Prince of Persia
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Back on the PS2, the prince made a comeback with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The game was considered a worthy revival of the classic 2d game, pulled into the 3rd dimension with a new take on platforming. The following 2 titles were well received although neither reached the level of critical acclaim that Sands did.
Fast forward to this generation and we have another chance to play as the prince, albeit a new and improved prince. The new game, simply titled Prince of Persia sees a new prince in a corrupted world tangled in the darkness of Ahriman. You meet up with a female character, Elika, early in the game and she serves to physically help you on your journey as well as to provide a foil to the prince’s character. In the new POP, you are set free in the world which soon falls to the hands of darkness and you and Elika must restore the lands to their former glory by running, jumping, wall running… ceiling running? Yes, the new prince has a few new moves this time around and is all-around more agile than the past princes. The platforming is cinematic, but therein lies the problem. So much focus is afforded to the flashy moves and so little to actual skill or timing that some may be turned off by the almost contextual-button-press approach the game takes to platforming. Others may be turned off by the fact that you can’t die- not in battle, not from a fall. Elika is always there to save you.
While the developers gave the player minimal control and a healthy dose of hand-holding, there is plenty to love about the new prince. First of all, the art style of the game is one of the finest you’ll experience in gaming. The highly textured, cel-shaded worlds are bathed in beautiful hues that lend a sense of thick atmosphere to the game (literally in some places where dark particles choke the oxygen out of the air). The game is truly a sight to behold and the accompanying soundtrack blends nicely with the unique art direction.
The story of Prince of Persia is minimal, requiring you to analyze the world in order to learn its secrets. The shame is many people will miss out on the minutiae of the story because you must actively talk to Elika to glean what you can. The game drags a bit in the middle, but the last few hours are emotionally charged perfection. The ending is amazing and I had chills as I watched the final events unfold. The fairytale nature of the story lends itself perfectly to the rest of the game. POP is an extremely consistent experience with plenty of charm.
You owe it to yourself to pick this one up or at least give it a rent. There’s nothing quite like it.
Fast forward to this generation and we have another chance to play as the prince, albeit a new and improved prince. The new game, simply titled Prince of Persia sees a new prince in a corrupted world tangled in the darkness of Ahriman. You meet up with a female character, Elika, early in the game and she serves to physically help you on your journey as well as to provide a foil to the prince’s character. In the new POP, you are set free in the world which soon falls to the hands of darkness and you and Elika must restore the lands to their former glory by running, jumping, wall running… ceiling running? Yes, the new prince has a few new moves this time around and is all-around more agile than the past princes. The platforming is cinematic, but therein lies the problem. So much focus is afforded to the flashy moves and so little to actual skill or timing that some may be turned off by the almost contextual-button-press approach the game takes to platforming. Others may be turned off by the fact that you can’t die- not in battle, not from a fall. Elika is always there to save you.
While the developers gave the player minimal control and a healthy dose of hand-holding, there is plenty to love about the new prince. First of all, the art style of the game is one of the finest you’ll experience in gaming. The highly textured, cel-shaded worlds are bathed in beautiful hues that lend a sense of thick atmosphere to the game (literally in some places where dark particles choke the oxygen out of the air). The game is truly a sight to behold and the accompanying soundtrack blends nicely with the unique art direction.
The story of Prince of Persia is minimal, requiring you to analyze the world in order to learn its secrets. The shame is many people will miss out on the minutiae of the story because you must actively talk to Elika to glean what you can. The game drags a bit in the middle, but the last few hours are emotionally charged perfection. The ending is amazing and I had chills as I watched the final events unfold. The fairytale nature of the story lends itself perfectly to the rest of the game. POP is an extremely consistent experience with plenty of charm.
You owe it to yourself to pick this one up or at least give it a rent. There’s nothing quite like it.
