Rise of the Kasai is both a prequel and a sequel to its predecessor. In some parts of the game you?ll play as Rau, who is now a much wiser warrior after his ordeal in
The Mark of Kri, and Tati, who was only a child the last time we saw her. Much of the sequel part of the story involves Tati, who has been cursed with a mark of Kri -- an evil tattoo that grants its bearer special powers and a pesky bent towards the dark side. Rau and Tati?s episodes revolve around the pair searching for information on the mark. This storyline ties into that of the prequel, which introduces two new characters, Griz and Baumusu. Griz is also marked with the same tattoo as Tati, but has learned to master its power. Baumusu, who was Rau?s mentor in the first game, serves as Griz?s bodyguard throughout their adventure.
At any time during a stage you will have two characters. At the beginning of the stage, you choose which you want to control while the A.I. takes over for the other. Depending on which of the two you choose to play as, the game?s dynamics change slightly. Rau and Baumusu are brutish warriors who deal out massive amounts of damage while Tati and Griz are nimble fighters. Each compliment each other?s abilities; for example, while taking one in for close combat, the other will watch your back with a ranged weapon.