Review

Developed by:Ubisoft Montreal Published by:Ubisoft Genre(s):
  • Platform
  • Action Adventure
  • Platform:
  • Microsoft
  • PC
  • Sony
  • Cost:$59.99 ESRB Rating:TEEN Players:1 Release date:December 2, 2008 Reviewed on:XBox 360
    7.8

    Prince of Persia

    I have waited a long time to get my hands on the new Prince of Persia (in a completely platonic way mind you). Ever since I heard about the new direction Ubisoft was taking the series, I have been anticipating greatness. I mean, when the last gen Prince came on the scene he was blessed with revamped controls, a cool story, nice graphics and the ability to control time. He was nothing like the original Prince from back in the day. The same can be said for our new hero as he makes his debut onto next-gen systems. The Prince is back and donning some slick threads as he free-runs into your living room!

    Now, it might not be fair for me to comment on Prince of Persia in a negative light giving the fact that I was expecting so much from the game. At the same time, I feel that my experience with the new prince would have garnered the same observations even without the added hype. On one hand, the latest entry in the Persia series has successfully elevated itself above its last gen brethren. Even with the exclusion of the time manipulation, this new prince can be a blast to play as. On the other hand, with new mechanics being introduced to the series, there are also new problems. This back and forth nature has brought on mixed feelings, keeping this title from being the great game I made it up to be.

    One of the first things you will notice about the new prince (other than the awesome graphics) is the new fighting system. During the first level you are introduced to the core mechanics of combat, which ranged from slightly difficult to very easy. All the fights in the game are bouts between the Prince and a single enemy. Elika, the co-star, accompanies the Prince into each fight. The battles are similar to fighting games in that its one on one (or two on one in this case). The Prince and Elika can combine moves, resulting in acrobatic mastery of sword and magic. One second the Prince is slicing up foes and the next he is throwing Elika, glowing fists first into their faces. This of course is followed by the enemy being knocked into the air, only to be repeatedly attacked by the Prince before slamming into the ground. During certain instances a timed button-pressing sequence will pop up. If the onscreen prompts are entered correctly, the Prince will avoid danger and/or unleash a series of attacks. The resulting fights can be very visceral as each encounter feels like a boss fight. My only complaint is that all of the fights feel so similar. During your trip into Persia you will come across the same enemies, using the same moves, and watching the same cut scenes over and over again. What’s worse is that you’ll also face the same few bosses multiple times through out the game. Sometimes things will change a little (like only being able hurt an enemy with a certain attack) but for the most part all of the fights feel the same. Also hindering the experience is the fact that Elika won’t let you die. Every time the enemy is about to deliver the killing blow, she jumps in to save you. Although the fighting can be great and exciting, it can also be tedious and annoying.

    One of the main things that stand out about the Prince is his ability to reach the unreachable. Ubisoft Montreal has made the platforming elements very assessable in that controlling the Prince is a breeze. This is a double edged sword just like the fighting segments. Each of the Prince’s maneuvers (like wall running) can be performed by one or two buttons making them relatively simple to do. Although you have direct control of the Prince (with is great) it might come across as overly simple to seasoned players. After pressing the required button, you’re often just watching the Prince perform. Only when you have to make multiple jumps or wall-runs do you feel more in control as you are given more to do. Just like in the fights, Elika is there to assist in the platforming. She is able to provide the coveted double-jump by teleporting above the Prince and slinging him along. She also keeps the Prince from dieing by teleporting him to safety after missing a jump. At first I didn’t like this feature as it takes away the fear of dieing. After more time in Persia, I realized that this new feature was a godsend. There are two things that normally happens when your character dies in a video game. The first thing is that you see a screen depicting your death (remember “you’re dead” from Resident Evil) before being introduced to a loading screen. After the loading screen you are placed back at a checkpoint which, depending on the game, could be at the start of a level. The second and most annoying part is that most of the time, you have to recollect all of the items (like keys, weapons, ect.) you found before you died. By having Elika swoop in and save you cuts all of that other stuff out of the equation. She brings you right back to the last solid platform you were on before you leaped to your death. No long load screens and unnecessary backtracking.

    The last and probley the most important part of Persia is the story. The series is known for a good tale even if they’re a bit far fetched. However, the story in the new Prince isn’t all that great to me. After playing for a few hours, I just didn’t care anymore. One thing that bugged me is that a lot of the back story (which is actually important) is told via dialogue between the Prince and Elika. At certain times you’ll be prompted to press a button to talk to Elika, which starts a conversation explaining parts of the story. The thing is, each time you press the button, the characters only talk for a few seconds. Then control is giving back to you, at which you can decide to venture on or finish the convo. This means that if you want to get everything out of Elika, you’ll have to stand there for what feels like forever, prying bits and pieces from her stubborn lips. Why can’t she tell you everything (for that particular conversation) is beyond me. The developers might feel like they gave you a choice in the matter but they really didn’t, seeing as how most of the enjoyment from the story comes from talking to Elika!

    All and all, the new Prince is a competent hero and worthy of the Persian crown. There are just some things he needs to grow out of first. He also needs more to do. With all the platforming skills, I found it interesting that there was nothing to collect (aside from required story elements). He can run up walls, climb on anything, and walk on ceilings. Heck, with the help of Elika, he can even fly. There should be a greater incentive to explore this new world. Unfortunately, it seems that the developers didn’t come to that conclusion. I am happy to report that the other review categories (like sound and graphics) are stellar. I just wish the gameplay was just as good.

    Gameplay:

    7

    The Prince is fun to play as at times. The repetitive fights, lackluster story, and little reason for exploration hurt this title.

    Graphics:

    10

    It’s not because I’m an illustrator or nothing. The graphics are just this good!

    Sound:

    8

    Just slightly below the graphic quality.

    What's New:

    8

    This new approach to the series has a bright future. I also dig the fact that Elika saves you from death during platforming. That’s not just new to adventure/platforming games, but new to games period.

    Replay Value:

    6

    I wish there was more incentive to explore. Other finding ways to get to the next location, there wasn’t much reason to venture off. This in turn makes replaying the game somewhat a bore. Plus you know how to solve all the puzzles.

    Final Score:

    7.8

    © United Front Gaming. All rights reserved. Site design by: 801red