Ubisoft has created a beautifully structured gaming experience that concludes the Sands of Time series with poise.
One has to give much deserved credit to the programmers at Ubisoft for producing a visually stunning graphical engine that does not require extreme hardware specs to experience the game at its peak (which is the case in games like F.E.A.R).
The story picks straight off where POP2: WW ended. The prince returns to Babylon with his new love Kaileena (the former empress of time) only to find the magnificent kingdom ravaged by war. For gamers who have not played both predecessors of POP3, the game might appear dull and the gameplay boring. This is primarily because such a player has not played through the intense storyline that the series encapsulates.
The disdainful yet desperate nature of the prince in POP2 due to him being ‘destined’ to be killed by the Dahaka has led to a cruel and selfish subconscious personality within him. When being exposed to the enchanted sands in POP3, this inner being is surfaced in the form of the dark prince. Throughout the game we hear the scornful, bitter voice of the dark prince whose evil presence is even physically ascended as the prince transforms into the body of the dark prince (who in effect is somewhat of a ‘sand creature’). As an inner psychological voice, the dark prince offers ‘guidance’ in completing puzzles and bosses but simultaneously tries to completely taint the prince’s mind with evil by persuading him to do what is wrong. He is thus the epitome of innate evil that lies within the psyche of the prince. When our hero is physically transformed into the dark prince the player is able to perform fighting sequences of an entirely different style from the prince. The dark prince is equipped with a malicious razor-chain which extends from his arm and is able to whip around enemies with terrible force, sometimes with a ‘decapitating’ effect! Many puzzles and areas will require the abilities of the dark prince’s chain as he is able to latch it onto objects and swing from platform to platform.
Other new elements in gameplay include the highly enjoyable speed kill system. Players will be able to perform stealthily kills without alerting other enemies that might be patrolling the area. Also great in the game are the new objects such as stab stones, stab levers and window shutters that the player must use to navigate through a puzzle. However, even with the new features as mentioned above, the game still employs many of the fundamental components of gameplay from the previous POPs (such as the free form fighting system and combos). This may prove challenging to those inexperienced in the realm POP. Factors from POP1 such as Farah, the Vizier and the dagger of time are resurrected in The Two Thrones.
The music in the game is brilliantly choreographed, really adding to the overall middle-eastern theme. The graphics, especially the architectural design, are also excellent but however not much greater than that of POP2.
Negative aspects, of note, include lip-sync problems in the cut-scenes. Also the game as a whole is significantly shorter that POP2 with the final fight with the dark prince being exceptionally disappointing.
Throughout the game we observe the maturing of the prince’s personality as he goes from egotistical and selfish to a selfless man who would restore pride to his father’s throne. In all POP3 manages to combine the best of POP1 and POP2 with much style and splendour. It is a visually stunning game that is well worth to buy, providing addictive fun for days!