• Posted November 17th, 2008 at 09:23 EDT by
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(continued from previous page) ...playing experiences for older fans of the series and he was very precise on the direction he created for the title.

Instead of swarms of enemies, Prince of Persia players can expect one-on-one combat that feels like you’re in complete control of the outcome of each fight. The choreography of each battle gives off the faint impression that you’re working with QTE-based events reminiscent of the God of War franchise. As such, battles are highly cinematic and engaging for the user as you eagerly await the next attack in a long line of destructive combos. Elika isn’t shy in contributing her own muscle in battle either, with players able to take advantage of her magical prowess at the push of a button. If you happen to get the timing just right with each press of the button, you can link move after move from Elika that helps push your enemy to the brink of defeat. Once you master these elements, you’re able to enjoy tremendous takedowns that can bring back some fond memories from Shadows of the Colossus.

One of the more interesting aspects Prince of Persia has to offer is the progressively adaptive AI, which works to provide a sufficient challenge regardless of the player’s experience. I can verify from my own experience that as I got better with the fighting system, the game still felt challenging and I still often needed Elika to help me out. This also put to rest one of my main concerns, namely being unable to die in battle. While some gamers may find this hard to believe, Elika saving you from death during battle has its setbacks as well. Rather than the enemy retaining their damaged life gauge, it is instead refilled to full strength, resulting in a rematch between yourself and your opponent.

Of course, Price of Persia is as much a platformer as it is a hack and slash, delivering an explosive, fluid action-adventure experience filled to the brim with daring acrobatics and precarious edge hopping. Fortunately, this latest installment is no exception to that rule, and may very well surpass the offerings of its predecessors. If you happened to have play Mirror’s Edge, you’ve already somewhat experienced what I’m talking about in a smaller sense. Prince of Persia takes momentum and speed into account when you’re making your way through each stage. If you’re capable of reaching certain platforms quick enough, you can prevent enemies spawning from the darkness and strike them down before they materialize.

If I had to choose a single word to describe the platforming aspect of this game, it would undoubtedly be “fluid.” Everything connects seamlessly and elegantly, from the transition of a wall run to a ledge grab, or nailing a back jump to sliding down a platform and grabbing hold of a hanging pillar. This also applies to the lack of load times during play outside of firing up the base game area (loads only take place when you transport from place to place) helping to immerse users within the game world without interruption.

Once you’ve jumped, grabbed and ran your way to the very end of each corrupted region of the game, you’re only objective left is to cure that area. Curing an area involving finding a patch of fertile ground in which Elika stands on in order to suck the corruption from the world around her. This looks more beautiful with each stage you progress to. Watching the dark and gloomy atmosphere turn into a beautiful utopia is nothing short of breathtaking. Once the area is cured, Light Seeds are going to sprout out through the region in order for you to accumulate. The Light Seeds function as currency in the world of Prince of Persia. Gather enough and you’re able to unlock new powers and abilities for Elika. Fortunately, this adds a ton of replay value for those completionists out there as the only way to collect all the Seeds is to go back over areas later on once you’ve unlocked newer powers.

Thankfully, the development team have spared no expense in regards to crafting a sprawling, hugely captivating world for gamers to explore. While Delbuquet couldn’t let me in on some ... (continued on next page)