It has been quite sometime since our favorite acrobatic Persian prince graced consoles last (almost three years since the Sands of Time trilogy concluded with Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones) and Ubisoft has decided to revamp the franchise with brand new gameplay mechanics and a brand new look. But does the Prince’s next-generation debut exceed the stellar expectations set by its predecessors, or does the franchise need some more work before its ready to be finally crowned king?
Surprisingly, Ubisoft has elected to depart from the norms of the Prince of Persia franchise and made the story relatively non-existent. You’re the Prince and you find yourself teamed up with the magical girl/inevitable love interest named Elika. It turns out that a malevolent evil force has been released (which of course threatens the safety of the world) and it is your job to seal it away. There definitely is not a whole lot of depth to the rather one dimensional and bland storyline, which is really unfortunate given the complexity and actually good narratives of past Prince of Persia titles. What more, none of the characters are particularly likable this time around. While it’s true that in the last generation of Prince of Persia titles the Prince changed personalities from one game to the next (from normal, to brooding and angsty, to a hybrid of the two) he was still a genuinely interesting character that gamers could empathize with to a certain degree. In the new Prince of Persia, however, the Prince has the personality of your typical pretty boy, popped-collar, beer guzzling, chest bumping, frat-boy douchebag. He has the annoying tendency to crack the most awkward and inane one liners, promptly destroying whatever immersion you might have had in the game to begin with.
The gameplay itself is a mixed bag. Some will love it. Some won’t. Essentially, the new Prince of Persia has taken the game play elements of the previous titles and tossed it out the window. No innovative time manipulation techniques, no intricate sword play, and no nerve-wracking acrobatics. Everything about the game has been streamlined to become more accessible to the casual gamer, but ultimately, the gameplay feels rather soul less. The combat is dully simplistic and is comprised of spamming the same combo attacks without any need for strategy, and the platforming mechanics are equally as dull. Though they look brilliant and are pleasing to watch (and even execute to a certain extent) the fact that you can never die in this game removes a great deal of the tension and excitement that made jumping over bottomless cliffs so much fun in the old Prince of Persia games. If you mistime a jump or jump when you should have ducked, Elika is always conveniently around to save you. In the old Prince of Persia titles, every jump and trap was an obstacle as you would have to carefully ration your sand. This time, though, you can waltz more or less blindly into any predicament and feel confident you will survive.
There is one department that Prince of Persia nails perfectly -the visuals. The game looks absolutely gorgeous with beautiful cel-shaded graphics and some of the smoothest animations I’ve seen in a game to date. Though playing the game may be a rather simple affair, it is almost worth it just to appreciate the expansive and detailed level designs and stunning effects.
Conclusively, the new Prince of Persia does some things very well. I really can’t emphasize how awesome the game looks. Whether its the character models, or the amount of detail invested into the level designs, everything looks absolutely fabulous. Additionally, it is very possible for gamers to enjoy the gameplay given that they walk into the experience with the right mindset. The game has been altered to be more user friendly and appeal to a larger audience, and with its awesome visuals and simple but effective gameplay, it certainly succeeds in that respect.
However, simultaneously I feel that this game isolates fans of the old Prince of Persia. With a forgettable story, unlikeable protagonist, and the removal of pretty much everything that made the last-gen Prince of Persia titles so appealing, fans expecting more of the same Prince of Persia goodness will be in for an unpleasant surprise. I am not against the new innovations that the new Prince of Persia makes (the game does entertain a non-linear approach and unlockable powers that I found cool) and to a degree I can even appreciate the effort Ubisoft has made in creating a beautiful world that you can freely explore without fear of being killed and restarting at some obscure checkpoint.
But when it strays so far from the very foundations that made the franchise so awesome in the first place, it is difficult not to be disappointed.
Final Verdict: Rent It
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Mark Fujii: I'm your typical college student who plays too much video games. I also work as an electronic sales associate, meaning I sell Ipods and violent video games to your children when not trying to sneak off and play Super Smash Bros while the boss isn't looking. Oh, and I'm totally awesome. True fact.
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Mark Fujii
I'm your typical college student who plays too much video games. I also work as an electronic sales associate, meaning I sell Ipods and violent video games to your children when not trying to sneak off and play Super Smash Bros while the boss isn't looking. Oh, and I'm totally awesome. True fact.
Prince of Persia - Xbox 360, Reviews (Prince of Persia - Xbox 360, Reviews) says:
(Posted December 3rd, 2008 at 9:07 pm)
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