Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time merely upgraded one's game ticket to first class-easy for a gaming soul. After the amazing turbulence of some recent third-person titles, Ubisoft Montreal introduces a very new adventure that offers smooth travel luxury. The really inventive, intuitive, and constantly rewarding game is truly spectacular and soothing from start to finish.
Breaking the Mold of Third-Person Action
It almost seems a disservice to simply label Prince of Persia a "third-person action-adventure." This game is a revelation. Right from the opening moments, everything feels incredibly polished. The Prince's movements are fluid and responsive, whether he's traversing a treacherous ledge or dispatching an enemy gracefully. The logic behind the environmental puzzles makes sense and the way the game introduces new mechanics is seamless.
As far as the legacy goes, the original Prince of Persia was an epochal platform-and The Sands of Time interprets this original formula brilliantly into dazzling 3D. Scale and run along walls, leap with acrobatic grace. The central loop in the gameplay involves traversing and fighting with swords against the reanimated warriors of Persia, solving clever puzzles, while seeking to undo a catastrophic error.
This is a novel paradigm in mechanics-the sands revolutionized.
Here is where Prince of Persia really brings something new. Now, how many times have been in that moment of fury when you jump wrongly or die. Wouldn't it be cool if you could just rewind. With the magical Dagger of Time, our Prince can do just that. Hold L1 to rewind a few seconds and reverse your careless errors-and you can do this as long as you have all those lovely "sands of time" gathered. It's not a gimmick-a game-changer: it encourages experimentation and lessens the sting of failure by allowing you to have a more courageous approach to tricky sections.
The balance of this mechanic is spot on. You can't rewind for too long, so there's still a challenge to it, but it's a much more forgiving and player-friendly approach than we've seen throughout the genre. It is so perfectly implemented that other developers are going to take note; it is destined to be a standard.
Acrobatics and Combat: Grace and Flow
The Prince's talent for acrobatics is a just marvel. From wall running to swinging from bars to shimmying along ledges-it all just feels so natural and empowering. The game constantly has the answer to environmental questions as to what the solutions are likely to be if it's possible in this new environment. If you think something should be possible to do, chances are, it is possible to do. A breath of fresh air.
The Prince's introductory style of combat is equally exhilarating. Cinematic in execution, acrobatic in nature, the style is rewarding with considerable sword slashes and evasive maneuvers. You jump over enemies, roll around them, and execute stylish finishing blows with the Dagger to reclaim precious sand from them. As the game progresses, while platforming and puzzles evolve and impress, combat does settle into a somewhat predictable rhythm. It's still fairly passable, though not very refiniously thrown off said experience; however, it does not reach the same heights of innovation said to have been attained by the rest of the game.
A Visual and Narrative Feast
A visual masterpiece: Prince of Persia. Vastly intriguing, palatial, dreamlike, hazy in the way it is with ICO, but with its own flavor nonetheless. It has exceptional lighting and materials effect that push the hardware to enable one to build a really immersive world. At the same time, the models of the characters are pretty expressive, and the Prince can be remembered and recognized quite easily.
It's probably not Oscar-winning material, but the storyline definitely held the interest of most. The Prince delves into self-forgiveness after inadvertently setting loose a terrible curse upon his kingdom. Add to that the growing relationship with Farah, his friend, who brings depth. The dialogues are well-written, often decorated with humor and poignant moments.
A Few Minor Imperfections in Paradise
Not every game is flawless: The camera is generally quite intelligent but may sometimes get stuck in narrow areas. The action is great at first, but then does not really develop compared to the performance of the platforms in the meantime. Some may find that the game's length-the majority will find it around 8 to 12 hours-a bit short for the price being asked, although every minute of it is filled with quality.
The Verdict: A Must-Play Masterpiece
Notwithstanding a couple of minor quibbles, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an awe-inspiring triumph. It refines known third-person mechanics into near perfection. It has brought about true innovations, such as the Sands of Time rewind feature. Masterful level design controls, defined within a somewhat magical presentation.
In the vein of pure invention and intuitive as well as instant gratification, this is a game you want to have: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This is the type of title that will be talked about for quite some time, and it is a brilliant example of what this genre can achieve. Ubisoft Montreal has rolled out a classic that will stand the test of time with this one.