The Prince of Persia franchise has been through some hefty changes since its conception in 1989. From the platform hopping pixel of Mechner’s ’89 original to the depressed emo kid of Warrior Within we have seen our Prince in a variety of roles. Now to 2008 and here we have the latest revamp of the franchise and the first on the most current crop of next generation consoles.
This game begins with the Prince searching for his donkey who is loaded with gold after a successful adventure. He inadvertently stumbles into the path of a fleeing maiden (Princess Elika) who is being chased by her father’s soldiers. The Prince helps her to escape only to have to face-off against the King himself. During this initial duel the King frees the God of Darkness Ahriman, who pollutes the land with ‘corruption’ sucking out all life and colour. It is up to the Prince and his new companion Princess Elika to reach the sacred grounds and heal the land. Happily for the Prince the world has split apart and with your new team mate (who just so happens to be infused with the power of a God) you can wall-run, ledge-leap and fly (with Elika’s help.
It is the ability to leap and bound across magnificently detailed and enormous landscapes that make this instalment breathtaking to play through. The animation of the Prince and his companion is incredibly smooth and you will marvel at the subtleties of the interaction between them. It is really the platform-ing element of the game that is the most enjoyable as you dash, swing, jump and glide your way through immense environments.
During game-play you will encounter more than one situation which you will not be able to accomplish in a single try. Ubisoft have incorporated an innovative checkpoint system that activates just as you think you are about to fall to your death or be killed by an enemy, Elika (who has partial God powers) either rescues you by flying you to the last flat ground you encountered or steps in to repel an enemy. This checkpoint system takes the frustration out of exploring the lush environments and makes it into a liberating and relaxing experience.
The combat element of the game is not quite on par with the exploration element. Elika tag teams with the Prince in a one on two fight sequence against Ahriman’s corrupted soldiers or one of the four bosses. The combo’s look spectacular when they work but to finish enemies the game relies heavily on quick time events that are frustrating and not very well thought out. Fortunately combat is only a small part of the game and is just playable enough to avoid disrupting the user’s enjoyment.
Prince of Persia is a wonderful, well-written experience that will leave you in awe at the picturesque beauty that you have just witnessed. The game-play is liberating and fearless. The environments are incredibly vast and breathtaking. This is a game you will begin by admiring and by the end you will love it.
Prince of Persia is available at Game for £24.99 on the PC and £34.99 |