Rise of the Kasai
Encyclopedia
Rise of the Kasai is an action game
developed by BottleRocket Entertainment
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America
for the PlayStation 2
video game console
. Released in 2005, the game serves as a followup to the 2002 game The Mark of Kri
. It was released only in North America.
n-influenced fantasy setting. The game's plot centers on a band of warriors known as the Rakus and their battles against the evil sect of dark magicians known as the Kasai. 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.
, in which the player, accompanied by a computer-controlled
ally, must battle numerous enemies to progress through the story. The levels of Rise of the Kasai alternate between two pairs of playable characters: Rau with his younger sister Tati and Baumusu with his mentor Griz.
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.
s. 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.
, Rod Abernethy
, Jason Graves
, and Mike Reagan
with instruments provided by Michael Masley
and Mr. Lee Vang.
, others panned the game due to repetitious gameplay while expressing disappointment in the game's AI and lack of multiplayer
options.
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
developed by BottleRocket Entertainment
Bottlerocket Entertainment
BottleRocket Entertainment was a third-party video game developer founded by Jay Beard , composed primarily of former Sony San Diego employees and animators...
and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. Released in 2005, the game serves as a followup to the 2002 game The Mark of Kri
The Mark of Kri
The Mark of Kri is an action-adventure game developed by SCE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game was released for the PlayStation 2 on July 19, 2002 in North America, March 14, 2003 in Europe and October 23, 2003 in Japan....
. It was released only in North America.
Story
The story for the Rise of the Kasai takes place in a PolynesiaPolynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n-influenced fantasy setting. The game's plot centers on a band of warriors known as the Rakus and their battles against the evil sect of dark magicians known as the Kasai. 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.
Gameplay
Gameplay consists of thirteen levelsLevel (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
, in which the player, accompanied by a computer-controlled
Game artificial intelligence
Game artificial intelligence refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters . The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial intelligence...
ally, must battle numerous enemies to progress through the story. The levels of Rise of the Kasai alternate between two pairs of playable characters: Rau with his younger sister Tati and Baumusu with his mentor Griz.
Focus Beams
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.Stealth
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.Spirit Guides
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 protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s. Rau and Baumusu use Kuzo, a spiritual familiar
Familiar spirit
In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiar spirits were supernatural entities believed to assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic...
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 KasaiJack Wall (composer)
Jack Wall is an American video game music composer. He has worked on video game music for over 20 games including the Myst franchise, Splinter Cell, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect...
, Rod Abernethy
Rod Abernethy
Rod Abernethy is known throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas for his cutting-edge approach to music composition for video games, television and film...
, Jason Graves
Jason Graves
Jason Graves is an award-winning American television, film and video game music composer. He is more recently known for his musical score for Dead Space, a survival horror-action video game.-Biography:...
, and Mike Reagan
Mike Reagan
Mike Reagan is a composer, songwriter and music producer whose music has been featured in multiple videogames, TV commercials, and various film projects, including Any Given Sunday, and Elmo in Grouchland, which garnered a Grammy Award for Best Children’s Soundtrack.He is most recognized for his...
with instruments provided by Michael Masley
Michael Masley
Michael Masley is known for his musical work on the Hungarian cymbalom. His unique method of playing the instrument comes from his invention of the bowhammer, a cross between a fiddle bow and a dulcimer hammer, attached to the finger with a ring...
and Mr. Lee Vang.
Reception
Rise of the Kasai received mixed reviews from critics. While many critics praised the game's combat system, control scheme, and distinctive cinematicsFull motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
, others panned the game due to repetitious gameplay while expressing disappointment in the game's AI and lack of multiplayer
Multiplayer game
A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
options.