Replayability is a significant aspect of Mark of the Ninja, with each level containing three optional sub-objectives, and a scoring system that assesses your actions. The freedom to approach Mark of the Ninja your way, at your own pace feels incredibly liberating. Perhaps you’re feeling stabby and want to eliminate all who stand in your way? Sure, if that’s your thing. Feel like sticking to the shadows and using all manner of gadgets at your disposal? Go nuts. Want to scale the rooftops, avoiding all ground-level hazards? Do it.

Nearly everything Mark of the Ninja asks of you has multiple methods to completion. Although these tasks appear to be a simple “point A to point B” affair, the staggering amount of choice provided by the intricate level design makes completing objectives anything but linear. These objectives range from freeing hostages, sabotaging major security systems, and assassinating key personnel. Mark of the Ninja ’s levels are substantial, sprawling tapestries of intricate design, filled with various traps, guards and security measures trying to stop you from reaching your objectives. Which makes more sense for the title of Mark of the Ninja than the joke theory my girlfriend suggested that it’s actually meant to be “Mark, the Ninja”, considering we never discover the protagonist’s name. Of most intrigue is the mysterious power of the tattoo you’ve been marked with, which imbues the wearer with great power, but leads to eventual madness.

Along the way, it becomes apparent that the reasoning behind the initial attack is more complex than initially thought. Originally released in 2012 across Xbox 360 and PC, Mark of the Ninja ’s incredible design remains one of the best 2D stealth games ever made.Īwakening to the violent sound of gunfire, you play as a ninja whose clan is attacked by armed mercenaries, following which you are tasked with hunting down those behind the infiltration.

Download ninja remastered for free