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“Gather around all of you who would listen …”
A series of dark spells were created for the purpose of enslaving the world, but before they could be used, the spells were stolen and broken apart and spread across the world. They were placed upon the unborn, marking them, but they knew nothing about the spells and what they carried.
As with anything, in time, the world forgot about the evil threat, and it passed into legend. But for an evil sect, known as the Kasai, time meant nothing and it waited for the spells to be rediscovered. One group stood alone against this evil, watching over those marked with the sign of the evil spells.
The Rise of the Kasai, a Sony Computer Entertainment America and Bottlerocket title for the PlayStation 2, slated for retail in mid-March, is a third-person tale that begins with a brother and sister, one with the mark of the spells upon her. Rau and Tati entered the great city, seeking an answer for the mark on Tati and a reason for her nightmares. Tati is bitter at the world, and walks the knife’s edge between good and evil.
But this is not a friendly city, and danger awaits in the streets and on the rooftops.
The demo disk GameZone received of Rise of the Kasai barely hinted at the depth and scope of this game. Rise of the Kasai is the sequel to the 2002 PS2 title The Mark of Kri. But this time around the game is more expansive, offering 10 levels and cooperative fighting opportunities. There are four main characters working through the storyline that begins 10 years prior to the time period of The Mark of Kri, and then jumps forward 20 years.
Players will have a multiple number of ways to engage in combat – either from a ranged perspective, up-close and in-your-face melee, or through stealth attacks. The latter is AI guided and players will find it easy to accomplish, though the end of the stealth move is not exactly what one may consider “stealthy.” For example …
Rau moves quietly and quickly through the dark city streets. A guard appears at the corner in the road, and Rau moves flush to the wall. Though a large being, Rau is light on his feet. He sneaks slowly toward the guard and then attacks. A giant hand grabs the guard by the neck and swings him back around the corner, slamming him up against the wall. The giant sword Rau carries across his back is drawn and the guard, held well off the ground, is skewered.
Of course, Tati has a slightly different tact. Lithe and acrobatic, she pounces upon the back of her foe, driving them into the ground, or into a wall. If on the ground, she wraps her hands around the chin, plants her knees in the back and pulls backwards until the neck breaks with a loud (and somewhat disturbing) crack. If she face plants them into a wall, she uses a dagger at the base of the skull to severe the bond with life.
The combat in this game is rather amazing. Attack combos can be strung together, and you can target more than one enemy and switch off easily. Special skills are also available, like Tati’s ability to leave her body and scout around in a type of ethereal form. Eye-popping, jaw-dropping animation powers this game, and it fits incredibly well with the dynamic lighting and shadows.
Yes, this demo did have a few minor stumbles, but this was a demo and unless those glitches work into the release, they are moot at this point.
Rise of the Kasai has all the earmarks of a terrific title that will feed those seeking a mystical, well-designed combat vehicle. The sound and graphics work amazingly well to create an immersive experience that ends all to soon in the demo and leaves a hunger for more.
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