DoctorFinger
12-15-2008, 08:14 AM
Prince of Persia Review
Title - Prince of Persiahttp://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?p=109523
Platforms - Xbox 360, Playstation 3 & Windows PC (reviewed on 360)
Developer - Ubisoft Montreal (http://www.ubisoft.ca/)
Publisher - Ubisoft (http://www.ubi.com/US/default.aspx)
ESRB Rating - T (Teen)
MSRP - $59.95 (360 (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Persia-Xbox-360/dp/B001ASJISG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1229280412&sr=8-1)/PS3 (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Persia-Playstation-3/dp/B001ASJIS6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1229280412&sr=8-2)), $49.99 (PC (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Persia-Pc/dp/B001BAU9E0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1229280412&sr=8-3))
Editor - Michael "DoctorFinger" Chauvet
Light Seed Total as of Publication - 703
Total number of achievement graphics in the game - 1
What's Hot: The graphics and visual design in this game are almost unparalleled. It will be remembered in the same breath as classics like Ico and Okami and sets a new bar in terms of innovative and interesting visuals. The sense of movement and agility is still breathtaking.
What's Not: Too many damn quick time events (QTEs). A new combat system that is touted as 'simplified' but instead feels 'dumbed down.' Repetitive boss battles. You'll be hearing the phrase "heal the fer-tile ground" in your sleep after a while. http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-1-prince.jpg
I'm too sexy for scarf, too sexy for my scarf, too sexy yeaaah
The Prince is back. But different. Oh, the core elements are still there. The old Middle Eastern milieu. The inhuman agility of the Prince. The beautiful love interest. But there are a lot of differences this time around, too. How does it hold up? Pretty damn good, however not all is good in the principality.
The game begins with the Prince wandering in a sandstorm looking for Farah. But wait, this time around Farah is not the apple of the Prince's eye but his...donkey. Well, his gold-laden donkey to be accurate. While searching a beautiful woman by the name of Elika literally drops into his lap. Pretty soon he's ensnared in a world of secret communities, magic trees and the Mad god Ahriman; and Elika is with him every step of the way, for good or ill.
From the moment you first pop in the disc, you'll be blown away by the visuals in this rebooted Prince of Persia. The absolutely stunning design of everything, from the characters to the environments, will knock your socks off. Those designs are flawlessly executed by a graphics engine that runs smooth as silk, giving everything on screen a sinuous grace which makes most other games seem clunky in comparison. The Prince's scarf seems a bit ridiculous until the first time you find yourself staring at it as The Prince scurries across a chasm. The Prince, as well as all of the other characters, absolutely pop off the screen. The contrast between the characters and the environment give the whole a fabulous sense of depth and perspective The heavy line work around characters gives things an almost cel-shaded feel. Levels change beautifully from darkness to light after they've been cleansed. At times you can just stand there and admire the scenery, which seems to go on forever.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-3-combat.jpg
"Come get some!
But let's be honest: you don't buy a Prince of Persia game just for the story; you buy it for the action-platforming. How does this stack up? Well in great part that depends on whether, like me, you've played the games of the Sands trilogy. New gamers will quickly learn just how agile the Prince is as they wallrun, leap and scamper like a rhesus monkey across the various levels. Veterans of the series (or, more precisely the series' predecessor) will begin to notice most things are just a little easier than before. Not necessarily worse, just a little simpler. Right off the bat let me address one major design change that I do think works well, and that's your magical companion/love interest: Elika. Yes if you die - either in combat, falling, or hitting the 'corruption' - she will instantly bring you back to life on the last bit of solid ground you were on. Don't think of this as 'not dying'. Instead see it as the instantaneous loading of a savegame. And really, isn't that something we'd like to see in most games? From the moment you load your save, the only time you'll ever see a loading screen is when you teleport from one 'healed' area to another. Elika will also contribute magical attacks to your combos, (at times you seem to practically grab her by the ankles and use her as a sparkly bludgeon) help you cross wide chasms and generally restore the world to health. You don't at any point control Elika nor do you have to really help her, Ico-esque, get through a level. The platforming is a bit simpler than in the Sands trilogy, but it stands up well in comparison. You still run across walls, shimmy up columns and swing like a gymnast on protruding poles. Added to your repertoire are the ceiling scamper (in which you'll scrabble across the ceiling like a bug for short distances) and the gauntlet drop, where the Prince uses his clawed gauntlet to safely slide down just about any flat vertical surface. The mechanical traps of the old games are also gone, replaced by 'corruption' traps. These are generally a lot less interesting than the diabolic devices you contended with in the Sands trilogy, but generally rely on the same sort of timing to defeat.
In the beginning the levels felt a little too linear and constrained, but soon enough the design opens up a great deal. In the previous games you'd have to spend time and effort to figure out exactly how to traverse an obstacle, here things are more obvious and straightforward. Early on the challenges are, well not challenging, but as you play through, especially once you begin to activate the 'magic plates' the challenge level begins to ramp up. No, you'll never mistake this for Ninja Gaiden, but you still need you have quick reflexes to pass some of the more difficult passages. The game is constructed around a central hub, with zones branching off of it. Each of the four zones - lorded over by a Boss - contains several fertile grounds which you and Elika must heal to re-imprison Ahriman. As you heal each Fertile Ground the area is cleared of the black, oily corruption which covered much of it, replaced by sunlight and green grass. After you heal an area, Light Seeds spring up around the zone. You have to accumulate a number of these seeds to activate each of the four types of transit plates, which open up more zones. Many of the Light Seeds are easy to get, but the majority will require you to stretch your agility to it's fullest to reach them. At times you'll find yourself backtracking a bit too much for my tastes to get some of them, but overall the search for the Seeds is entertaining.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-5-wallrun.jpg
You think your commute is bad...
Gameplay is strictly divided between combat and platforming puzzles. Combat is always, without exception, one-on-one. Whether it's the level boss or the first henchmen you encounter, every fight is essentially a duel. Thankfully, if you're quick enough you can usually forgo most of the non-boss battles in the game, dispatching the cannon fodder with a quick swipe as they materialize. The bulk of the game's combat is monopolized by boss battles. You'll face off against each of the four lieutenants of the evil god Ahriman - the Concubine, the Hunter, the Alchemist, and the Warrior - multiple times, with each encounter a bit more difficult. They'll eventually gain the ability to shift into different defensive states, in which only one of the four types of attacks will make contact, and that little bit is enough to make you learn at least a few different combos. Combat also includes a bunch of (usually) pointless QTEs, which drag the experience down a bit. If you do happen to "die", Elika revives you instantly, but in the process the enemy gains a chunk of health back. It gives just enough incentive not to die, while still keeping the flow intact. Frankly any way you cut it the combat in Prince of Persia is a bit disappointing. The Warrior is the only one of the sub-bosses who diverges even a little from the standard, and even then, only by a little. The final boss is different, in that his battle is conducted with the agility/platforming system and not the actual combat system.
The Prince himself has also received a personality transplant from the Sands trilogy to this one. And by transplant I mean he's pretty much Han Solo with a sword and a mashadah. Gone is the noble but occasionally brooding Prince from the most recent games, in his place is a money grubbing, slightly lecherous Prince; clearly taken from the 'rogue with a heart of gold' playbook. He's much more of a traditional action hero this time around, rather than the more stoic hero seen before. It's not a really bad change, and as you progress you realize the old Prince wouldn't have fit the story as well as this new Roguish model. The rest of the story is basic, but very well told. You'll get the gist of everything from cut scenes (which for some unknown reason you can't skip), but if you want more you can always strike up a conversation with Elika (with a tap of the left shoulder button) and learn more about what's going on. Both The Prince and Elika sound a bit too much like extras from The Hills at times, but the voice acting is very competent, bordering on good. As you progress the relationship between the Prince and Elika grows and deepens. What begins as a partnership of need and convenience - supported by some good old od fashioned attraction - becomes something deeper by the end. All of those short little conversations with Elika begin to grow on you, and soon enough you're hooked. You begin anticipating the the next step in their relationship, their romance. The ending is one of the better ones you'll see in a game from an emotional and interpersonal point of view.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-6-elika.jpg
The real reason you're fighting an evil god.
I won't deny the game's flaws. I also won't deny that even taking those flaws into account, the game is a ton of fun. The platforming is entertaining, and you really want to see all of the beautiful sights the world has to show. I know it seems like I'm griping about the game a lot, and if you peek up you'll see that the review I gave it may not be commensurate with these complaints. Simply put the game is fun enough that I enjoyed the ride, warts and all. But playing it I do get a sense of unrealized potential. And unlike most games for which I say that, the technical side is completely rock solid. No, this time all of the complaints stem from design decisions made by the development team. A little more variety in the bosses, a few more kinks in the platforming and you'd have an all-time classic. As is, it's still a worthy addition to any gamer's library.
Score: 4 out of 5 CoGs
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/CoG4.png
Michael says: It's a flawed game, but even with those imperfections it's still an tremendous experience, and one of the most visually beautiful games you'll see this year.
- Review this title yourself (http://www.playitreviewit.com/reviews/write) over at Play It Review It (http://www.playitreviewit.com/), part of the CoG Network
Title - Prince of Persiahttp://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?p=109523
Platforms - Xbox 360, Playstation 3 & Windows PC (reviewed on 360)
Developer - Ubisoft Montreal (http://www.ubisoft.ca/)
Publisher - Ubisoft (http://www.ubi.com/US/default.aspx)
ESRB Rating - T (Teen)
MSRP - $59.95 (360 (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Persia-Xbox-360/dp/B001ASJISG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1229280412&sr=8-1)/PS3 (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Persia-Playstation-3/dp/B001ASJIS6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1229280412&sr=8-2)), $49.99 (PC (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Persia-Pc/dp/B001BAU9E0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1229280412&sr=8-3))
Editor - Michael "DoctorFinger" Chauvet
Light Seed Total as of Publication - 703
Total number of achievement graphics in the game - 1
What's Hot: The graphics and visual design in this game are almost unparalleled. It will be remembered in the same breath as classics like Ico and Okami and sets a new bar in terms of innovative and interesting visuals. The sense of movement and agility is still breathtaking.
What's Not: Too many damn quick time events (QTEs). A new combat system that is touted as 'simplified' but instead feels 'dumbed down.' Repetitive boss battles. You'll be hearing the phrase "heal the fer-tile ground" in your sleep after a while. http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-1-prince.jpg
I'm too sexy for scarf, too sexy for my scarf, too sexy yeaaah
The Prince is back. But different. Oh, the core elements are still there. The old Middle Eastern milieu. The inhuman agility of the Prince. The beautiful love interest. But there are a lot of differences this time around, too. How does it hold up? Pretty damn good, however not all is good in the principality.
The game begins with the Prince wandering in a sandstorm looking for Farah. But wait, this time around Farah is not the apple of the Prince's eye but his...donkey. Well, his gold-laden donkey to be accurate. While searching a beautiful woman by the name of Elika literally drops into his lap. Pretty soon he's ensnared in a world of secret communities, magic trees and the Mad god Ahriman; and Elika is with him every step of the way, for good or ill.
From the moment you first pop in the disc, you'll be blown away by the visuals in this rebooted Prince of Persia. The absolutely stunning design of everything, from the characters to the environments, will knock your socks off. Those designs are flawlessly executed by a graphics engine that runs smooth as silk, giving everything on screen a sinuous grace which makes most other games seem clunky in comparison. The Prince's scarf seems a bit ridiculous until the first time you find yourself staring at it as The Prince scurries across a chasm. The Prince, as well as all of the other characters, absolutely pop off the screen. The contrast between the characters and the environment give the whole a fabulous sense of depth and perspective The heavy line work around characters gives things an almost cel-shaded feel. Levels change beautifully from darkness to light after they've been cleansed. At times you can just stand there and admire the scenery, which seems to go on forever.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-3-combat.jpg
"Come get some!
But let's be honest: you don't buy a Prince of Persia game just for the story; you buy it for the action-platforming. How does this stack up? Well in great part that depends on whether, like me, you've played the games of the Sands trilogy. New gamers will quickly learn just how agile the Prince is as they wallrun, leap and scamper like a rhesus monkey across the various levels. Veterans of the series (or, more precisely the series' predecessor) will begin to notice most things are just a little easier than before. Not necessarily worse, just a little simpler. Right off the bat let me address one major design change that I do think works well, and that's your magical companion/love interest: Elika. Yes if you die - either in combat, falling, or hitting the 'corruption' - she will instantly bring you back to life on the last bit of solid ground you were on. Don't think of this as 'not dying'. Instead see it as the instantaneous loading of a savegame. And really, isn't that something we'd like to see in most games? From the moment you load your save, the only time you'll ever see a loading screen is when you teleport from one 'healed' area to another. Elika will also contribute magical attacks to your combos, (at times you seem to practically grab her by the ankles and use her as a sparkly bludgeon) help you cross wide chasms and generally restore the world to health. You don't at any point control Elika nor do you have to really help her, Ico-esque, get through a level. The platforming is a bit simpler than in the Sands trilogy, but it stands up well in comparison. You still run across walls, shimmy up columns and swing like a gymnast on protruding poles. Added to your repertoire are the ceiling scamper (in which you'll scrabble across the ceiling like a bug for short distances) and the gauntlet drop, where the Prince uses his clawed gauntlet to safely slide down just about any flat vertical surface. The mechanical traps of the old games are also gone, replaced by 'corruption' traps. These are generally a lot less interesting than the diabolic devices you contended with in the Sands trilogy, but generally rely on the same sort of timing to defeat.
In the beginning the levels felt a little too linear and constrained, but soon enough the design opens up a great deal. In the previous games you'd have to spend time and effort to figure out exactly how to traverse an obstacle, here things are more obvious and straightforward. Early on the challenges are, well not challenging, but as you play through, especially once you begin to activate the 'magic plates' the challenge level begins to ramp up. No, you'll never mistake this for Ninja Gaiden, but you still need you have quick reflexes to pass some of the more difficult passages. The game is constructed around a central hub, with zones branching off of it. Each of the four zones - lorded over by a Boss - contains several fertile grounds which you and Elika must heal to re-imprison Ahriman. As you heal each Fertile Ground the area is cleared of the black, oily corruption which covered much of it, replaced by sunlight and green grass. After you heal an area, Light Seeds spring up around the zone. You have to accumulate a number of these seeds to activate each of the four types of transit plates, which open up more zones. Many of the Light Seeds are easy to get, but the majority will require you to stretch your agility to it's fullest to reach them. At times you'll find yourself backtracking a bit too much for my tastes to get some of them, but overall the search for the Seeds is entertaining.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-5-wallrun.jpg
You think your commute is bad...
Gameplay is strictly divided between combat and platforming puzzles. Combat is always, without exception, one-on-one. Whether it's the level boss or the first henchmen you encounter, every fight is essentially a duel. Thankfully, if you're quick enough you can usually forgo most of the non-boss battles in the game, dispatching the cannon fodder with a quick swipe as they materialize. The bulk of the game's combat is monopolized by boss battles. You'll face off against each of the four lieutenants of the evil god Ahriman - the Concubine, the Hunter, the Alchemist, and the Warrior - multiple times, with each encounter a bit more difficult. They'll eventually gain the ability to shift into different defensive states, in which only one of the four types of attacks will make contact, and that little bit is enough to make you learn at least a few different combos. Combat also includes a bunch of (usually) pointless QTEs, which drag the experience down a bit. If you do happen to "die", Elika revives you instantly, but in the process the enemy gains a chunk of health back. It gives just enough incentive not to die, while still keeping the flow intact. Frankly any way you cut it the combat in Prince of Persia is a bit disappointing. The Warrior is the only one of the sub-bosses who diverges even a little from the standard, and even then, only by a little. The final boss is different, in that his battle is conducted with the agility/platforming system and not the actual combat system.
The Prince himself has also received a personality transplant from the Sands trilogy to this one. And by transplant I mean he's pretty much Han Solo with a sword and a mashadah. Gone is the noble but occasionally brooding Prince from the most recent games, in his place is a money grubbing, slightly lecherous Prince; clearly taken from the 'rogue with a heart of gold' playbook. He's much more of a traditional action hero this time around, rather than the more stoic hero seen before. It's not a really bad change, and as you progress you realize the old Prince wouldn't have fit the story as well as this new Roguish model. The rest of the story is basic, but very well told. You'll get the gist of everything from cut scenes (which for some unknown reason you can't skip), but if you want more you can always strike up a conversation with Elika (with a tap of the left shoulder button) and learn more about what's going on. Both The Prince and Elika sound a bit too much like extras from The Hills at times, but the voice acting is very competent, bordering on good. As you progress the relationship between the Prince and Elika grows and deepens. What begins as a partnership of need and convenience - supported by some good old od fashioned attraction - becomes something deeper by the end. All of those short little conversations with Elika begin to grow on you, and soon enough you're hooked. You begin anticipating the the next step in their relationship, their romance. The ending is one of the better ones you'll see in a game from an emotional and interpersonal point of view.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/princeofpersia/POP-6-elika.jpg
The real reason you're fighting an evil god.
I won't deny the game's flaws. I also won't deny that even taking those flaws into account, the game is a ton of fun. The platforming is entertaining, and you really want to see all of the beautiful sights the world has to show. I know it seems like I'm griping about the game a lot, and if you peek up you'll see that the review I gave it may not be commensurate with these complaints. Simply put the game is fun enough that I enjoyed the ride, warts and all. But playing it I do get a sense of unrealized potential. And unlike most games for which I say that, the technical side is completely rock solid. No, this time all of the complaints stem from design decisions made by the development team. A little more variety in the bosses, a few more kinks in the platforming and you'd have an all-time classic. As is, it's still a worthy addition to any gamer's library.
Score: 4 out of 5 CoGs
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/CoG4.png
Michael says: It's a flawed game, but even with those imperfections it's still an tremendous experience, and one of the most visually beautiful games you'll see this year.
- Review this title yourself (http://www.playitreviewit.com/reviews/write) over at Play It Review It (http://www.playitreviewit.com/), part of the CoG Network