A must-play experience
When Ubisoft discovered the formula to reinvent one of the hardest side-scrollers of all-time into one of the best platforming trilogies of last-generation, no one thought they’d have what it took to do it again. The Sands of Time trilogy ended on a high-note and this new Prince hopes to recapture the graceful essence that made the first games such a spectacle to behold.
First of all, loyal followers of the Prince take note; this game has absolutely nothing to do with past titles. As a matter of fact you may as well call it by a different name since gameplay, story, everything has been ostracized with no comparisons able to be drawn. This works to the series advantage in multiple scenarios including the incorporation of your new ally Elika. As the story goes, Elika is a princess who has been blessed with godly powers in order to contain the looming threat of the dark god Ahriman. The Prince is drug into this conflict and must help Elika restore the corrupted fertile grounds to prevent Ahriman from being unleashed unto the world.
Perhaps the best dual-feature of this title is the open-world environment and Elika herself. From the very beginning, you are given the choice of where your adventure takes you. Each area encompasses a very different segment of the City of Light and all contain corrupted grounds that must be cleansed. Once a fertile ground is healed it can then be warped to instantly or may be traversed by the slow but visually appealing acrobatics of the Prince. Let me stress the visual appeal bit a little more; this game has some of the best visuals I have ever seen. The dilapidated and dark ruins of the City of Light brim with unearthly ominous energy and suddenly, within a blink of an eye become one of the most radiant, serene images possible. Running around gazing at the vistas never tires and is also welcomed by the collection of Light Seeds, which warrant exploration and help unlock the rest of the world. All this is additionally complemented by Elika, Ubisoft’s innovative AI companion.
Elika is your compass, she’s your savior, and she’s your Jimmy Lee. At all times she follows you and at no point does she become overburdening. This is the way AI should be, helpful and an asset to the gameplay. It also helps that she’s something to look at and exchanges hilarious dialogue with the Prince. However, Elika is also where the controversy begins. Whenever you fall into a chasm or get smoked by an enemy she pulls you out at the last possible moment, giving you a second, third, fourth, and sometimes seventeenth chance. Some are going to be put off by this as it’s impossible to lose to any kind of enemy and/or environmental danger. Even still, the way this game is put together calls for this type of change and works without flaw. Would you rather be brought to a game over screen and forced to redo the entire level or would you rather start at the last point before you hobbled into the abyss? It saves time and still proves that you have to work to achieve your goals.
The combat is also inevitably going to stir up more controversy among Prince fans. Fighting against multiple enemies is now non-existent while single combat, with massive QTEs (Quick Time Events) takes the spotlight. Constantly being bombarded with QTE after QTE can be frustrating, especially if you’re a button-masher. Thankfully they’re extremely short and can be easily learned. It’s all about timing so you’re going to have to pay attention to the movements of the enemy in order to become adept. For example, when an enemy jumps it’s always one particular button to avoid while a magic move is always another. Slip up and enemies gain a portion of their health back, making you question your ability to distinguish colors, and further drawing out the fight.
Fortunately these lengthy battles are only apparent when encountering a boss. Normal enemies do take some time to defeat but can be killed instantly by numerous moves. Positioning yourself near a ledge makes it possible to throw the enemy off or moving them close to a wall nets a brutal impale maneuver. My favorite requires moving quickly through obstacles and getting to the enemy before they spawn. No matter what, these encounters with normal soldiers are easy but very infrequent. Which is too bad since the combo system is reminiscent of the last-gen Prince of Persia and just as fun.
Ahriman has four chosen Corrupted who guard the fertile grounds that the Prince and Elika must restore. Each of these bosses are going to be encountered a grand total of five times and, unlike normal baddies, take some time to vanquish. The repetition is annoying and it gets worse as you progress since with each new encounter the bosses gain additional moves; that means torrents of QTEs. Strangely, I wasn’t put off just because the difference in moves along with the shift in environments kept things fresh. And against these bosses you can really experiment with long-chain combos that look marvelous.
Prince of Persia is one of my favorite games of this generation and for good reason. It’s not a hardcore combat-fest and it’s not a walk in the park. The emphasis is on fun and it isn’t a short trip by any means (the game can run you around the 15 hour mark). By the end of the game, if you aren’t blown away by the story, incredible platforming or the immersive world you’ve been thrust into then I fear, my friend, you have no soul.
Enjoyed the article? Follow me on Twitter!
