Mark of the Ninja is a stealth action game with side-scrolling gameplay. The emphasis in stealth games has always been on remaining unseen and unheard. The game starts with a nameless ninja in a modern setting waking up to find his clan under attack. After eliminating the attackers, he is ordered to assassinate the leader of Hessian Services, a private military firm responsible for the attack. He is picked to receive a series of tattoos that will sharpen his senses and increase his agility. However, the tattoos are claimed to drive anyone who receives them insane. Thus the clan’s tradition is that anyone who gets the tattoos must commit themselves after dealing with the threat to the family.
The art style is comparable to Klei’s previous Shank games. The settings have light sources that will reveal the gamer to any guards around. Furthermore, many of the players’ actions (such as running, damaging objects, and so on) will generate sounds that the guards will hear and respond to. The player character can conduct a one-hit kill by approaching foes unobserved. Except for two designated NPC “boss” characters, it is possible to complete the game without killing adversaries.
Each level includes several optional goals. Most stealth activities in the game reward points, such as secretly backstabbing guards, moving by them while being noticed, distracting them, and so on. There is also a bonus for finishing the level without being detected and a more significant bonus for completing the story without murdering anyone. Each class has three different scoring tiers as a result of this. Three secret scrolls in each level narrate the backstory in the style of an audio log. In addition, each group offers three optional objectives specific to that level. Some involve destroying a particular number of lights in a class, while others may need to move between two regions in a certain amount of time. Two optional objectives are associated with one of four distinct styles (Silence, Nightmares, Hunter, or Might), and fulfilling three of the same type unlocks a Style. The Styles provide benefits and drawbacks that support a specific sort of play. For example, the Path of Silence allows players to run silently and carry more diversion items but does not let them stealth-kill foes.
The player can earn up to 9 Honor points in each level by completing three scoring tiers, three scrolls, and three optional tasks. Between classes, honor points are utilized to purchase various upgrades and things.
