit by lamps and lights or maybe by enemy abilities. If you cannot see in a dark room, You can actually see the noise markers of footsteps through the wall/door/grate.
  • Stealth kills trigger a QTE which determines if you make a noise.
  • All enemy visions, Throwable objects etc show an arc or cone of sight.
  • On-screen button prompts.
  • Bonus rooms with a puzzle element, Completely optional these rooms grant extra bonuses for completing them, But first, you have to find them!

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered

Cons:

  • Can get very reflex heavy later on.
  • This special edition just adds the DLC and commentary as the graphics didn’t really need the touch-up.
  • Checkpoints can be quite far apart.

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered

  • 9/10
    Graphics - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Sound - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Accessability - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Length - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Fun Factor - 9/10
9/10

Summary

Remasters are always a bone of contention in the gaming world but here its a different kettle of fish, I mean graphics have had a slight overhaul, Slight has they didn’t really need it in the first place. The music and sound effects sound a lot more accurate and of course, you get the DLC and developer commentary. Get away from all that and the game is one where you play a Ninja and have to navigate a big area full of secret routes and paths, Takeout guards or go full pacifist and reach the end. The story is entwined in a way that feels fresh, voice-overs kick in as you jump rooftops for example. Boss fights are not too often but do provide a new layer of difficulty. I just cannot get enough of the stealth and despite being bad at it, The game really encourages to at least try pacifism but then doesn’t punish you when it all goes wrong. In short, it’s a solid game that has many layers to it.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!