Rise of the Kasai – PS2 – Preview

 “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.

 



Tati and Rau tag-team the opposition with different combat
styles

 

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.