User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1166 Ratings

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  1. Mar 19, 2013
    8
    Before Mark of the Ninja, a 2D stealth didn't seem possible. However, thanks to Klei Entertainment's brilliant level design and mechanics this actually proved to be a possible task. The game was fun and addicting. The stealth mechanics like the covor system, grappling hooks, visible sounds, and climbing worked surprisingly well to create a well designed 2D stealth game. The game was veryBefore Mark of the Ninja, a 2D stealth didn't seem possible. However, thanks to Klei Entertainment's brilliant level design and mechanics this actually proved to be a possible task. The game was fun and addicting. The stealth mechanics like the covor system, grappling hooks, visible sounds, and climbing worked surprisingly well to create a well designed 2D stealth game. The game was very fun and unlike a lot of other stealth games on the market, this game felt like a true stealth game rather than it being blended with some other genre like action for example. The game also has an achievement-like honor system which is great for completionists, and honor gained can be used to purchase upgrades and abilities for your character and your gear. The are only few complaints I have for this game. The story for this game is badly written and the endings aren't very satisfying, and I felt the Newgame+ mode was a bit tedious. Overall I felt the game was very enjoyable and a welcome addition to any Stealth fan's game library. Expand
  2. Apr 22, 2013
    8
    Never played a stealth game before. Positives: 1. The "oh crap I've been seen" factor that sends you into panic. (This becomes easy as you adjust and you simply hide in a vent or just barely out of their sight range). 2. Exciting missions usually entailing assassination, escape, security shutdown, etc. 3. Choice of killing everyone or sneaking past everyone (minus assassinations). 4.Never played a stealth game before. Positives: 1. The "oh crap I've been seen" factor that sends you into panic. (This becomes easy as you adjust and you simply hide in a vent or just barely out of their sight range). 2. Exciting missions usually entailing assassination, escape, security shutdown, etc. 3. Choice of killing everyone or sneaking past everyone (minus assassinations). 4. Ability to see around corners so you have an idea of what to expect next. 5. Good voice acting pulls you into story 6. Good variety in weapons, distraction items, and ninja outfits which modify your abilities. 7. Good music/sfx 8. Good puzzles 9. Harder difficulty in new game+ if you thought it was too easy 1st time 10. Three optional scrolls and three optional objectives give plenty to do when replaying
    Negatives: 1. Short game (12 levels 20-50 minutes each) 2. Sometimes find yourself simply waiting 10 seconds after you are spotted making it stop & go action. 3. No difficulty settings except for new game+(requires completion of original play-through 4. Control problems when multiple options are available for the E key/ right mouse button-- sometimes you will pick up a body when you meant to hide/close door/ or grapple (usually not big problem) 5. A LOT of checkpoints so not very much challenge (sometimes I would suicide just for the hell of it)
    Overall: Great game, beaten in about 10 hours (1st play-through). Don't know if worth $15, maybe buy on sale.
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  3. Mar 8, 2013
    8
    Mark of the ninja is actually quite a good game. The stealth system is well built, the challenges are real and the continuous progress of your character makes you replay the levels to find new techniques to pass them, earning achievements.
  4. May 2, 2013
    9
    My favorite game, definetly. I may have given DMC 4 a 10, but i was fanboying. This game is FAR superior to most stealth games, as it just as simple as it is advanced. It's basically a 2d stealth game, that nails every stealth aspect perfectly. All the way from the story to the gameplay and atmosphere. This game makes you feel like a ninja, wether you want to kill everybody, or sneak pastMy favorite game, definetly. I may have given DMC 4 a 10, but i was fanboying. This game is FAR superior to most stealth games, as it just as simple as it is advanced. It's basically a 2d stealth game, that nails every stealth aspect perfectly. All the way from the story to the gameplay and atmosphere. This game makes you feel like a ninja, wether you want to kill everybody, or sneak past them, that's all up to you. Even the maps are so comically full of opportunities that's they are anything but linear. And not to mention that you can unlock multiple styles, increasing the variety even further. The cartoon artstyle is awesome. Now that's not to say that the game is perfect. Voice-acting is... rather odd. It seems like when the guards are angry and enraged, they sound very calm. I guess all the work was put into the terrified voices xD Amiright?! Also there are a few glitches here and there, but they are very difficult to come by. And hey! The cardboard box is here! Expand
  5. Mar 12, 2013
    6
    Mark of the Ninja is a nice past time game. A bit like Flashback from Megadrive-era, but campier story, sneaking and modern graphics. Controls are quite good and most of the time character does what you wish it to do, but no means MotN is not Super Meatboy. Main issue with this game is that it is far too easy and when combined to check points every minute or two, the whole challenge isMark of the Ninja is a nice past time game. A bit like Flashback from Megadrive-era, but campier story, sneaking and modern graphics. Controls are quite good and most of the time character does what you wish it to do, but no means MotN is not Super Meatboy. Main issue with this game is that it is far too easy and when combined to check points every minute or two, the whole challenge is gone. This would not be a problem if there would be a strong and interesting story behind all, but it is a passing story for a 90s kung-fu movie, but no more than that.

    I am actually puzzled why this game got so high critic scores, but it was well worth the money (Steam sale 5€). I guess MotN deserve those scores as a mobile game as there is little to no quality on that arena, but as a PC/XBOX-game those perfect/near-perfect scores are way off. If there would be more challenges it would get easily eight, but now the main function is to make gamers feel good about themselves.
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  6. Apr 2, 2013
    9
    Mark of the Ninja is 2D platformer stealth game, a type of game I found refreshingly new on the scene. Although the plot is rather simplistic, the gameplay itself provides a wide array of entertainment. Player is given (with time) a choice of tools, whichever suits him best, and then uses his wit to overcome increasingly difficult problems. There is no set in stone solution and manyMark of the Ninja is 2D platformer stealth game, a type of game I found refreshingly new on the scene. Although the plot is rather simplistic, the gameplay itself provides a wide array of entertainment. Player is given (with time) a choice of tools, whichever suits him best, and then uses his wit to overcome increasingly difficult problems. There is no set in stone solution and many possible approaches to the game. You want to be bloodthirsty murderer Be my guest. You prefer more peaceful approach of unseen ghost Sure! But be careful, whatever you choose the game will never let you just sprint through with cannons blazing a certain amount of thinking is required all the time. And whenever you are getting too familiar with the game, a new element is introduced, be it enemy or ninja tool. The game itself is not very hard, even when doing the achievements, but satisfying. The only downside, in my opinion, is the rather uninformative ending, but that might be the matter of taste. Expand
  7. Apr 20, 2013
    8
    I spend a lot of good time with this game. You can really go in to it for 100%. There are a lot of solutions for making Your own ninja experience. Great fun for many hours.
  8. May 19, 2013
    8
    Real fun game.
    I still feel that thrill every time I sneak up on an enemy and stab him in the back. The visuals are amazing and the level designs are controls are pretty accurate.
    The only complaint I have for this game, is that it's on the easy side. Sure some situations get kind of tricky, but checkpoints are abundant, and there is no real penalty to dying and restarting. The levels
    Real fun game.
    I still feel that thrill every time I sneak up on an enemy and stab him in the back. The visuals are amazing and the level designs are controls are pretty accurate.
    The only complaint I have for this game, is that it's on the easy side. Sure some situations get kind of tricky, but checkpoints are abundant, and there is no real penalty to dying and restarting. The levels are pretty much a joke once you get familiar with the game. And I lied, that's not my only complaint. There's also the issue, that this is a complete stealth game. It's quite boring to have every single level to be the same. It would have been a nice touch to add boss fights or something to give you a break from the constant hiding.
    However, even with it's flaws, it is still a very fun game.
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  9. Sep 16, 2013
    5
    Average. Derivitive. Brought nothing new to the genre. Dinky flash game graphics. Holds your hand. Story is absolute hogwash, characters are stale and overused cliches. Combat is poor. Has some strong points but compared to anything that isn't a flash game 91/100 is over the top.
  10. 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
  11. Mar 27, 2015
    10
    Absolutely fantastic! I never expected this to be so good, one of the best stealth games of all time with beautiful visual art style, interesting ninja theme & story, but most importantly - extremely fluid and fun gameplay. Mark of the Ninja got me right from the first minute and it never stopped delivering the goods, tons of challenges you can do, different playstyles and various gear andAbsolutely fantastic! I never expected this to be so good, one of the best stealth games of all time with beautiful visual art style, interesting ninja theme & story, but most importantly - extremely fluid and fun gameplay. Mark of the Ninja got me right from the first minute and it never stopped delivering the goods, tons of challenges you can do, different playstyles and various gear and masks to suit it. When I'm thinking about it, I can't think of anything negative to say about this game, so it's a pure 10/10 Expand
  12. Jul 27, 2020
    8
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  13. Apr 3, 2015
    9
    Amazing game by Klei, makers of Don't Starve. 2D stealth platforming game, brilliantly executed with buttery smooth gameplay and perfect art style. Great voice-over and cool story. Loved it!
  14. Jan 1, 2015
    6
    The idea of this game is good and the mechanics are fun. And yet, I just stop playing it after a while because something is missing.

    The good: The art style is great, the base game mechanics are fun and easy to use. The bad: it does end up being you versus puzzle setups. You see a situation and have to match your skills in the right way to solve the puzzle. That's fine but not very
    The idea of this game is good and the mechanics are fun. And yet, I just stop playing it after a while because something is missing.

    The good:
    The art style is great, the base game mechanics are fun and easy to use.

    The bad:
    it does end up being you versus puzzle setups. You see a situation and have to match your skills in the right way to solve the puzzle. That's fine but not very immersive in itself and sometimes end up being more of a roadblock in your way than something you like to do.

    In the end what the game misses is stealth, ironically. Yes, there are elements of that but a lot of the time it's more similar to puzzle solving than anything else. The game is actually a puzzle game and not a stealth assassination game.
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  15. Jan 19, 2014
    8
    I am relieved to say that we finally have a good game from Klei Entertainment. Their previous iterations of Shank and its sequel were disappointing to say the least. Thankfully, Mark of the Ninja is a great game. It's a 2D stealth game where you go around hiding bodies, sneaking through levels, setting traps, and solving puzzles. The art style is the same as all of Klei's games and that'sI am relieved to say that we finally have a good game from Klei Entertainment. Their previous iterations of Shank and its sequel were disappointing to say the least. Thankfully, Mark of the Ninja is a great game. It's a 2D stealth game where you go around hiding bodies, sneaking through levels, setting traps, and solving puzzles. The art style is the same as all of Klei's games and that's fine. The gameplay itself is good and never seems to get repetitive. The game is a decent length for an indie game, clocking in at 6-7 hours for a single playthrough. There are hidden collectibles, challenges, and a scoring system as well as a New Game+ mode to add to the value. The cons are the story, which strives to be something great, and judging by the ending, they thought they had something great, but in reality I really wasn't interested at all in the story. There was nothing about it that drew me in and in the end, you are faced with a decision that you must make, but i was so confused by what was going on, the gravity of that choice didn't have any meaning to me. On top of that, as with all Klei games, the controls are terrible. I played with a gamepad and the controls annoyed me, i can only imagine how awful they are with K&M. There are way too many keys that are used for multiple functions. For instance, you press the "B" key on my 360 gamepad to pick up/drop a body and to interact with cover and other items in the world. So, if you have a body in front of cover or an item to interact with, you have to pick up and move the body and then go back to use the item or cover. There were quite a few times this poor control scheme cost me a life. All in all, the game just isn't fun enough for me to say it is one of the best games I have played. It is a very good one, and definitely the highlight of Klei. If you enjoy 2D games or stealth games, you should definitely check this out. Expand
  16. Jul 21, 2013
    9
    This game is really close to perfection.
    The design and atmosphere are really great. The gameplay is fantastic and deep.
    Much like in Orcs Must die, you start by just completing the levels, then you unlock all objectives and then you compete on the scoring ladder.
    So it's got a really good playtime (60+ hours for me). Definitely recommended.
  17. 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.
  18. Jul 22, 2013
    9
    Mark of the Ninja caught my attention while browsing steam after pages and pages of first person shooters and scores of tasteless looking puzzle and tactical games. The game justifies its score with a great art design, and a well rounded up overall game dynamic. Nothing is perfect though and a few decisions made by the developers may prove frustrating to some of the least patient players.Mark of the Ninja caught my attention while browsing steam after pages and pages of first person shooters and scores of tasteless looking puzzle and tactical games. The game justifies its score with a great art design, and a well rounded up overall game dynamic. Nothing is perfect though and a few decisions made by the developers may prove frustrating to some of the least patient players.

    Never since Metal Gear Solid on PSone, have I enjoyed sneaking past heavily guards that much. Mark of the Ninja borrows a lot from the Konami's flagship series. To make the game enjoyable, the rules are made simple: you can see the guards eyesight limit therefore precisely calculate your path. You are given some bandwith (very little) to make errors and therefore help the pace of some of the mission. It is that aspect that may prove tideous to non fans of steath games. However if you are like me and find the option of finishing a game without killing one single enemy an exciting challenge, then this game is for you.

    The graphics are very enjoyable. 2D games in HD usually do, but in Mark of the Ninja, the shadows and visual representations of the sounds are part of the gameplay and are integrated in a really controlled manner. The fluidity of it all is a joy, and the character's movement are of an amazing precision, A controller is highly recommended; I actually don't see how that game could be enjoyed played with a keyboard.

    Sneaking past enemies, jumping from wall to wall and hanging down from ceiling and lamp posts: this is pretty much all you do in this game. Accesorily you can kill anyone without a sound if you enjoyed that way better. I guess that is the big no of this game. It is particular and needs to be accepted as a whole to be enjoyed. It may surprise some gamers with its originality, but it will certainly disappoint and/or frustrate others who were looking for something more Ninja Gaiden like. There is also the Steam integration that is sometimes..well... weird and choppy. I have for instance never been able to post my scores even in Online mode. Not that it makes the game less enjoyable, but it takes away from that good old fashioned score breaking gaming motivation.

    Buy it!
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  19. Jul 8, 2013
    10
    I give this a 10 not only because of its few noticeable flaws, but also because of the small things that push it above other stealth games, and really other games in general. The small things not only motivate you to do specific, even more challenging tasks than what the levels require in order to unlock new equipment or get points.
    One of the things I love the most about this game is its
    I give this a 10 not only because of its few noticeable flaws, but also because of the small things that push it above other stealth games, and really other games in general. The small things not only motivate you to do specific, even more challenging tasks than what the levels require in order to unlock new equipment or get points.
    One of the things I love the most about this game is its art. It's style is continued through the cutscenes and the game itself, and looks amazing. Many games now neglect "art" and rather try to accomplish "the best graphics out there" or "the most realistic graphics", but Mark of the Ninja really shows how you can incorporate art into a game, whether it's physical appearance, a character, music, or any other forms of art. In terms of gameplay, the game is very flexible. If you accomplish certain "seals", which are goals that award you with a new "path" to choose if you get three of a kind. Each path is a different armor set that are useful for different things. One doesn't allow you to carry a sword, yet is completely silent and carries two distraction items. Another gives you extra health and better fighting skills, but doesn't allow for you to freeze time to mark places to throw darts or items. Even if you haven't unlocked any "paths", there are still many ways to go about getting past an area.
    There are a lot of collectibles throughout the game, some of which are artifacts, others poems. There is also a challenge room per level, which is a puzzle that requires certain aspects of the game you just learned. I always enjoy puzzles in games, and even though the ones in Mark of the Ninja were easy, they were still pretty fun. You get a certain collectible at the end of each challenge room, which tell the story of the Marks and the Ninja clan. Talking about story, this game doesn't deliver an amazing story- there is a semi-plot twist later in the game, which was very predictable. It was similar to many books you've read and many movies- nothing special there.
    In total, I had fun the entire way through while admiring the art and level design, which allowed you to go about at least 3 different ways for an area. Probably my favorite stealth game yet.
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  20. Jun 23, 2013
    9
    Kill Kill KILLLL!!!.... Or not you know, if you don't want to....

    Mark of the Ninja is now one of my favorite indie games of all time. People wonder why others think it is so fun? How many other 10 dollar games give you the option to basically customize your character and style of play to the point where you could feasibly play ANY way? The upgrades enhance the experience A LOT and
    Kill Kill KILLLL!!!.... Or not you know, if you don't want to....

    Mark of the Ninja is now one of my favorite indie games of all time. People wonder why others think it is so fun? How many other 10 dollar games give you the option to basically customize your character and style of play to the point where you could feasibly play ANY way? The upgrades enhance the experience A LOT and make you eager to try your new skills. The design of the levels are not too difficult to figure out but you still feel a sense of achievement when you slash or sneak your way through each of them. At the end of this game I was immensely pleased with my experience and wanted to play it over again in the new mode to challenge myself. The game actual reminds me of an arcade game.

    The achievements, the unlocks and the story make this a fantastic game to play. If you're not into stealth games now, you will be after this.
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  21. Oct 6, 2013
    9
    Before the chit-chat, let me say something upfront: Mark of the Ninja is an exceptional stealth-action game, that will change your way of thinking about Indie titles if you had ambiguous feelings before. It isn't simply a great game, but also has character, story, depth and uniqueness.

    Our hero is an unnamed ninja of the Hisomu clan. Just after getting tattooed with an ink from a
    Before the chit-chat, let me say something upfront: Mark of the Ninja is an exceptional stealth-action game, that will change your way of thinking about Indie titles if you had ambiguous feelings before. It isn't simply a great game, but also has character, story, depth and uniqueness.

    Our hero is an unnamed ninja of the Hisomu clan. Just after getting tattooed with an ink from a special flower that will make him have extraordinary power his clan is attacked by soldiers and his mentor is taken hostage. After freeing him, the journey begins. Yes, it's revenge time. It's not the most well cooked stories out there and the ending lacks a real punch, but from an indie title of this kind it's very ambitious. After sending our hero on his mission it is explained to him that the ink under his skin not only will make him stronger but after some time it'll drive him mad. Before that could happen he sworn to commit suicide. But, the mission first.

    As we progress through the levels our hero will learn (we unlock) new abilities that help us deal with enemy soldiers. With the increasing number of light sources, lasers, detectors and enemies the game gets more and more challenging, but never too difficult to frustrate the player. With common sense and orientation you can always find the right path to clear the room or pass by the enemies undetected.

    And exactly this is the biggest fun source of the game. There isn't a definite way to finish a level or even to solve a room. You have a wast array of items you can choose from and you can use any environmental object to be successful. You rarely HAVE to kill a guard to reach the next room, there's always a second option.

    The game tracks your progress all the time. Finishing a level without being detected or doing all the side tasks in a level will earn you more points to spend on special abilities and more effective distraction/attack items.

    When you feel the game is beginning to get somewhat repetitive it always throws you something new to play with, to make the fun lasting. You can even change your outfit after some time. And this isn't a pointless dress change you see in many games. With the new suit you get new abilities, but you're reduced with other ones. It is really awesomely balanced, where everybody can find the clothes that fit the player's style.

    With exceptional game design comes exceptional art design. The game isn't the most beautiful you've ever seen nor packs the most polygons, but it's art and it's unique. On the audio side the lighting strikes and dog sniffles are great. The OST consists of well composed pieces that support the ninja-feel and stealth nature of the game.

    After finishing the game you can start again on New Game mode which is essentially a hard mode and it's really challenging where your viewing angles are reduced and the enemies are more aware.

    Mark of the Ninja executes and delivers on every part you can imagine. It's a definitive standard for indie titles. If you like stealth games, play it. If you like 2D action games, play it. If you like platformers, play it. If you want to have fun, definitely play this piece! And, well...ninjas and stuff.

    Rating: 89/100; Replay Value: 4/5; To Beat: 10-11 hours.
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  22. Sep 9, 2013
    10
    Side-scrolling games really don't get any better than this, and when they do, they sure as hell cost a lot more than this one does.

    First, let's talk the story quick. I thought the animation was great, the story was decent (considering how short overall the game is), the voice acting was pretty good, and the level progression was nice. I'm also a fan of games that allow you choices
    Side-scrolling games really don't get any better than this, and when they do, they sure as hell cost a lot more than this one does.

    First, let's talk the story quick. I thought the animation was great, the story was decent (considering how short overall the game is), the voice acting was pretty good, and the level progression was nice.

    I'm also a fan of games that allow you choices in playstyle. This a stealth game, sure, but you can approach the game one of two ways: KOs or kills. There are times when you're forced into one or the other, but overall, you can play it either way. And, the game isn't so crazy hard that you have to worry about which style garners you more points for upgrades or anything like that. Plus, for those that maybe like to add morality into their gaming, you don't have to worry about slicing everything up.

    The controls were fairly intuitive, although at times it felts like the game was trying to do too much. Keep in mind that you can do a lot of different things relative to how basic (read: few) the controls are. This sometimes results in the game misinterpreting what you're trying to do. A lot of this has to do with timing (like hiding in a duct or something), but expect to miss a few thing input-wise because you and the game weren't on the same page.

    Needless to say, you're a ninja, so you're pretty awesome, but I also really enjoyed the various upgrades that you can get. It really prevented the game from getting too stale as you moved on. Some games simply increase difficulty without giving you new stuff to play with, but this did both.

    Ultimately, it's a really, really fun side-scroller and at the price, it's hard to beat.
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  23. Sep 25, 2013
    7
    At first when i started i wasn't too happy about this game. I just felt like it was about being sneeky sneeky, and also i'd say the controls can be a little clumsy. But i decided to give it a chance anyway, and it showed up that the longer you came, the more advanced the objectives got and the more things got added to the game. Like alarm lasers that you were in need to turn off byAt first when i started i wasn't too happy about this game. I just felt like it was about being sneeky sneeky, and also i'd say the controls can be a little clumsy. But i decided to give it a chance anyway, and it showed up that the longer you came, the more advanced the objectives got and the more things got added to the game. Like alarm lasers that you were in need to turn off by destroying the generator. There's also a couple of "puzzles" where you need to figure out how to place the things to pass the lasers.
    But after all it's still just a 2D indie game, that is not too long, and i'd rather play a game like Far Cry for example. To me this is a game you can play when you're a lil' bored or just wanna play a nice calm game, without too much brain needed.
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  24. Dec 20, 2014
    9
    A great side-scroller, surprisingly good voice acting, awesome environments, wasn't expecting anything near this level when I picked this one up. Definitely worth the price, Steam has it on sale.
  25. Jan 1, 2014
    8
    Mark of the Ninja revives the stealth genre in a way like no other. Even if you're not a big fan of sidescrollers I still recommend picking this game up. The art style is drop dead gorgeous, and it's a game you can really get lost in. It reminds me of if you took Batman: Arkham Asylum, turned Batman into a badass ninja, and stuck him into a 2D world.

    Pros: Beautiful Graphics For a 2D
    Mark of the Ninja revives the stealth genre in a way like no other. Even if you're not a big fan of sidescrollers I still recommend picking this game up. The art style is drop dead gorgeous, and it's a game you can really get lost in. It reminds me of if you took Batman: Arkham Asylum, turned Batman into a badass ninja, and stuck him into a 2D world.

    Pros:
    Beautiful Graphics For a 2D game
    Kick-Ass Animations
    Best Stealth Game I've Played Forever
    Great Price

    Cons:
    Needs a more Engaging Storyline
    Probabbly would work a lot better with a controller than they keyboard and mouse set up.
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  26. Aug 8, 2014
    8
    Mark of the ninja is not mainstream game, this game unique gameplay. You must patience and use your brain to play it. The has many feature like you can change costume, abilities, and weapon.
  27. Mar 7, 2014
    8
    Simply great indie game. Even on Easy, it will take almost 6-7 hours to complete this game. It's not just a side scrooler platform gama. You've decisions to make. You can stealth or kill, you can hide bodies or hang them to terrorize other guards. It's all up to you. You have a lot of great items. Maps are also splendid. Story, characters are really good. Puzzles are brilliant, most of theSimply great indie game. Even on Easy, it will take almost 6-7 hours to complete this game. It's not just a side scrooler platform gama. You've decisions to make. You can stealth or kill, you can hide bodies or hang them to terrorize other guards. It's all up to you. You have a lot of great items. Maps are also splendid. Story, characters are really good. Puzzles are brilliant, most of the time you must combine reflex and intelligent to solve puzzles.

    Just buy it if you like games like this. You don't have to wait 'til sales, it already worths its standart price.
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  28. Feb 10, 2014
    9
    Played: Jan 2014

    Pros: + Tight and satisfying controls (with a supported controller) + Rewards the player waiting long enough to tell what is happening before acting Cons: - PC version needs additional software support (official controller drivers: Xbox) to be playable - Not too much variety in the way guards behave (though methods of detection vary) In my mind, this is a game
    Played: Jan 2014

    Pros:
    + Tight and satisfying controls (with a supported controller)
    + Rewards the player waiting long enough to tell what is happening before acting

    Cons:
    - PC version needs additional software support (official controller drivers: Xbox) to be playable
    - Not too much variety in the way guards behave (though methods of detection vary)

    In my mind, this is a game which is not afraid to heavily emphasize stealth. While you can kill some (or all) guards, you must then hide bodies to avoid raising an alarm. Having observed others playing stealth games (and having played a few myself) I can say that if you lack the patience to watch for patterns or alternative pathways, you might not like this game (unless you like dying a lot). Discovery does not end the game (though it will hurt your score), but you must then fight hand-to-hand with the guard who has seen you. Combat is clunky (and doesn’t use the sword you’re already carrying for some reason), but this doesn’t matter too much because the whole point of the game is to sneak-n’-stab your way to victory, not fight everyone you see. If you don’t like the default play style, the game gives some nominal customization to accommodate you (i.e. whether you prefer distraction or killing items) via new skins which change what/how much you can carry and feature a new power; however these usually have such significant drawbacks that you’ll prefer the balanced initial costume.
    To me this game isn’t a platformer or even an action game, it is a fusion of stealth and puzzle. The puzzles in this case are to find the easiest (nearly always circuitous) path to the objectives seemed straightforward to me, but based on what I’ve seen some may be hard to find or frustrating to players who don’t like to wait for a guard to leave or look around for a better way to an objective. Aside from the fact that this game might not be your cup of tea, I need to address a specific gripe: on the PC version the generic drivers for a USB controller WILL NOT be adequate to play using an Xbox controller-you must update/download the Microsoft drivers to play (I recommend using a controller, even if it isn’t specifically an Xbox one, though I couldn’t vouch for its compatibility based on this experience). Why couldn’t the developers allow generic drivers when many other games do so? In spite of this complaint, once 1st party drivers are installed there can be no complaints about responsiveness-your character is easy to control and never slips off a ledge or accidentally does something you did not intend.
    BOTTOM LINE:
    This is an excellent game that will reward you with satisfying gameplay if you are willing to look around the stages and be patient enough to learn guard routines.
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  29. 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.
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  30. Feb 8, 2014
    9
    this game is awesome great playing style it needs a lot of speed and thinking at the same time it gonna make you REALLY feel like a ninja believe me its simply made for making you feel like a ninja .
  31. 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.
  32. Aug 23, 2023
    9
    Mark of the Ninja beautifully captures the essence of the genre by embracing its side-scrolling confinement.
  33. Jun 25, 2015
    8
    Mark of the Ninja, developed by the critically acclaimed studio Klei Entertainment, with their successful Shank series, Don't Starve and now Invisible Inc.

    Mark of the Ninja is like Dishononered mixed in with Thief: The Dark Project and produced into a 2D stealth action platformer, with great stealth, great bloody action and challenging yet not too difficult puzzles. Mark of the Ninja
    Mark of the Ninja, developed by the critically acclaimed studio Klei Entertainment, with their successful Shank series, Don't Starve and now Invisible Inc.

    Mark of the Ninja is like Dishononered mixed in with Thief: The Dark Project and produced into a 2D stealth action platformer, with great stealth, great bloody action and challenging yet not too difficult puzzles. Mark of the Ninja really shines as a 2D stealth game and Klei Entertainment have actually done a very good port from is original XBOX360 port to the PC. Controls are easy and quick to use. The music is brilliant and reminds me of some of the great Ninja films I have seen.

    The cutscenes and their animation truly shine as a Klei Entertainment game, as Pixar has its own animation techniques with its masterpieces, so does Klei Entertainment with its games and also Mark of the Ninja. The cutscenes' animations remind me of Disney/Pixar films, only more gory than the family friendly Disney we all know and love.

    The only thing that put me off was the voice acting. Its not terrible nor is it the best voice acting performance. Certainly it won't win any awards from me for best voice acting, but it gets the job done. Another thing which kind of bugged me was the puzzles, sometimes they were too easy, sometimes too hard, and sometimes damn frustrating!

    The story, very well written and has a good plot twist in the end. However, about midway into the story, it kind of lacks in storytelling and I got really bored in playing that specific bit. It was the same guards and dogs, etc... just re-textured to fit in the environment your in.

    I did notice some minor bugs here and there like guards not noticing me when I am fully visible in light and sometimes guards getting stuck in an area, however not game breaking.

    Plus once you complete the game, there is a new game plus mode which removes all the things that helped you and make it even more challenging. Overall, this is a great Klei Entertainment game and should be definitely be played be people who either like 2D games, stealth games or want to play something a little different...
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  34. Sep 30, 2014
    9
    This game has no flaws. Great art, good story, excellent game-play and interesting until the end. If i had to say one thing that i do not like about this game, it would be that it is too short.
  35. Nov 29, 2014
    9
    An amazing indie game! The controls respond really well with the keyboard and mouse, and the stealth is just right. It filled my life after the disappointment with the remake of Thief. The visuals are also really nice, and the game is not too long to overstay its welcome, but it's not too short to let me wanting for more. The story is really interesting, and so are the collectibles and theAn amazing indie game! The controls respond really well with the keyboard and mouse, and the stealth is just right. It filled my life after the disappointment with the remake of Thief. The visuals are also really nice, and the game is not too long to overstay its welcome, but it's not too short to let me wanting for more. The story is really interesting, and so are the collectibles and the secret areas. If you have some spare money, consider checking it out. Expand
  36. Apr 21, 2015
    10
    This game the best stealth game.
    Nice graphic (samurai jack like cut scenes).
    Cool sounds and music.
    Very very good game play.
    Cool design.good feeling.
    10000/10
    Good work klei.
  37. 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.
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  38. Jun 21, 2015
    9
    This is one of the best stealth games I have ever played. It has good great ideas well implemented into each levels, and new ideas to go against your natural instincts, and awesome powers. The only problems are that the story's ending wasn't very satisfying. And the controls are a little too sticky. But it is still a great a game.
  39. Jul 8, 2016
    7
    Stunning animation. Ending opened for interpretation. Tattooed Ninja. Just some points of the amazing things they do in Mark of the Ninja. A stealth platformer that makes you feel like a deadly ninja from the very start. Gameplay runs smooth with a decent progression system to beef up your character. Completing challenges not only award you tokens for purchasing upgrades but also unlockStunning animation. Ending opened for interpretation. Tattooed Ninja. Just some points of the amazing things they do in Mark of the Ninja. A stealth platformer that makes you feel like a deadly ninja from the very start. Gameplay runs smooth with a decent progression system to beef up your character. Completing challenges not only award you tokens for purchasing upgrades but also unlock different outfits you can wear that give you powers/disadvantages.
    My only wish would be for the game to be longer, beatable in a handful of hours. When the game ends it does offer a new game plus for people who want to go back and try and find all the hidden objects.
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  40. May 17, 2015
    10
    It is absolutelly best stealth game i ever played ,since Metal Gear Solid 2 . Why ? 30 hours long ,interesting campaing , many gadgets and always you have 3-5 ways to complete mission . Insta buy , game is going better every hour !
  41. 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.
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  42. May 15, 2021
    2
    Does not provide the entertaining ability to save progress during missions. Which means its entertainment value is a big fat ZERO.
  43. 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!
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  44. 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.
  45. 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.
  46. 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)
  47. 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.
  48. May 6, 2018
    6
    I have always been very picky when it comes to stealth games. Many too quickly devolve into trial and error. Unfortunately Mark of the Ninja does this as well.
  49. 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.
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  50. Nov 3, 2020
    7
    Im usually not a fan of stealth games but a few turn me around such as this one. Its straight up fun feels really satisfying to traverse each map theres a lot of different ways to appoach each encounter. Overall had a good time playing this would recommend
  51. Jul 9, 2020
    9
    A+
    Stealth gameplay is better than most of AAA games.
    Story is ok.
    Art style is on point.
  52. Feb 25, 2023
    9
    {__/}
    ( • - •)
    /つ☕______________________________________________________________________
  53. 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.
  54. 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
  55. 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
  56. 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.
  57. Feb 11, 2020
    8
    Fun little indie game that has great gameplay mechanics and not that good story.
  58. 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!?
  59. 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
  60. Oct 15, 2022
    7
    Стелс чччч крадись воруй убивяй чуть челенджа если очень хочешь
  61. Jun 30, 2020
    7
    A cute little game with some good puzzles and great playability. Not particularly my cup of tea, but if you like 2d games then this might be worth a look.
  62. 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!
  63. 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
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  64. Feb 1, 2021
    7
    Very fun and well made game. It's a 2D platformer, but it doesn't need to be anything else. Everything is done just right. If you lik
  65. 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.
  66. 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.
  67. Nov 18, 2022
    10
    I so love ninja based games of any category. From Ninja gaiden to tenchu to Ninja Blade to Shinobi etc
  68. Oct 26, 2022
    8
    this 2012 game with much simpler animations and graphics managed to be much more fun than AC CHINA 2D
  69. Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Excellent stealth game. Good content for value, good replayability. The way it uses sound and light is particularly fun.
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. 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.