Mark of the Ninja brings stealth to XBLA

Stealth gaming is an odd one. I once played through Deus Ex: Human Revolution without killing any enemies or setting off any alarms which, to the casual observer, turned the game into a sitting-in-a-vent simulator. True, I spent a lot of time sitting in vents - but I also enjoyed every minute.

It's hard to pinpoint what it is about pure stealth that makes it so satisfying. Maybe it's outwitting a room full of guards? Maybe it's that you're the only one who truly knows what's going on? Maybe it's that my headphones are broken so I need to play quietly to avoid waking up next door's baby?

Whatever it is, it's fun, and Mark of the Ninja, the new 2D stealth platformer from Klei Entertainment has it by the bucketful. It's also very pretty, so check out our preview above and see if you can spot the wily and elusive ninja in his natural state*.

Mark of the Ninja is out on XBLA on September 7.

*Stabbing dudes