Prince of Persia - 2008
What is one grain of sand in the desert? What is one grain of sand in a storm?
Prince of Persia has evolved, forget all that you knew before about the previous Prince of Persia games and embrace the coming of a new world, a new girl and of course, a new Prince. Thrusting you straight into the dystopia of an abandoned civilisation, the story starts off with the Nolan North voiced Prince (Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, Shadow Complex, Assassins Creed) searching for his lost, treasure-humping Donkey amidst a wild and whirling sandstorm. He subsequently slides down a cliff-face to bump into none other than Elika, a Princess on the run!
Funnelled down the canyon, you control the Prince as he curiously trails Elika, evading and fending of her would-be captures. Eventually, through a safe and simple, exciting tutorial you learn how to traverse the most inhospitable and un-pedestrian looking environments with ease. Movements are fluid and the controls are responsive, though there were a few times when going through the game I felt let down by the Prince's athletic abilities, yet deep down I knew it was user-error. Our cocky Prince can do the signature wall run and pretty much defy gravity with his out of this world Parkour skills that would put Altair to shame. Of course he can do all this while still looking cool, graceful and spilling out one-liners greatly delivered by Nolan North. But its not the Prince that’s the star of the game, oh no.
Elika is always there when you need her most, a bit like your favourite childhood teddy bear, and if she isn't, its pretty much your fault! She is controlled indirectly just by the press of one button, whether she’s performing magic to terrify and purge enemies to aid you in battle or throwing a helping hand for that jump you just can't make on your own, she does it all for you. Elika's personality shines as an intelligent and believable individual who can't help but do right, and want right. Her characteristics are portrayed brilliantly by Kari Wahlgren (Guild Wars, Final Fantasy XII).
Combat in the game is fairly simple. A little mind-boggling maybe for a few beginners to the genre as it showcases a completely unique style and basically depends on you counter-attacking the enemy and following up with an unleash of combo's. Button mashers may be displeased as I only just really started to string some big combo moves together towards the end of the game. Quick time is a major part of Prince of Persia too, so being 'on the ball' at all times is a must. It may be repetitive for some as the game goes on but there is generally more than enough of a break between the platforming and exploring side of things and the combat side to set a good pace.
Without giving much of the story away, which is above average and enjoyable, the Prince and Elika have to 'heal' certain parts of the worlds in order to restore it back to the glory it once was. In short, an escaped and angry God named Ahriman and his chosen disciples, the Hunter, Warrior, Concubine and Alchemist respectfully, are there to stop you dead in your tracks. You fight all four of the 'Corrupted' a few times over with the difficulty increasing a little each time. They all also have a specific back-story that’s explained by Elika if you prompt her, the back-stories tell a little more about the environment you're in and are both engaging and interesting. A personal favourite is the Warrior King, whose story is tragic and true. All this provides a good gameplay experience that keeps you on your edge.
Let's not beat around the bush here, the quality of presentation on this game is nothing short of breathtaking. Some vistas you will come across genuinely feel as if they are real and you're right there watching that magnificent waterfall. Art design has been cleverly used as awe-inspiring backdrops that make you stand there, take a break and just look toward the horizon. Another great thing about this is when you come across a view wide enough you can spot which lands you have 'healed' and which you haven't and the difference is dramatic. These settings, accompanied with a truly amazing orchestral theme really forces you into this world in which no one inhabits. It definitely echoes Ico (PS2 - 2001) in the way it provides immersion and gameplay, there is in general a startling similarity or two between the games.
All in all, there are some frustrating points to be had during the game but lets face it, it's to be expected with platformers. This pain is eased with the fact that you can't really die in the game, at all. Every time you make a mistake, an animation of Elika rescuing you resumes the game to the last bit of hard ground, or in case of fights, you just carry on the fight with your enemies’ health regenerated slightly. This makes the game relatively easy and may disappoint hardcore gamers looking for a challenge.
Overall, this next instalment from the well-known Prince of Persia franchise from Ubisoft is a wonderful adventure filled with action, love, humility and most of all, fun. If you have never tried a Prince of Persia game or even a platformer, give it a go. Because hey, there's no wonder where a sandstorm can take you.
Prince of Persia has evolved, forget all that you knew before about the previous Prince of Persia games and embrace the coming of a new world, a new girl and of course, a new Prince. Thrusting you straight into the dystopia of an abandoned civilisation, the story starts off with the Nolan North voiced Prince (Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, Shadow Complex, Assassins Creed) searching for his lost, treasure-humping Donkey amidst a wild and whirling sandstorm. He subsequently slides down a cliff-face to bump into none other than Elika, a Princess on the run!
Funnelled down the canyon, you control the Prince as he curiously trails Elika, evading and fending of her would-be captures. Eventually, through a safe and simple, exciting tutorial you learn how to traverse the most inhospitable and un-pedestrian looking environments with ease. Movements are fluid and the controls are responsive, though there were a few times when going through the game I felt let down by the Prince's athletic abilities, yet deep down I knew it was user-error. Our cocky Prince can do the signature wall run and pretty much defy gravity with his out of this world Parkour skills that would put Altair to shame. Of course he can do all this while still looking cool, graceful and spilling out one-liners greatly delivered by Nolan North. But its not the Prince that’s the star of the game, oh no.
Elika is always there when you need her most, a bit like your favourite childhood teddy bear, and if she isn't, its pretty much your fault! She is controlled indirectly just by the press of one button, whether she’s performing magic to terrify and purge enemies to aid you in battle or throwing a helping hand for that jump you just can't make on your own, she does it all for you. Elika's personality shines as an intelligent and believable individual who can't help but do right, and want right. Her characteristics are portrayed brilliantly by Kari Wahlgren (Guild Wars, Final Fantasy XII).
Combat in the game is fairly simple. A little mind-boggling maybe for a few beginners to the genre as it showcases a completely unique style and basically depends on you counter-attacking the enemy and following up with an unleash of combo's. Button mashers may be displeased as I only just really started to string some big combo moves together towards the end of the game. Quick time is a major part of Prince of Persia too, so being 'on the ball' at all times is a must. It may be repetitive for some as the game goes on but there is generally more than enough of a break between the platforming and exploring side of things and the combat side to set a good pace.
Without giving much of the story away, which is above average and enjoyable, the Prince and Elika have to 'heal' certain parts of the worlds in order to restore it back to the glory it once was. In short, an escaped and angry God named Ahriman and his chosen disciples, the Hunter, Warrior, Concubine and Alchemist respectfully, are there to stop you dead in your tracks. You fight all four of the 'Corrupted' a few times over with the difficulty increasing a little each time. They all also have a specific back-story that’s explained by Elika if you prompt her, the back-stories tell a little more about the environment you're in and are both engaging and interesting. A personal favourite is the Warrior King, whose story is tragic and true. All this provides a good gameplay experience that keeps you on your edge.
Let's not beat around the bush here, the quality of presentation on this game is nothing short of breathtaking. Some vistas you will come across genuinely feel as if they are real and you're right there watching that magnificent waterfall. Art design has been cleverly used as awe-inspiring backdrops that make you stand there, take a break and just look toward the horizon. Another great thing about this is when you come across a view wide enough you can spot which lands you have 'healed' and which you haven't and the difference is dramatic. These settings, accompanied with a truly amazing orchestral theme really forces you into this world in which no one inhabits. It definitely echoes Ico (PS2 - 2001) in the way it provides immersion and gameplay, there is in general a startling similarity or two between the games.
All in all, there are some frustrating points to be had during the game but lets face it, it's to be expected with platformers. This pain is eased with the fact that you can't really die in the game, at all. Every time you make a mistake, an animation of Elika rescuing you resumes the game to the last bit of hard ground, or in case of fights, you just carry on the fight with your enemies’ health regenerated slightly. This makes the game relatively easy and may disappoint hardcore gamers looking for a challenge.
Overall, this next instalment from the well-known Prince of Persia franchise from Ubisoft is a wonderful adventure filled with action, love, humility and most of all, fun. If you have never tried a Prince of Persia game or even a platformer, give it a go. Because hey, there's no wonder where a sandstorm can take you.