Mark of the Ninja

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1166 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 907 out of 1166
  2. Mixed: 156 out of 1166
  3. Negative: 103 out of 1166

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  1. Tomle1202
    Aug 23, 2023
    9
    Mark of the Ninja beautifully captures the essence of the genre by embracing its side-scrolling confinement.
  2. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Excellent stealth game. Good content for value, good replayability. The way it uses sound and light is particularly fun.
  3. The_D4RknesS
    Oct 26, 2022
    8
    this 2012 game with much simpler animations and graphics managed to be much more fun than AC CHINA 2D
  4. shkipermann
    Feb 25, 2023
    9
    {__/}
    ( • - •)
    /つ☕______________________________________________________________________
  5. meyerpark
    Nov 18, 2022
    10
    I so love ninja based games of any category. From Ninja gaiden to tenchu to Ninja Blade to Shinobi etc
  6. Saitakis
    Jan 20, 2022
    9
    Best 2d stealth experience i ever had in a game, a sequel to this masterpiece should have existed, i'd trade many AAA titles for another one!
  7. B00tador
    Dec 5, 2021
    9
    Whether you love or hate stealth games, this game makes stealth fun for everybody. It's a fantastic game that everyone should play.
  8. Asp_klg40
    Aug 31, 2021
    8
    Инди-игра, сумевшая обойти по параметру "stealth-геймплей" даже таких монстров как Hitman Absolution и Dishonored. Добавьте безупречную стилистику от авторов Shank и получайте идеальную игру в жанре.
  9. IMR707
    May 17, 2021
    8
    Nice 2D stealth game that has multiple for you to choose by either be a total silent ninja or a chaotic ones. Also with nice ambiuent music and graphic to carry it along as well
  10. Prometheus1241
    Mar 20, 2021
    9
    Mark of the Ninja is an engaging stealth game, and one of the best in it's genre, at least on PC. Totally worth getting.
  11. Bad_V1bes_4ever
    Dec 13, 2020
    10
    when i was play this game, i was shock, its best stealth game for my opinion, best visual style, best sound and best stealth elements, i alwais waiting continuation this story about ninjas,
    but there will never be a continuationit's a shame, because once I was small and I liked the game incredibly, and when the sequel came out, I was happy but there was only one chapter and that's all, I    when i was play this game, i was shock, its best stealth game for my opinion, best visual style, best sound and best stealth elements, i alwais waiting continuation this story about ninjas,
    but there will never be a continuationit's a shame, because once I was small and I liked the game incredibly, and when the sequel came out, I was happy but there was only one chapter and that's all, I want to return to this game again but see new characters and new levels, but my dream will never come true , the developers made a masterpiece that got 90 points and almost got 96 points as the titans of the gaming industry klei entertaimen made a masterpiece. i hope you will see me, thank you    … Expand
  12. kezzyhko
    Jul 27, 2020
    8
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  13. greenbey
    Jul 9, 2020
    9
    A+
    Stealth gameplay is better than most of AAA games.
    Story is ok.
    Art style is on point.
  14. BryanAndrew
    Apr 6, 2020
    9
    Mark of the Ninja has easy to learn control mechanisms and yet boasts sublime, nuanced game-play with the freedom for creativity in approaching varying situations, allowing for polarizing types of experiences to the player, whether it be aggressive or stealth-minded. The designs of the game levels are absolutely gorgeous and stylistic, but the story falls short of predictability andMark of the Ninja has easy to learn control mechanisms and yet boasts sublime, nuanced game-play with the freedom for creativity in approaching varying situations, allowing for polarizing types of experiences to the player, whether it be aggressive or stealth-minded. The designs of the game levels are absolutely gorgeous and stylistic, but the story falls short of predictability and simplicity. All in all, a must-try experience for any fan of the stealth game genre.… Expand
  15. Corefitz
    Feb 15, 2020
    9
    VERY interesting, stealth based game!

    Mechanically, it's very well made, by that I mean it offers you quite a few creative ways of getting through a level.
    Has a belivable story as well!

    And can we just take a moment to appriciate the absolutly gorgeous art style of this game!?
  16. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 11, 2020
    8
    Fun little indie game that has great gameplay mechanics and not that good story.
  17. MurphyBrandon
    Mar 1, 2019
    8
    Mark of the Ninja is the second best stealth game. It's almost as great as Dishonored. The movement is really fluid and blends really well with the special abilities. The problem is that some rooms look very similar. Hence, some people might argue that it's slightly repetitive. The story was good enough to keep me engaged in the game, though. Most of the time, it managed to change or addMark of the Ninja is the second best stealth game. It's almost as great as Dishonored. The movement is really fluid and blends really well with the special abilities. The problem is that some rooms look very similar. Hence, some people might argue that it's slightly repetitive. The story was good enough to keep me engaged in the game, though. Most of the time, it managed to change or add an aspect before getting dull.… Expand
  18. Flashback92
    Jan 25, 2019
    8
    This is a good game, but hopefully we can play with the another episode in future (Mark of the ninja 2)
    And maybe the coop mode is good idea.
  19. Sting01
    Nov 4, 2018
    8
    One of the good games.. This game have a good graphics. Musics are fine fot the game. Gameplay things are good. Some control buttons are not good but ıts okey.
  20. Mpbpl
    Mar 6, 2018
    8
    Stealth and 2D platform obstacles were made for each other and this game proves it with flying colors. The "anime like" style is great, the animations on your ninja is very cool, the music can turn from calm or lightly tense to chaotic the moment you get seen.
    This game has it all, guards, big guards, dogs to sniff you out, technological ninjas, even the environment can be an enemy,    Stealth and 2D platform obstacles were made for each other and this game proves it with flying colors. The "anime like" style is great, the animations on your ninja is very cool, the music can turn from calm or lightly tense to chaotic the moment you get seen.
    This game has it all, guards, big guards, dogs to sniff you out, technological ninjas, even the environment can be an enemy, everytime you think you are in a advantage or getting the hand of it the devs throw something to make it interesting; and they tell you too: throughout the game there are dialog bubbles that can be taken containing what the devs wanted to say about the development process like, bugs, features, designs and theme.
    Every stage has 3 challenges to the player in playing a specific way, like terrorizing guards, not killing any guards, don't destroy any lights and so on, together wuth different gadgets that can be taken, different paths and styles to use, the replayability is high.
    A last challenge came in the New Game Plus mode that takes out sound indicators, line of vision and stuff of that nature.
    Unfortunately the game flounders with it's story and character. The story is a very simple one with a predictable twist with a a moral choice at the end making it good enough that it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.
    The main character is one of those forever-silent ones, never speaking anything, making him a little distant from us. Because of this choice, the devs created a character that would be the ninja that guides the player in the mechanics of the game in the beginning, and then turn herself in the conscious of the main character, talking what the main character probably should be thinking, making them both decent at best.    … Expand
  21. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    8
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  22. Melgacius
    Jun 1, 2017
    8
    1 – GENERAL

    Mark of the Ninja is a 2D ninja stealth game. It can be a bit counter intuitive, but you play as a ninja, and you try to progress along the levels using stealth or silent kills to remain undetected by all the guards. All the story makes sense in the end, when you are able to putt all the parts together to make your final decision in the game. That story is told almost    1 – GENERAL

    Mark of the Ninja is a 2D ninja stealth game. It can be a bit counter intuitive, but you play as a ninja, and you try to progress along the levels using stealth or silent kills to remain undetected by all the guards. All the story makes sense in the end, when you are able to putt all the parts together to make your final decision in the game. That story is told almost entirely in cutscenes. I usually do not like that, but in this game this does not ruins immersion, since levels are long and some moments of rest between them are welcome, so we can clear up our mindset.

    Graphics are in "comic style" but the final result is, for me, very impressive. All the shadows and textures clearly stand out, becoming a important part of gameplay. Even all the sound effects, represented as image, are a must, and they are not a intruder in the game, they are perfectly incorporated and soon we see all that elements as part of the story.

    The sound effects are minimalist, and that feels great, because you can easily associate sound effects to actions of NPCs and you can react and plan over them. Soundtrack is very well set, and contributes to the stealthy aspect of the game.

    2 – GAMEPLAY

    One of the problems of making reviews from old games is that almost everyone know what to expect. I was expecting flawless controls, and that was not the case. If you play with keyboard and mouse, like I did, the controls seem... clunky. Just a small twitch in the mouse and the game recognizes an entire different move and you lose the round. Sometimes you want to jump down and you jump to the side or you do not jump at all. So do not be stubborn and play this game with a controller, I think it probably will be much better and easier.

    Despite that, the gameplay is very good. Here stealth is really stealth. You must evade or hide behind objects to escape the guards that can easily kill you if they spot you. Sure you can fight for a bit, but only against a guard at any time, and a sniper will kill you with just one shot. You have a skill tree to unlock, and that will give you some tools and abilities to make your task easier, but not easy.

    Stealth games often choose to hide mechanics, but this is not the case. Here you will know when, how and why you've failed. You can see all the consequences of your actions and take decisions over it. You can easily anticipate all moves so you can plan ahead properly. And imagine what? The game is great.

    The AI is well set. Behavior of guards is quite predictable and fair. Even so your window of opportunity is small so you have to plan properly or you will be shot dead quickly.

    Devs say that you can skip violence almost the entire game, and only one boss requires direct confrontation, but killing people is so much fun in this game...

    There are some hidden passages that lead to collectibles and puzzle style bonus levels. You can search them or skip them entirely. It's up to you.

    3 – CONCLUSION

    I've loved this game from the start to finish. I was a bit disappointed with the ending, but that's not enough to make you not play this game. The game is quite cheap, and it's on sale a lot of times. Search for a sale and try it because this is a seriously great game!    … Expand
  23. harryscribner
    Mar 30, 2017
    9
    I would give this game 9.5/10... Unfortunately I can't, so I have to give it 9 because it's not something I will remember for all my life. Just good solid platform game. I like it)
  24. hypernewbie
    Mar 16, 2017
    8
    Overall fantastic game. Simplified Splinter Cell in 2D.
    2 main issues: too many context sensitive buttons, sometimes gets it wrong. and sometimes fuzzy mechanics fuzzy mechanics in a game demanding precision = random trial and error gameplay.
  25. Harcks
    Jan 13, 2016
    10
    It's a great game. I want to play it again and again. At present almost no games are combining high-quality graphics and fun gameplay. It's on my top 10 games.
  26. Deadly_Traveler
    Jan 1, 2016
    10
    The game is just perfect. 12 levels you can complete as you wish: stun everybody but leave alive or kill everybody, go through vents or rush forward. Lots of different equipment like bugs who can devour corpse or live people, trap mines, cardboard box, moth, really lots of different stuff for different effect on environment and enemies. Different enemies: snipers, tough boys, ninjas,The game is just perfect. 12 levels you can complete as you wish: stun everybody but leave alive or kill everybody, go through vents or rush forward. Lots of different equipment like bugs who can devour corpse or live people, trap mines, cardboard box, moth, really lots of different stuff for different effect on environment and enemies. Different enemies: snipers, tough boys, ninjas, common men. The game looks really perfect and SFX don't bother at all and the song in the last level is really amazing. New Game Plus is a real fun too, it makes you be cautious. And it can be challenging of course.
    Masterpiece. Totally recommend.    … Expand
  27. pokrishka
    Dec 7, 2015
    9
    This stealth game is so accessible you could almost call it casual, yet it is so satisfactory in what it does I would recommend it to the hardcore stealth fans as well. Another great game by a great company, art direction is amazing as always.
  28. Overvulture
    Nov 9, 2015
    9
    If you want to feel like a ninja, this is the game. With an arsenal of fancy moves, gadgets, and murder methods, this is 2D stealth at its finest and stands as one of my favourite sneak-em-ups, 2D or not. Extremely polished and well put together, it looks and controls great, and it's just so much fun to creep around and terrorize your enemies, with stealth that's similarly satisfying asIf you want to feel like a ninja, this is the game. With an arsenal of fancy moves, gadgets, and murder methods, this is 2D stealth at its finest and stands as one of my favourite sneak-em-ups, 2D or not. Extremely polished and well put together, it looks and controls great, and it's just so much fun to creep around and terrorize your enemies, with stealth that's similarly satisfying as the Arkham games. You're powerful and lethal in the shadows but vulnerable when seen, and as the game progresses you'll have to come up with fancier and fancier tactics to overcome the escalating security and new varieties of enemy immune to this thing or that. Succeed and you feel like the ultimate badass, fail and you're a fumbling idiot. It's all wrapped up in an excellently presented package with an enjoyable, if simple story to work through.

    It's a little on the easy side, but there is a new game+ mode in which all gunshots are fatal and your vision is more limited, etc. Definitely more challenging, but still beatable. There is a quicksave option that doesn't penalize you for using it, which can suck the difficulty out of things a little if you're prone to save-scumming. Because things can go so very wrong so very quickly, it's a welcome addition but it does make things a little less tense.    … Expand
  29. everin
    Oct 1, 2015
    8
    Tier 2
    + Totally fluid mechanics coloring the stealth gameplay
    + Accounts well for a couple different play styles
    ? Non-lethal gameplay poses a significant challenge that might put off players
    ? Gameplay has incredible highlights, but its flow doesn't evolve particularly well
    - Despite being present throughout the whole game, the story is stale and uninspired
  30. Maneinarr
    Sep 9, 2015
    9
    First off, thank you Klei Entertainment and crew, your game is a solid 2-D stealth game with polished mechanics and good enough rpg elements to keep collectors interested for a while. Now, because of all the nonesical hate this game gets I feel compelled to start by disregarding the majority of the 0-4 reviews as childish, at best.

    Good: * Art. Very nice backgrounds and character    First off, thank you Klei Entertainment and crew, your game is a solid 2-D stealth game with polished mechanics and good enough rpg elements to keep collectors interested for a while. Now, because of all the nonesical hate this game gets I feel compelled to start by disregarding the majority of the 0-4 reviews as childish, at best.

    Good:
    * Art. Very nice backgrounds and character design.
    * Stealth killing mechanics. Nice, quick, simple, but satisfactory, and variable.
    * Pace. You start slow and build up fast enough to not feel overwhelmed by the game but also find it challenging in some parts.
    * Upgradeables. All of them are useful and not cosmetic, like some games out there with redundant or totally unnecesary upgrades.
    * Nice puzzles. Just that, not too hard, not too easy.
    * Creative. The concept itself could be said has been done before, but if you scratch the surface you will see what I'm talking about.
    * Interactive. The ninja feels sweet and pro almost all the time... unless you're a hopeless noob, of course, if so... you will die a lot of times (yes, I'm talking about you meta user reviewers stating this game is about trial and error... my god you're pathetic gamers... not once I had to do that!)

    Bad:
    * Short. VERY short.
    * Lacky advertising. This game it's not just about being invisible, the game itself kinda got lost in nothingness.
    * Nothing THAT new. It's a stealth game... all stealth games end up being VERY similar between them.
    * Too many moves for so few buttons. You've got like 4 active buttons, beside de d-pad, but the ninja interacts with almost everything making it hard to manuever with absolute precision in tight spaces.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2012
39
#39 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
36
#36 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    84
    A dreamy amalgamation of Shinoby, Deus Ex and Thief. It’s not only the best downloadable game of the year, but a welcome gift for fans of pure stealth gameplay. [November 2012]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 30, 2012
    80
    Splendid stealth platformer offers high levels of addictiveness. Surely aspiring to the title of "Independent title of the year". [Dec 2012]
  3. Absolute Games
    Nov 29, 2012
    88
    Corvo Attano and Agent 47 couldn't possibly have expected that a platformer from the creators of Shank would stab them in the backs and claim the title of this year's best stealth game.
    Read full review
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