My feelings for this game have changed overnight, from somewhat disappointing to inspiring. This was one of very few games that I had been looking forward to this year and I had it the moment it came out. Immediately I was impressed by the accessibility of the controls and the overall presentation. Just when things were going good, I came upon a part that would cause me to put the game away for a week, without the slightest interest in playing it until I found a strategy guide. This struck me as odd since Gamespot couldn’t quit mentioning the fact that this game is on the “easy” side. My problem had to do with combat, at the first multi-enemy boss fight. I looked in the forums on this website (no faqs or walkthroughs were available) only to find that I wasn’t alone. After realizing how to approach the scene I decided to give it a try and I had no problem getting past it. I personally feel that the player should have had more practice in fighting before this part. But once you figure out how the combat works, it’s extremely easy and doesn’t change or evolve for the rest of the game. This, as I’m sure you’ve heard, is the weakest part of PoPSoT. Everything else in this game is awe-inspiring. For me, the best parts of the game are reaching a part of the level that looks impossible to reach and looking back at where you came from. This brings to mind the same feeling I got from the first Tomb Raider game. Thankfully this game has great controls otherwise it would be a frustration-fest. You’ll be running sideways along walls, running up walls, climbing, jumping, swinging, rewinding time, and fighting your way to the end. The graphics, in my opinion, are breathtaking. Although the character models don’t have the highest polygon count or detail, they look solid and animate with extreme fluidity, lending them a very realistic feel. The environments are jaw dropping and are the highlight of the game. Beams of light pierce through the windows as curtains blow in the breeze. You can look over the edge and see an amazing vista with moving clouds, a surreal sunset, and towering structures of places you’ve been in the distance. The sound is very impressive and fits the theme of the game perfectly. When your sword strikes something while your inside a cave, you’ll hear it echo accordingly. Every sound just fits whether it’s the reverse sound of the rewind feature or wet feet trying to run up a wall. The music is top notch with the middle-eastern flavor mixed with rock, but not cheesy like it could have been. Another high point of the game is the voice acting, not so much the quality of it, but how it’s used. You will often hear the prince speaking to himself as you play, something that gives the game personality and makes the prince seem like he’s real. I’ve always wanted to see more games use this dynamic to tell the story without interrupting the gameplay. In the end, I was very impressed. This game is everything that Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness (see my review) should have been. If you like PoPSoT, I must recommend ICO for the PS2 (see my review) as they have a lot in common but are different in good ways. I do think that PoP should have been released at a price of $39.99 due to its short length, but with unlockable versions of PoP 1 and 2, it's a great game to have in your collection.
Other Helpful Reviews for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
The Good: Great puzzles; intense combat and terrific animations of the acrobatics. Unique style of saving loading. Soft lighting and pretty good sound. The Bad: Intense combat; somewhat repetitiveness of the action. N... Read Full Review
First up is the gameplay. PoP has some excellent controls that are easy to get to grips with. Running along walls, jumping from pole to pole and slashing those nasty sand creatures are all made easy by the very user-frie... Read Full Review
