Sony San Diego action-adventure set in a fantastical Polynesian universe. The fluid gestural combat system with tribal runes is original. Art direction inspired by Pacific cultures and imposing enemies are highlights. An exotic and accomplished title, underrated on PS2.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player16+
Description
An action-adventure by SCEA and SIE Bend Studio released in 2002 (US, Europe, Japan), the studio's first major PS2 production. Rau, a young Polynesian warrior with an eagle companion, must recover the Mark of Kri to save his village. An original "draw stick" combat system and an aboriginal aesthetic in the Disney/Tarzan vein.
Mark of Kri, The review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
A line inspired by Disney animation, supple outlines and warm light applied to an unexpected warrior violence: the contrast is the whole strength of the style. The tribal settings and expressive silhouettes compose a singular elegance. This visual direction, sleek and atypical, remains a striking graphic curiosity.
A Sony action game with an animated-fairy-tale aesthetic, marrying stealth and multi-foe combat through an original targeting system, in a Polynesian-inspired setting. Still common in the West, its interest lies in this art direction and singular mechanic rather than scarcity. A piece valued by fans of atypical action of the PS2 era, accessible on the market.
An underrated gem
Beneath its Polynesian-cartoon looks hides a surprisingly brutal action game, whose multi-target lock-on lets you orchestrate melee fights of rare elegance. That contrast surely threw people off at launch. Little known, it will appeal to fans of measured action and stealth ready to discover a unique art direction.
Is Mark of Kri, The still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2002 on PS2, SCE San Diego's project marries an art direction inspired by Disney animation to a strikingly raw martial violence. The hero Rau fights with blade and bow in settings of Polynesian flavour, through an original targeting system where you designate several enemies with a flick of the stick before unleashing lethal combos. Stealth and the sound work heighten the tension. The camera and the stiffness of some sequences betray the title's age. An atypical and forgotten curiosity, recommended for fans of singular action adventure and for collectors hunting overlooked gems that dared to look unlike anything else.
