And with the release of next generation consoles, it was only a matter of time before the gaming industry’s most popular group of series were making the leap of faith. Luckily, for games such as Metal Gear Solid and Call of Duty, their bravery was rewarded with huge sales, and a great reception. However, classics such as Unreal Tournament and Smackdown took the leap, but then slipped and smashed their faces all over the sidewalk; both were shocking in comparison to some of the games being blurted out by new and old developers.When Prince of Persia was announced, you can imagine that fans of the series were up for another time bending adventure in awesome next-gen graphical output. However, as trailers and gameplay videos hit the net, it was evident that this new Prince of Persia wouldn’t be the same as it’s elder brethren, instead adopting a younger and more unique persona. As Christmas came and went (a bit too soon as well if you ask me) I was lucky enough to grab a copy for my birthday, and as I slid the disc into my big black, I sat back and wondered whether everybody’s doubts about this new change were well placed.
The first most noticeable feature of this new title is that the Montreal team have cast away the mindblowing graphics we had with Assassin’s Creed back in 2007, and in with the cell shaded comic effect. At first I thought it looked a little cheesy, textures lapped with black drawn lines and characters looked like something I might see on a Nintendo DS system, but sure enough, you will get used to the new look. Also with this change comes a new prince, ditching the old good prince gone bad (ass), and coming up with something quite extraordinary. The new prince, I would argue, is definitely the best thing that could have happened to the series. Voiced by the legend Nolan North (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune), the comical prince is back, replacing the bitchy old one. His presence alone makes the game more comfortable and enjoyable to play.
The setting of the game isn’t entirely clear, but we can assume it is set in a land of fantasy. The prince is trekking home after he robs a tomb, when a sandstorm whips up and he loses his beloved donkey, Farah. Stumbling into an opening, he meets the beautiful and mysterious Elika who is on the run from a band of men. After escorting her to a desert temple, it turns out that Elika is a princess, and her father, the king, has come to halt her escape. The importance of the temple becomes evident as soon as the king slices down a white magical tree in the centre of the ancient building. From the depths rises untold darkness that had been sealed for a thousand years, the dark God Ahriman is awakening...Elika and the prince set off on a journey throughout the land, now corruptive by the dark presence of Ahriman, in order find and heal the Fertile Ground. These are certain waypoints that trace back to the temple, and once all the grounds are healed, the seal will be active once again.
At first the gameplay will strike you as odd if you were ever keen player of the old prince games. Simple tasks such as wall runs and climbs used to require the player to move the prince around, but in the new Prince of Persia everything is done in auto-pilot, you simply jump against the wall, and a wall run will follow. I wasn’t too keen on this new style at first, but you will come to appreciate it, as it makes the whole game a lot more fluid and fast than the previous ones, making the most daring of jumps seem like nothing. The fighting has also changed completely, instead of tackling hordes of characters, there is a perfect divide of platform jumping and combat. Whenever you are faced with an opponent, the camera will fix onto a few of the duel, all battles always being one versus one. Just like the other features I have described, it’s hard to adhere to at first but you will come to like it as you progress. There are four ways of attacking in combat, each allocated to the triangle, square, circle and cross buttons on your controller, signifying the four types of attack; Sword, Arobatic, Gauntlet, and Magic. Combat is as fluid as it gets, the prince and Elike move as one combining attacks to deliver the ultimate sword fighting experience, despite there is hardly any variation in combos.
The game spans over four main regions, each with five unique locations hosted by one of the four in-game bossed simply named as: The Warrior, The Alchemist, The Hunter, and The Concubine, each offering a unique challenge. Each zone is designed differently, from castles and spires, to windwills and construction yards, each looking amazing. Prince of Persia offers a new free roaming gameplay style in which players can now simply travel from area to area instead of tackling a one way game-style, meaning you can play which levels you want.Apart from being your triangle button buddy, Elika also plays a key role in how the game plays out. Every time you slip from a ledge, plummet into darkness; get knocked down by an enemy or many other instances, Elika will ALWAYS save you. That’s right, the prince never dies, no matter how much of a noob you may be. Also, I was a bit dumbstruck by not noticing this, but unlike EVERY other PoP game there has ever been, time bending is not present. Shocking? No as without it, the game can deliver on the more finer points of the game.
It’s been a few days since I finished the game, giving me ample time to review it fairly, and I can tell you that it is one of the best games I have ever played on the Playstation 3. Everything is just so new and fun about the newest instalment, that it surpasses every game in its series combined. It’s a bold statement to make, but the game shocked me so much. Despite everything the series has ever abided to (time stopping peril), Montreal have taken that leap of faith alright, landing on both feet in the pages of next gen gaming history.Story: 9/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Total: 92%
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