A remake of the original Prince of Persia.
PG Exclusive Review
Play... the Pakistani way!
Pros:
Okay, I know what's the first thing you must be thinking. Why is he writing a review on a two year old game? Well, let's just say that I enjoy writing reviews of old, "forgotten," games.
Now, onto the review...
The Prince of Persia game series has always been the franchise which I would usually tend to forget about playing or leave it entirely. Though great, it never really got to me like other game franchises out there. On the PlayStation 2, I had given Sands of Time a try. It turned out to be satisfyingly great, but wasn't enough to pull me in. As the next generation had arrived, the zamana of the PS2 was supposedly dead. Gamers had to move onto the newer, better, consoles. And there came a time where I completely forgot that there ever was a Prince of Persia.
But that changed when Ubisoft released their latest instalment in the form of a remake of the original Prince of Persia (which I haven't played, mind you). On December 2, 2008, I was brought back to the franchise that I purposely ignored. It was almost as if the series was beckoning me to give it one more try. It didn't take me long to pick up a copy of Prince of Persia and start playing it on my PS3. I played and played, not knowing how much time had passed. It turned out, that the game had eaten up nearly all of my day and I came to a shocking conclusion: I like Prince of Persia. The next-generation instalment in the franchise had managed to enthral me in it's engaging platforming and interesting world.
Who would've thought cel-shaded graphics can look this great!
- Artistically proficient graphics
- Platforming is a breeze and quite different than most Prince of Persia games
- Pulling off various combos is fun and adds a lot of diversity
- Exploring the various lands is fun
- You will love Elika
- Not much to expect from the overall gameplay experience
- The game is a cakewalk
- A few issues regarding the platforming and the combat
Okay, I know what's the first thing you must be thinking. Why is he writing a review on a two year old game? Well, let's just say that I enjoy writing reviews of old, "forgotten," games.
Now, onto the review...The Prince of Persia game series has always been the franchise which I would usually tend to forget about playing or leave it entirely. Though great, it never really got to me like other game franchises out there. On the PlayStation 2, I had given Sands of Time a try. It turned out to be satisfyingly great, but wasn't enough to pull me in. As the next generation had arrived, the zamana of the PS2 was supposedly dead. Gamers had to move onto the newer, better, consoles. And there came a time where I completely forgot that there ever was a Prince of Persia.
But that changed when Ubisoft released their latest instalment in the form of a remake of the original Prince of Persia (which I haven't played, mind you). On December 2, 2008, I was brought back to the franchise that I purposely ignored. It was almost as if the series was beckoning me to give it one more try. It didn't take me long to pick up a copy of Prince of Persia and start playing it on my PS3. I played and played, not knowing how much time had passed. It turned out, that the game had eaten up nearly all of my day and I came to a shocking conclusion: I like Prince of Persia. The next-generation instalment in the franchise had managed to enthral me in it's engaging platforming and interesting world.
Who would've thought cel-shaded graphics can look this great!
The game has a rather bland beginning, showing how a curious-looking traveller is searching for his lost donkey, Farah. Not so far away from the traveller's location is a young woman running for her life from several armed men. The traveller and the woman cross paths with each other, and what starts out as a simple run-for-your-lives scenario quickly turns into a magical journey filled with adventure and not-so-friendly foes. The "prince" in the game is not your average parade-on-the-streets Persian son of a King. Rather, he is more of a tomb raider and a thief, a man who works for the highest bidder. His name is undisclosed throughout the game, but the woman you encounter during the start is named Elika. She, on the other hand, is a magic-wielding, run-away princess who is trying to flee from her father for reasons I cannot tell.
The game has a rather straightforward plot, but is well-presented and will keep you engaged all the way to the end. I was rather taken aback by the game's graphics. Whereas on the PlayStation 2 cel-shaded graphics never worked out quite right, Ubisoft's Prince of Persia remake showcases itself in a beautifully artistic manner which, even now in 2010, will be eye-candy! The in-game world is huge and almost all of it is left for us to explore at our leisure. The landscapes are vast and diverse where one part of the world is a sprawling desert, the other part is a lush green sub-tropical forest.
You're not much of a conversationalist, are you?
The game has a rather straightforward plot, but is well-presented and will keep you engaged all the way to the end. I was rather taken aback by the game's graphics. Whereas on the PlayStation 2 cel-shaded graphics never worked out quite right, Ubisoft's Prince of Persia remake showcases itself in a beautifully artistic manner which, even now in 2010, will be eye-candy! The in-game world is huge and almost all of it is left for us to explore at our leisure. The landscapes are vast and diverse where one part of the world is a sprawling desert, the other part is a lush green sub-tropical forest.
You're not much of a conversationalist, are you?
Platforming in the game was enjoyable for me, if not really easy. While most of the times all you needed to do was press the X button to jump from a pillar and execute a wall-run, certain bits of platforming did require some thinking. As you progress, you'll unlock different platforming abilities through power-plates. These plates each grant you a unique way of moving around the game's world and through them you can access certain areas previously inaccessible. At first you may think that the power-plates are a good way of diversifying the gameplay but, unfortunately, they are not. As much as the plates' abilities look different from your usual platforming, the "feel" is most-certainly the same. You're not presented with a completely unique way of moving around, you're given a unique lookto how you move around. For the red and blue plates, just press Triangle and see the rather boring magic unfold, while for the yellow and green plates, after pressing Triangle you'll need to use the L-Stick to move around to avoid obvious obstacles. It doesn't really hinder your overall experience, but the simple platforming can be yawn-inducing at times.
The combat, on the other hand, is well-placed in the game. You have a lot of combos at your disposal to execute and see. The combos are categorised as Melee Combo, Elika Combo, Acrobatic Combo, and Gauntlet Combo. These attack-types are linked to each other through certain button presses, meaning if you end a Melee Combo, pressing Triangle will trigger the Elika Combo, thus further increasing your string of attacks. It's all nice and dandy, and certainly one of the game's strong aspects, it does have a few issues of it's own. Firstly, there aren't any weapons, but that can be forgiven since this game isn't considered combat-heavy. Secondly, there will be times when an enemy (be it boss or goon) will have a black aura surrounding itself. There are four different types of auras (all of them black) and they can disable a certain combo-type of yours. For example, when an enemy is surrounded by the aura it could mean that melee attacks will have no effect, or at times even Elika attacks can't be used.
This definitely adds diversity in the already varied combat, but it gets annoying as the enemies will frequently turn into their black aura mode. Also, there is little difference between auras that disable only melee attacks, Elika attacks, gauntlet attacks, and acrobatic attacks. So, you'll most likely turn out hitting the enemy with the wrong attack type and be thrown to the other side of the battlefield.
Oh... so that's how you heal a corrupt land!
The combat, on the other hand, is well-placed in the game. You have a lot of combos at your disposal to execute and see. The combos are categorised as Melee Combo, Elika Combo, Acrobatic Combo, and Gauntlet Combo. These attack-types are linked to each other through certain button presses, meaning if you end a Melee Combo, pressing Triangle will trigger the Elika Combo, thus further increasing your string of attacks. It's all nice and dandy, and certainly one of the game's strong aspects, it does have a few issues of it's own. Firstly, there aren't any weapons, but that can be forgiven since this game isn't considered combat-heavy. Secondly, there will be times when an enemy (be it boss or goon) will have a black aura surrounding itself. There are four different types of auras (all of them black) and they can disable a certain combo-type of yours. For example, when an enemy is surrounded by the aura it could mean that melee attacks will have no effect, or at times even Elika attacks can't be used.
This definitely adds diversity in the already varied combat, but it gets annoying as the enemies will frequently turn into their black aura mode. Also, there is little difference between auras that disable only melee attacks, Elika attacks, gauntlet attacks, and acrobatic attacks. So, you'll most likely turn out hitting the enemy with the wrong attack type and be thrown to the other side of the battlefield.
Oh... so that's how you heal a corrupt land!
The in-game world is, as mentioned above, huge and exploring through all of it may sound tedious at first, but is highly rewarding. Not only can you marvel at the gorgeous scenery of pixelated Persia, but you can also feast upon the many Light Seeds scattered throughout the land. The more Light Seeds you collect, the closer you get to unlocking a different power plate, so the game provides you with a reason to explore. Another thing to note is that, though the plot is intriguing, it certainly isn't the focal point behind which you'll be continuing on with the game. Your reason to continue playing will actually be your partner Elika. Throughout the game you can talk to her at any time by pressing the L2 button. Upon entering a new land, the first few conversations will mainly be an explanation of the newly discovered land and how it ended up corrupt. But after that, you're treated with small chats in which you get to know Elika's background, and her personality, which only strengthens the attachment you would already have felt for the character.
Breathtaking, isn't it? And it's all yours to venture out and explore!
Breathtaking, isn't it? And it's all yours to venture out and explore!
The game is easy. Easier than Tools of Destruction. And though I have nothing against games that take it easy on the player, I certainly didn't expect a franchise like Prince of Persia to be a total cakewalk. When you fall of a ledge, or jump away from safety during a wall-run, you'll always be pulled back up by your handy-dandy princess! Upon being brought back up, you'll start from the ledge where you fell, but in case of a wall-run you'll start from the ledge where you took off for a wall-run. Also, if you happen to die during combat, which will most-likely never happen, Elika is always there to rejuvenate your health using her magic and then instantly rushing to your aid in combat. Never will you have to face a game-over screen.
Prince of Persia is a title that you'll play whenever you want to kickback and relax. The game's soundtrack is spectacular and soothing and the sound effects are wonderfully realistic and crisp. When stepping on grass, you'll hear that crunchy sound that's ever so soothing to hear. When grabbing a pillar after a jump, you'll hear the thudding sound as he holds onto the pillar. The game managed to create an enthralling adventure from start to finish, with only a few (but forgiveable) imperfections that, in no way ruin the magical experience.
Value/Worth: 8.5/10
This 8-10 hour adventure can end up taking as long as 12-14 hours if you spend most of your times exploring the beautiful world. Replay value, on the other hand, isn't much as you are already provided with different character skins before you even begin playing.
Graphics: 8.5/10
Never have cel-shaded graphics looked so good! The game manages to excel at graphics through an artistic standpoint. Through a technical standpoint, the game does manage to stand out of the crowd, but just not as much as other releases of 2008.
Sound: 9.5/10
The soundtrack is truly magical and you'll love every second of it. Scaling through temples and jumping through chasms, the game's music suits almost every thing you do. The sound effects, too, are very realistically placed.
Gameplay: 8.8/10
The platforming is played out well, and the animations to back it up are wonderful. However, there isn't much to enjoy here as you can platform your way through an entire level just by pressing the jump button. The power-plates are a nice touch, but fail to keep the gameplay from feeling different.
Mutliplayer: --
The game, being solely a single player game, has no need for such an option.
Overall: 9.0/10
An experience that will definitely find a place in your heart and one that doesn't let down from start to finish.
Prince of Persia is a title that you'll play whenever you want to kickback and relax. The game's soundtrack is spectacular and soothing and the sound effects are wonderfully realistic and crisp. When stepping on grass, you'll hear that crunchy sound that's ever so soothing to hear. When grabbing a pillar after a jump, you'll hear the thudding sound as he holds onto the pillar. The game managed to create an enthralling adventure from start to finish, with only a few (but forgiveable) imperfections that, in no way ruin the magical experience.
Value/Worth: 8.5/10
This 8-10 hour adventure can end up taking as long as 12-14 hours if you spend most of your times exploring the beautiful world. Replay value, on the other hand, isn't much as you are already provided with different character skins before you even begin playing.
Graphics: 8.5/10
Never have cel-shaded graphics looked so good! The game manages to excel at graphics through an artistic standpoint. Through a technical standpoint, the game does manage to stand out of the crowd, but just not as much as other releases of 2008.
Sound: 9.5/10
The soundtrack is truly magical and you'll love every second of it. Scaling through temples and jumping through chasms, the game's music suits almost every thing you do. The sound effects, too, are very realistically placed.
Gameplay: 8.8/10
The platforming is played out well, and the animations to back it up are wonderful. However, there isn't much to enjoy here as you can platform your way through an entire level just by pressing the jump button. The power-plates are a nice touch, but fail to keep the gameplay from feeling different.
Mutliplayer: --
The game, being solely a single player game, has no need for such an option.
Overall: 9.0/10
An experience that will definitely find a place in your heart and one that doesn't let down from start to finish.
