Mark of the Ninja

Overview

Mark of the Ninja is a 2D stealth action game with an emphasis on using the environment and a selection of limited-use tools to manipulate enemy AI. The game has a hand-drawn cartoon art style very similar to Shank. It allows players to approach each level how they see fit, with most situations allowing for multiple ways to solve them. Each level contains numerous hidden items & challenge rooms, which act as currency towards unlocking new equipment and skills.

Story

A ninja of the Hisomu clan is awakened by an emergency bell followed by a fellow female companion. They learn that the clan village is under attack by an organization called Hessian Services, who have sent a mercenary team headed by Corporal Kelly. Shortly after being rescued, Azai, the ninja leader reveals that the attack on the village was orchestrated by Count Karajan, who runs Hessian Services and is seeking to retrieve a stolen item from the Hissomu Clan. Azai then reveals the player to be the current champion of the Hisomu clan.

The champion is a member of the Hisomu clan that is tattooed using a sacred ink. It was discovered before "The Restoration," an event that restored the clan although few details are given to specifics, by a merchant who informed the Hisomu about a rare plant that contains a special ink that is said to give the user great power, at the cost of his sanity. The champion, therefore, must always be a student and is expected to sacrifice their own life before the madness sets in, in order to protect the clan and it's secret. The act of creating a champion is both a great honour to the recipient, but it is also a final option.

Azai then declares to take the attack to Hessian Services in order to protect the Hisomu clan, using the current champion as their weapon. Through conversations with his companion, it is learned that privately, among his fellow ninja, he is referred to as "the Severed". When carrying the mark of a Champion,he is to be treated as an outcast and be banished until his mission is finished and then expected to die for the clan.

After Count Karajan is assassinated, the champion returns to his village to find that Azai has been using him to acquire the weapons and armor from Hessian Services. Before the champion could commit suicide, spurred on by the comments of his companion, he decides to take revenge on Azai and disappears to regroup with his ally.

Combat

Players start out the game with no weapons at all, and must learn sneaking and hiding techniques first. But within the first level, players are quickly awarded a sword, darts, and a grappling hook.

The Sword of Tetsuji	A relic of the Hisomu clan's founder that has upheld their tradition for hundreds of years.
Darts	Basic bamboo darts, good for breaking fragile things and causing distractions. When using the bamboo darts, the player has the ability to tag multiple targets and attack all at once.
Grappling Hook	Allows the ninja to latch onto & spider-dangle from grapple points.

Quick Kills - The player is be able to execute quick kill techniques that require they follow an on screen button prompt, which are only available as long as they are not spotted.

Unarmed Combat - During an alarmed sequence, the player only has the ability to perform hand to hand techniques. As it is the Hisomu way to only attack with a sword if only able to neutralize your enemy in one strike. But when an enemy is knocked down using unarmed combat, the player may perform a quick kill while they are incapacitated on the ground.

Sneaking

The ninja is silent while walking, only making noise if the player chooses to run. The ninja also has the ability to hide his enemies bodies as to not alarm the other sentries. Items can be used to create a sound effects within the enemies noise bubble as to distract them while the ninja continues to traverse. Another item that can be used to climb great heights is a grappling hook, allowing the ninja to reach darkened areas that can be used as an escape from the enemies sight. Darts can be used to destroy lamps or emit sound off gongs thus giving a larger range of darkness to hide in or to distract an enemy. Later in the game, they are also granted the Farsight ability, which is a type of x-ray ability that allows the ninja to view all enemies and connections between objects and their functions.

Unlockables

As players progress through the game, they will gain points that can be used to unlock additional items and abilities. These "loadouts" allow the player to approach the game how they see fit, whether it be pure stealth, or in a more offensive attacking way.

Techniques

Item	Description
Hangman's Hymn	Allows the player to kill an unsuspecting enemy while dangling from a grapple point.
Emperors Abyss	Allows the player to kill an enemy while standing or hanging directly below him.
Twilight Gate	Allows the player to kill an enemy through a door.
Bat's Prey	Allows the player to kill an enemy from above.
A Brief Shadow	Allows the player to kill an enemy from a hiding spot.
Bloody Whisper	Allows the player to quickly kill a disabled enemy.
Rising Snake	Allows the player to launch an enemy into the air.
Slide Kick	Allows the player to slide kick, knocking an enemy off their feet.
Superior Lockpicks	Allows the player to unlock locked doors much more quickly.
Grim Harbringer	Allows the player to hang the body of a dead enemy on a perch point.
Softened Cloth Tabi	Reduces noise made while running.
Parachute Cloth	Slows the descent while falling or jumping.
Armored Sleeves	Grants extra protection without compromising agility
Reinforced Cloth	Armored clothing will provide greater protection without sacrificing mobility or speed.

Distraction Items

Item	Description
Noise Maker	A small firecracker that will get the attention of any enemy near by.
Noise Maker Upgrade	A custom fuse allows the noise makers to be detonated remotely.
Smoke Bomb	Emits a smoke field that has the ability to block laser trip wires and breaks the line of sight of near by enemies.
Smoke Bomb Upgrade	A choking powder has been added to the smoke cloud, disabling enemies within it, unless they are wearing gas masks.
Distraction Flare	An alchemical light that draws the attention of nearby guards facing the flare and blinds enemies that are wearing night vision goggles.
Distraction Flare Upgrade	A custom fuse allows the flares to be detonated remotely.
Cardboard Box	Allows the ninja access to a cardboard box to hide in at any time.
Carboard Box Upgrade	Allows the ninja to perform a stealth kill while hiding in the box.

Attack Items

Item	Description
Spike Mine	A throwable mine that kills the first enemy to walk over it. If thrown within earshot of a guard, it will be noticed and disarmed.
Spike Mine Upgrade	Lighter Spike Mines that make no noise when they hit the ground.
Terror Dart	Darts coated in a hallucinogenic toxin that terrifies the target, causing them to attack their allies.
Terror Dart Upgrade	With a more potent concoction, these darts destroy the victim's sanity and cause them to harm themselves.
Caltrops	Small spikes that will pierce the feet of anyone who steps on them.
Ravenous Insects	Ravenous insects will reduce a body to dust in an instant, or noisily devour a living enemy.

Styles/Outfits

Item	Description
Path of the Ninja	Your well rounded starting gear, with no special abilities or weaknesses. Allows one distraction and one attack item.
Path of the Mark	You can use the mark of serenity, but you must leave behind distraction items.
Path of Might	This style features heavier armor, allowing you to take more damage and knock foes down more easily. Additionally, dispatching enemies will refill your health. However, with this style you cannot pause time to aim your items. Holds one distraction and one attack item.
Path of the Hunter	With this style, all stealth kills are automatically successful with no need for an additional button prompt. Hold two attack items.
Path of Silence	This style is geared towards pure stealth, reducing the sound you make as well as your visibility. However, you cannot use your sword, making it impossible to kill enemies. Holds two distraction items.
Path of Nightmares	Enemies witnessing stealth kills become terrified, as do those that discover a dead body. However, you cannot equip distraction items.

PC System Requirements

Minimum:

• OS:Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1
• Processor:AMD Phenom 9750 or Pentium D 800+
• Memory:2 GB RAM
• Graphics:NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 3000+ or better
• DirectX®:11
• Hard Drive:2.5 GB HD space
• Sound:100% DirectX9.0c compatible sound card and drivers

Recommended:

• OS:Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1
• Processor:Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+
• Memory:2 GB RAM
• Graphics:NVIDIA® 9600GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 5000+ or better
• DirectX®:11
• Hard Drive:2.5 GB HD space
• Sound:100% DirectX9.0c compatible sound card and drivers