More Than a Movie Tie-In
I think that this title warrants reviewing, as many in my friend group are torn about whether or not it merits a playthrough. These opinions range from “I’ll give it a shot if I have time” to “I’ll be disappointed in you if you play it.” First off, the atmosphere is the same atmosphere that you know and love from the first three Prince of Persia games. It may be too familiar to some, but I enjoy it, because I do not play any other games set in Ancient Persia. Certain rooms and scenes are spectacular, but others certainly require a suspension of disbelief. At times I found myself wondering “what practical purpose could this contraption possibly serve?” Also, there is an odd abundance of water in these locales, to show off one of the Prince’s new abilities, one that you’ve no doubt heard of if you’ve followed the release of the game at all. Also, the prince gains the ability at one point to launch off of vultures that are conveniently placed to aid him in traversing some of the ruins. This can’t help but seem silly. The boss battles all have quite a sense of scale, and seem pretty epic (pardon the use of this word).
The game is at its best when the Prince has gained the majority of his abilities and is navigating a room. The Prince gains the ability to recall sections of the palace from the past at one point in the game. When you are freezing/unfreezing water, recalling sections from the past (you can only recall one at a time), launching off of vultures (this requires somewhat precise timing), and doing the normal wall runs and jumps and swings, the game is absolutely magnificent. The game introduces these concepts to you at a great pace, giving you time to discover the optimal uses of each and integrate them into your acrobatic arsenal. The player begins to feel like a virtuoso, hitting jumps and utilizing powers in a fantastic rhythm.
The combat is also great, easily the best in the entire series. The powers are all entertaining and fun to use, and the larger scale battles are much more entertaining than any the Prince has seen until this point. The upgrade system is an improvement, for the most part. However, I miss the trips to the secluded fountains. You do visit these areas, but health upgrades are in the upgrade menu with the rest of your powers.
The graphics were said to be uneven by other reviews, but this is not something that I noticed. The sound also seemed solid. Voice acting was not an issue either way.
Now, on to the problems of the title: first off, the camera can be somewhat problematic. Perhaps three times during the game, the camera somewhat impeded my progress. This generally took the form of me not being able to see very clearly where I needed to go. However, these sections were few and far between. The other issue that some people find with the title is the story. However, I wasn’t particularly fond of the stories in any of the Prince of Persia titles. However, if this sort of thing irritates you, you won’t find much to like here.
There is an awful lot to like about this title. The story is lackluster, but the acrobatics and combat are both a step forward for the series.
