Mark of the Ninja
I’m long time due with a review about Mark of the Ninja, as it’s gameplay and way of presentation captivated me from it’s first level.
Gameplay-wise the game is an stealth game - but unlike games like Thief series, here you can dispatch your enemies in various ways - if you want to.
You can arm yourself with incredible variety of tools - you can change your skin/cloth, resulting in a different combat style that can alter your health, pool of distraction or offense items, and sometimes introducing unique traits to that combat style.
– Real player with 42.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Platformer Ninja Games.
I personally wasn’t a fan of Klei’s previous games, like Shank and Eets. I felt they were meh at best, extremely frustrating at worst. It doesn’t really help that puzzle games and beat em' ups weren’t exactly my forte.
And then they just went and released one of the best stealth games ever made out of flipping nowhere.
Pros (+) :
- Excellent level design, 95% of the rooms have more than one way of sneaking around, and many of them will require you to use your brain. How will you get around these lasers ? How will you sneak past these guards ? How will you open that door ?
– Real player with 42.4 hrs in game
Stealth Bastard Deluxe
Stealth Bastard Deluxe was one of the early games out of the Greenlight gate - prior to it becoming an open door three miles wide - and it shows how decent some of those first Greenlight games were. This was made in GameMaker Studio, but you can scarcely tell as the inventiveness on display here is outstanding, both in terms of art assets used and the gameplay itself. On the face of it, it’s just another 2D puzzle-platformer in a market awash with titles from that genre, but this one has something a little different. The aesthetic is dark and brooding with a sharp sense of humour, suiting the setting well…and the soundtrack is similarly appropriate. But the gameplay is, as ever, the meat and potatoes.
– Real player with 35.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Platformer Indie Games.
SHORT VERSION
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys spending weeks on end figuring out then practicing how to complete Rubik’s Cube in 40 seconds, then SBD would be right up your street. But for anyone else, it would be very difficult to have a satisfying experience of SBD beyond say, Round 3, and I’d recommend not bothering with it.
DETAILED VERSION
Stealth Bastard Deluxe (SBD) is not a stealth game … stealth is just one minor aspect of a multi-faceted game, and the only real purpose of stealth in this case is to avoid being zapped, and consequently having to restart from the last checkpoint.
– Real player with 29.6 hrs in game
Moonshot - The Great Espionage
Once there was a time when 2 big Nations made a Race to Space.
The USA and the SOVIET UNION.
A time of Espionage, of Scientists and Military, of Honor and Glory.
But what if another Nation would take part into this Race?
Welcome to: MOONSHOT – THE GREAT ESPIONAGE.
MOONSHOT is an amazing and charming Retro Plattformer.
You are an Agent for a fictional Country. You get Missions, you execute them.
And that in a very nice done Pixel World that is guided by an absolut amazing Soundtrack that could have jumped out of a sixties Espionage Series.
– Real player with 5.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Platformer Puzzle Games.
Lovely music, lovely pixel art, funny story. The game may be a little too easy. But overall great fun and worth every cent.
– Real player with 5.5 hrs in game
Aveliana
Aveliana is an infiltration-action-adventure game in 2.5D with unique and diverse gameplay: based on the detection pattern of enemies, you find your own route through the worlds. All the enemies can be avoided in the idea of a commandos-like. The gameplay is ultra-dynamic because it is focussed on a single character, Aveliana.
If you feel one path is too complicated or you want to explore a new route, it is always possible to find a secret path, in which the game smoothly transition from 2.5D to a 2D platformer. And if you are tremendous, you can choose to stand and fight your enemies!
The gameplay is constantly renewed in Aveliana thanks to the many enemies that I have crafted for you. Each of them has a different detection and attack pattern. Big enemies, like robots, can not be directly targetted because they are too tall. However, Aveliana has other tricks in her bag. All along with the game, you will also unlock new abilities to build your character.
Aveliana is also a game with beautiful environments that you will want to explore to discover all the secrets of the game. Each level has a different environment and atmosphere. Sometimes, after an action-packed sequence, you will have the joy to admire the decor before continuing the adventure! After a long journey in an environment entirely hand-drawn, you will face fierce and unique bosses!
what Makes Aveliana Unique?
The gameplay, the story, and the art style!
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Unique and Diverse Stealth Gameplay
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Precise and fast gameplay for experts, and adjustable for occasional gamers
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A game that will delight artists!
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Hand-drawn wonderful environments!
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An adventure with an astonishing and unexpected story
Master Spy
Yes, this game is difficult. It requires memorization and rapid-yet-precise controller movements, especially in the later stages. You will have to figure out some game mechanics via trial and error. When you fail, you will likely have to start over from a much earlier checkpoint.
This describes Master Spy. And Ninja Gaiden. And Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts. And Metal Gear.
In this game, you play as the Master Spy, a contract spook who can infiltrate past any security blockade. You can walk, jump, somersault jump, don your optical-camouflage coat, and crack computer terminals. Get spotted, and you lose.
– Real player with 13.6 hrs in game
Pre-review advice: At least buy the soundtrack. Buy it no matter what. I sincerely doubt you’ll regret it.
Master Spy is primarily a precision platformer, secondarily a stealth platformer, and also really, really, really really reallyreally
REALLY hard.
You play as Master Spy, a (not very imaginative) master spy who excels in infiltrating places with the help of his invisibility trench coat. This comes in handy, as he is a pussy and will surrender to any man who glances at him sideways from behind a panel of reinforced glass, and also because the places he has to break into are [insert comparison to Fort Knox’s security here]. You’ve been hired to recover a data reel which is apparently so important that World War Three isn’t even the worst case scenario. Your contract will take you to many places, like mansions, yachts, assassin dens, and dangerous factories, and there are really interesting and well done cutscenes in between each to continue the story.
– Real player with 11.5 hrs in game
Electronic World Z
Electronic World Z is a laugably bad 2D retro pixel platformer with a janky computer monitor person as the protagonist. I know, yeah, whatever. Gameplay consists of carefully timed jumps between platforms to avoid zappy spikes and other timed obstacles.
Here’s my copypasta for this kind of retro pixel crapware: They chose to use obsolete retro pixel “art” as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics. It’s unclear if this is due to lack of budget or talent, regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is extremely low as a result. Resolution and controls are locked. These flaws push this game far below minimum acceptable standards for PC.
– Real player with 0.3 hrs in game
This is the 2nd game from this developer that I’ve played that I recall and it isn’t setting a very good precident. This is another low effort title with broken mechanics. Fix your games.
– Real player with 0.1 hrs in game
Mark of the Ninja: Remastered
This is unequivocally one of the best stealth games around. It’s certainly one of the best Klei games.
The non-remaster version is no longer available on Steam for purchase so it’s a moot point, however:[olist]
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Updated/enhanced visuals of an already fantastic art style.* Improved audio.* Includes the DLC “Dosan’s Tale”.[/olist]
Mark of the Ninja is effectively an instant classic as much as I hate the phrase. Seeing inspiration from the original MS-DOS Prince of Persia and the NES Ninja Gaiden with modern convenience and a stealth focus — Mark of the Ninja is what I’d call a ‘pure’ stealth game. What I mean by this is that fighting head-on is highly discouraged. But this does not mean you’re limited in how to accomplish the task set before you.
– Real player with 48.4 hrs in game
Rule number one: don’t get me killed.
Mark of the Ninja Remastered is a 2D stealth-platforming game. This re-release bundles a gameplay expansion, developer commentary, and improved visuals.
“Glint of Shuriken
Reflects as fear in the eyes
Of Tetsuji’s prey.”
As far as I can see, the sole improvements over the original release amount to some cutscene animation being smoother. Nonetheless, the game still looks fantastic thanks to the crisp hand-drawn art style and fluid character movement. The lighting engine remains mechanically simple, but objects turn black-and-white in the shadows, creating an excellent example of chiaroscuro.
– Real player with 26.7 hrs in game
Deer & Boy
Deer & Boy is a poetic cinematic platformer where you follow the journey of a boy who, after a tragic event, decides to escape his own fate of reality.
In this runaway, he will meet a fawn and eventually tame it.
The animal will gradually grow throughout the story and will become an essential and protective companion.
This deer will help the boy to find the strength to rebuild himself and finally emerge grown up from this experience.
Solve puzzles and avoid enemies standing in your way.
Gunslugs 3:Rogue Tactics
Disclaimer: won this game in a competition, so I didn’t pay for it, but did not receive it in exchange for this review.
Excellent randomly generated shoot ‘em up. Has stealth elements which, while not a major part of the game, do make it much more interesting than just a simple shooter. Difficult, but definitely has the “just one more go” factor. Very simple to pick up with loads to discover as you continue to play through.
Has the 8-bit feel that we expect from this dev.
– Real player with 13.4 hrs in game
Great pixel combat rogue-like game with loads of various missions together with a good varied enemy lineup, weapons and gadgets/items to keep you addicted.
Procedurally generated maps for unlimited replayability
– Real player with 4.1 hrs in game
Relentless: Ranger
Relentless: Ranger is a fantasy side scrolling rogue-lite RPG. Slash, shoot, sneak, die, and repeat as the next strider to brave the impossible mission. Each ranger lives once. Once he dies, you must select another to attempt the quest.
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EXCEPTIONAL SOUL-LIKE COMBAT
Bows, swords, and spells. Use a variety of weapons and magic to overcome your opposition in tough but fair combat. Beware that brainless button mashing will get you nowhere fast. You must also utilize dodges, jumps, and impeccable timing if you hope to survive.
THE TICKING CLOCK
In a land where evil reigns, not only are the odds stacked heavily against you, you must complete the quest in a limited time. With each passing day a ranger spends, the Dark becomes more powerful until the challenge becomes inevitably insurmountable. Will you spend extra time to heal in town? Or will you trudge on to save time and hope you get lucky?
RANGER SUPERPOWERS
Nine disciplines to train from Archery to Beastmastery to Acrobatics. Combined with inherent talents and flaws, each ranger will play differently. Perhaps you will pick a Legolas-like archer of death who can plow through levels through sheer arrow power? Or select one who relies more on stealth and magic? Or another who relies on the aid of forest animals?
SURVIVAL MANAGEMENT
Rescue villagers, find artifacts, or just invest money in the town. You will be rewarded with better weapons, more potions, and beds with less fleas. Help make the town a better place and the mission less unreasonable, if not for you, at least for your successors.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATH
Choices matter in addition to the procedural generation of fate. Each ranger will encounter different people and situations during his quest. Depending on your choices, his subsequent path will be altered, taking him to new locations, dangers, and treasures. Although all seek the Seed, no ranger will travel the same path.