I really wanted to like Prince of Persia. Sands of Time, Warrior Within, (hell, even The Two Thrones) were spectacular platforming titles that really crossbred a new genre.
It's unfortunate, to say the least, that Prince of Persia fails to deliver anything but an increase in both disappointment and boredom. After spending a few hours being dragged in the mud by the game's awfully-slow combat and predictable PG-13 story I couldn't help but stop playing the game. That means I couldn't finish it which saddens me since I like to get the most of out my money. Sadly, not even five dollars can put you in a good mood after playing this game.
The game would be decent if it wasn't forcing you to collect boring orbs around the beautifully-drawn world. Ten to collect would be nice but 456? No, thank you. This action really disgusted me and turned me off about this whole game. The Prince in this game is a joke. Everything he says or does is in a child-like manner and it's meant to attract younger audiences. I guess they did well but in the end they repulsed the older generation (like myself).
Prince of Persia introduces a new mechanic (Elika). Yep, you're now in charge of another human being (kind of like co-operative play except with one person). It works but it doesn't at the same time. It just doesn't feel right going around the map with a floating woman constantly helping me wherever I go. Also, the game is so easy I could probably beat it blindfolded if it wasn't for the fact that the game sucks without the easy difficulty. It's a relentlessly mind-numbing experience that I honestly can't recommend anyone past the age of ten.
Did I mention that there is little enemy variety and that you'll be fighting the same corruption about 100% of the time? Well, now you know. The plot is predictably pathetic. A wandering prince in the desert, looking for his donkey, stumbles upon a lady in distress (Elika) who is being chased by her own guards. He finds out that her father is trying to bring her back to him. He gets pissed off, releases a demon and the story begins. That's the simplistic description but you get the gist of how pathetic this game is at storytelling.
Overall, I can't recommend this game. It makes me sick that they can even call this the same game - why not make it a spin-off? It's ridiculously easy, pointless storytelling, combat that runs just as slow as molasses, and characters that tend to get on your nerves. Do yourself a favor and re-play Warrior Within or Sands of Time (That was when Prince of Persia was at the top of it's peak).
RATING: 5.0 (MEDIOCRE AS MATH)
Good:
- Beautifully-crafted environments
Bad:
- Sluggish, and out-right dull, combat
- Slow and predictable storytelling
- Characters will get on your nerves
- Forced collectible mechanic
- Controls are both unbalanced and simplistic