Who was it that said that Sony could not be a successful game developer? Well, all the non-believers are about to be pleasantly suprised. Sony has come back with the new action adventure title, The Mark of Kri. For gamers that may not have heard any of the buzz about this title, this is one game that should not be slept on. In this title, you take command of the barbarian warrior Rau, who is in training to become one of the protectors of his village. As Rau, you must conquer the evil forces outside the village that threaten to take over and pillage your peaceful habitat. Get ready gamers for action barbarian style ala Conan the Barbarian. This game will have you on the edge of your seat and wanting more!

The graphics in this title are great but what will captivate the gaming audience is the use of simplistic animation. The characters in Kri appear to pop right out of a Disney cartoon movie. I loved that, but the twist to it all was the level of violence and gore that accompanied it. I was shocked to see as I set out to conquer the evil in the surrounding areas, the manner in which they were disposed of was amazingly grotesque, I did not expect this at all. The action in this game is amped up and the kills in this game are enough eye candy fans to drool like Homer Simpson over a box of donuts. Never in a game have I seen an enemy dismembered in half by a weapon (a battle-axe of course), with such great precision and cool looks! It is a real treat to see Rau make quick work of enemies around him with speed and bloody accuracy. The animations that are used to bring this effect are stellar. You can tell that the developers have motion captured the movement of swordsmen and different weapon handling techniques, to give Rau that true swordsman feel. It is great to see that while swashbuckling with others on screen, Rau will acrobatically flip his sword around his body or in the air to gain momentum for the final death slash. The use of other weapons is amazing as well; it is a real treat to see the different kill techniques that come with each weapon. Another great factor that this game has is the amount of characters that are on screen at once. At times you will notice that you become surrounded by enemies (about 10-15 at times, maybe more) and there is no slow down on screen. All the enemies attack to an unusual extent, so your skills will need to be up to par in or to be a true protector of your village. The environments in this game look great as well. There is complete 3D movement and there are plenty of animals that you can interact with to create an advantage for you in battle. Visually this game is refreshing to look at as it brings a new look to what we as gamers may expect from the genre.

With all this action and the blood and gore that is being made available to us in this title, the game play is very important to pull of these amazing kills. Question is, "Does the gameplay match the great visuals?" I would have to say Hell Yeah! For people who have not played this title, I must recommend do not read the instructions to this game. It is better played not knowing what to do, honest! There are training levels that are made available to you and interact with the story line to prepare you for battle. Now the fighting system in this title may be new to some but not to others. Depending on the type of weapon that is chosen, that will determine the amount of enemies that you are able to lock onto. If the sword is chosen, then you are able to lock onto three different enemies, if the tahia is chosen you will be able to lock onto six different and so on, as the weapons change while they are acquired. Therefore, it is important to pick the perfect weapon for the proper battle. One must make sure that they survey the type of weapons that the bosses and enemies have in order to be successful in Braveheart like battle scenes. Another control feature that this game has to offer is the use of combo kills, if a certain sequence of buttons are pressed then Rau will perform an attack that will kill an enemy with a series of hits (like Tekken). You also have the use of a bow and arrow to make those hits from a distance, via first person view mode, or you may also take bad guys out with one shot head kills, that's right you read correctly. Another aspect that has been put into the game is the use of stealth, and I must say that I have not had this much fun since Metal Gear Solid 2. You are able to lean closely to a wall and stealth kill an enemy that is around the corner. Also there are roof top stealth kills, picture jumping down on a group of bad guys and snapping necks, as they do not even hear your arrival from above. You are accompanied by a hawk that serves as you birds eye view to the danger that is lurking around the corner. This allows you to plan your attack on the unsuspecting enemies ahead. Although there are similar qualities to this title that can be found in previous great hits, the presentation of all these old ideals with innovations to them, make this game highly ranked amongst the rest. The only improvement that I see that needs attention is the AI in the game. When there is an all out melee battle, the enemies attack with smarts and quickness, however the down side to this is in the double stealth kills. When sneaking up on two guys with their backs to you, to kill the first guy without the second guy knowing is easy. They seem to be unaware that all that moaning that their poor friend is making may be due to their demise. For the future Sony need to work on this, if they make the AI as smart as they did in MGS2 then it would make the game that much greater. However, trust me, there will be a sequel to this, so improvements are expected in the future.

The sound in this game is good; the music that makes you aware that something is about to happen really set the mood for the game's atmosphere. The environmental sounds bring the scenery to life, they seem to live and breathe like in the real world. When an enemy is dying on the ground, you can hear the last breath leave his body. This is sure to have gamers content, as they will be able to have them suffer in agony by the end of their sword.

In addition, many extra levels are available to you after the completion of each chapter in the story. They are arena modes that allow you to take out your frustrations on a crew of baddies. In this mode, you have access to all the weapons that may not be unlocked and many people attack you at once. Your goal is to cut through as many bodies as fast as you can, or you may try to beat records for the highest body count. This game seems to have it all, great game play, great story, and great graphics! It is all here, great job Sony, just make the next game continue the same path of greatness! This game is worth the buy; you may find it slightly cheaper than other blockbuster titles. So, get this game because it will be more bang for the buck.