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Rise of the Kasai

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Rise of the Kasai
Developer(s)BottleRocket Entertainment
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Producer(s)Johnathan Beard
Designer(s)Dan Mueller
Andrew Zoboki
Artist(s)Tim Neveu
Writer(s)Johnathan Beard
Composer(s)Jack Wall
Rod Abernethy
Jason Graves
Lars Anderson
Michael A. Reagan
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
PlayStation 4
Release
  • NA: April 5, 2005

NA, EU: March 8, 2016 (PS4)
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Rise of the Kasai is an action-adventure game developed by BottleRocket Entertainment and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America exclusively for PlayStation 2. The game serves as a followup to the 2002 action-adventure game The Mark of Kri. On March 8, 2016 It was re-released on the PlayStation 4.

Plot

The story for the Rise of the Kasai centers on a band of warriors known as the Rakus and their battles against the evil sect of dark magicians known as the Kasai, led by the traitor of the Rakus, Maibisi, who plans to collect the six Marks of Kri and unleash a multitude of horrors in order to rule the world. The narrative focuses on a series of events that take place ten years prior to the events of The Mark of Kri and ten years afterwards.

Levels taking place in the past feature the older generation of the Rakus, Baumusu, Rau's trainer from The Mark of Kri, and a new character named Griz, Baumusu's mentor. Meanwhile, future levels feature the new generation of the Rakus, Rau and Tati, Rau's younger sister who bears the Mark of Kri in order to stop Maibisi from unleashing world domination.

Gameplay

Gameplay consists of thirteen levels, in which the player, accompanied by a computer-controlled ally, must battle numerous enemies to progress through the story. Much like its predecessor, the combat system of Rise of the Kasai revolves around the use of Focus Beams, a gameplay mechanic used to lock on to single or multiple enemies from any direction.

While the DualShock 2's left analog stick is used to maneuver the character, a sweep of the right analog stick will cause a beam of light to extend from the player's character. When this beam of light comes into contact with an enemy, an attack icon will be assigned to them. Attack icons are symbols that appear over the enemy's head and correspond with the X, square, and circle buttons on the controller. When an attack icon is assigned, the player can press the corresponding button to initiate a focused attack.[1]

Baumusu locked on to multiple enemies.

This attack will vary depending on distance and the direction that the character is facing in relation to the focused enemy. When only one or two different attack icons are in use, the free button(s) becomes a Modifier that can be used to chain together attack combinations. In addition, some of these attack combos can lead to an instant kill if done correctly.[1]

While players may spend a majority of the game fighting enemies head on, there are many occasions where the player has the option to employ stealth tactics to avoid detection and quietly ambush the enemy. A stealth kill can be performed by sheathing the character's weapon and using the focus beam to assign a flashing attack icon onto an unsuspecting enemy. The player will be able to initiate a stealth kill once the enemy is in range and the attack icon becomes solid.[1]

To help remain undetected, the player can send out a spirit guide to a certain key-point to scope the environment ahead and monitor enemy positions, armaments, and patrol patterns. Using a spirit guide to scout ahead can also allow the player to devise battle strategies if stealth is not an option. Spirit guides vary between the four protagonists. Rau and Baumusu use Kuzo, a spiritual familiar that takes the form of a blackbird, as their spirit guide. Kuzo can be sent to various perches throughout the level to scout ahead. Tati and Griz summon the souls of the dead to scout ahead from the various corpses that litter the environment.

Audio

Rise of the Kasai's musical score was composed by Jack Wall,[1][2] Rod Abernethy, Jason Graves,[3] and Mike Reagan[4] with instruments provided by Michael Masley and Mr. Lee Vang.[1]

Reception

Rise of the Kasai received mixed reviews from critics, as GameRankings gave it a score of 70.65%,[5] while Metacritic gave it 68 out of 100.[6] While many critics praised the game's combat system, control scheme, and distinctive cinematics, others panned the game due to repetitious gameplay while expressing disappointment in the game's AI and lack of multiplayer options.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Rise of the Kasai instruction manual. Sony Computer Entertainment. 2005. SCUS-97416.
  2. ^ "Credits at Jack Wall's official web site". Archived from the original on July 5, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
  3. ^ "Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves site". Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
  4. ^ "Mike Reagan Music". Retrieved July 8, 2007.
  5. ^ a b "Rise of the Kasai for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  6. ^ a b c "Rise of the Kasai for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  7. ^ Edge Staff (June 2005). "Rise of the Kasai review". Edge (150): 84. Archived from the original on 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2015-07-30. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ EGM Staff (May 2005). "Rise of the Kasai". Electronic Gaming Monthly (191): 133.
  9. ^ "Rise of the Kasai". Game Informer (145): 114. May 2005.
  10. ^ Four-Eyed Dragon (2005-04-06). "Rise of the Kasai Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2005-04-10. Retrieved 2014-05-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Brian Gee (2005-04-19). "Rise of the Kasai Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  12. ^ Alex Navarro (2005-04-04). "Rise of the Kasai Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  13. ^ Raymond L. Padilla (2005-04-08). "GameSpy: Rise of the Kasai". GameSpy. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  14. ^ "Rise of the Kasai Review". GameTrailers. April 12, 2005. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  15. ^ Michael Lafferty (2005-03-31). "Rise of the Kasai - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2014-05-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Ed Lewis (2005-03-25). "Rise of the Kasai". IGN. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  17. ^ "Rise of the Kasai". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. May 2005.
  18. ^ Al Toby (2005-06-05). "'Rise of the Kasai'". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2005-09-17. Retrieved 2014-05-24. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Sean Cunningham (2005-04-05). "Rise of the Kasai". Maxim. Archived from the original on 2014-05-24. Retrieved 2014-05-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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