GENRE
	Action/Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Ubisoft
	PUBLISHER
	Ubisoft
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

The first Prince of Persia (subtitled The Sands of Time) hit the GameCube in 2003 and was something of a revelation. While it didn't look like a platformer at first, in turned out that jumping from ledge to ledge and finding the right route through each meticulously crafted level was what many considered to be the game's strongest point. Sure, the combat wasn't fantastic, but that's like going to a concert for the opening band--everyone knows the meaty stuff is coming next. The prince was a breath of fresh air to the genre, garnering many awards and a place in many a gamer's heart.

It's not a secret that the critically-heralded Sands of Time didn't fly off the shelves, so the sequel's transformation from whimsical and magical to extreme and bad was understandable, but that didn't stop it from angering a great deal of fans of the first game. The quirks and charm of the original were gone, and thus went a great deal of the appeal for fans of the series. However, with the final installment of the Time Trilogy, Ubisoft created a Prince of Persia game to everyone's tastes and is a fitting finale to a fine threesome of current-gen goodness.

visuals

The developers seem to have listened to the fans' outcries and restored the original game's atmosphere--gone are the dingy visuals. The dreamlike Sands of Time visuals return, at least as dreamlike as a city in ruin can be. Being that the visual design is similar to the first game, the graphics may seem mostly passable to more discerning gamers, though they're quite exquisite on occasion, such as when the Prince overlooks rooftops and detailed areas of the palace.

Sands of Time looked great two years ago, but missing a significant graphics engine overhaul means it falls a little short on the hinge of 2006. Character models, especially those who aren't the prince, look like they could use a few more polygons here and there. These are small quibbles, however, and besides a bit of slowdown when the action gets intense, it doesn't detract from a great experience.

audio

Much of the game's sound-effects--such as the shifts in time and the clanks and scrapes of crossing swords--seem the same as they were in the last two games: effective, but not extraordinary. The attention to detail is nice, however. There are distinct sounds for everything the prince does, whether it's running along a wall or clinging for dear life after almost missing a leap. The real star of the audio department, though, is the voice-acting, which is well-written and nicely acted. The prince, warped by the Sands of Time (that is the actual sands themselves, not as in the first game), has taken on a second personality who resides in his head. This entity, called the dark prince, acts as a foil to the original prince, and the contrast pays off nicely. The constant banter between the two serves as delicious icing on the cake of environmental puzzles the series is known for.

gameplay

If one thing has stayed the same throughout the series, it's the way the prince makes his way through the levels. With the agility of a woozy Spider-Man, our hero vaults across chasms and climbs and shimmies his way towards his goals. He always appears to just barely land his acrobatic moves, lending an air of reality to the tremendous feats. And while there's always a set path for the prince to follow, it never seems overtly obvious. The game seamlessly blends the prince's path into the level's environments, and thanks to the camera, they're never hard to figure out. All of this is tied together wonderfully by sublimely precise controls.

But the combat is a different story, which has received not one but two more kicks in the pants, one which even stings a little. Fighting enemies in general hasn't changed a great deal since Warrior Within--dual-wielding weapons thankfully returns--and while finding each enemy's weaknesses still merits enjoyment, the system feels a bit willy-nilly and sloppy. I found myself just mashing buttons at times and coming out no better or worse than if I had entered precise combos at strategic moments.

Yet all this hit and miss can be avoided, interestingly enough, with stealth. By sneaking up on enemies and pressing a button, the prince will execute a speed kill. These take-outs boil down to grisly animations that leave it up to the player to press a button at a certain moment similar to the grab combo system of God of War. Speed kills are not only fun and M-rated, but they also nicely speed the game's progression. While gory, speed kills prove an interesting addition; the developers seem to have acknowledged the battle system was the series' weak point and gave gamers a flashy way to jet through it.

The other aforementioned kick in the pants comes via the physical manifestation of the prince's alter-ego, the dark prince. Occasionaly our hero will transform into this sand-monster version of himself that has improved powers in battle, namely in the form of a new weapon. Unlike the good or light prince's standard swords and scimitars, the dark prince wields a chain attached to his arm that he can whip around like Ivy from Soul Calibur or a certain god-slayer. While the dark prince's life bar does constantly drain, it can be fully replenished with sand nuggets that appear by defeating enemies or smashing pottery within the level. While the dark prince's combat is even easier to execute, it still suffers from the same caveats of the light prince's combat. Also, thanks to the dark prince's life-draining nature, certain time-trial portions challenge gamers to get through platforming segments before the dark prince runs out of life. These sections run anywhere from thrilling to annoying to frustrating.

In addition to the series' trademark time-altering powers of slowmo and rewind, which haven't changed, boss battles and chariot segments break up the action nicely. Most of these sequences are as graphically impressive as they are thrilling to play, and ultimately, do a better job of maintaining an engaging pace than the introduction of the dark prince. I even found myself wishing for seconds on these portions, though it's possible that this was the developer's intent.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

The Two Thrones provides nice closure for an excellent trilogy on the current-gen. While the wow-factor of the first game has dissipated, the tried-and-true platforming gameplay remains fun even after three games. The combat aspect delivers, but it seems that the developers wisely chose to work on their strong points, delivering those aspects in spades.

While the story may confuse newcomers, vets of the series will feel right at home, and should be satisfied with the last chapter in the series for this generation. It's not perfect, but most fans will agree it's a step back to the right direction.

8.6/10