The Prince of Persia Sands of Time
trilogy is finally at a close. I remember when I heard about the first game at
E3 several years ago and was amazed at how fantastic it looked. The gameplay was
very impressive seeing how agile the Prince was as he jumped through the levels
and solved many of the environmental puzzles. Last year the developers released
a sequel that was much darker in its tone, and really expanded upon the combat
in the game. Even though this game had many high points, it really turned off
many players that enjoyed the first one so much due to its darker tone. This
year the developers made the last game in the trilogy and it seems to have the
best of both worlds. Read on to find out more.
The story for Prince of Persia: The
Two Thrones picks up right after the ending for the previous game, Warrior
Within. The Prince of Persia starts his journey back home to Babylon with
Kaileena the Empress of Time. He talks about how they will live in a peaceful
city and various other things. This peace he so hopes for is dashed the minute
he gets home as he finds that his kingdom is ravaged by war. He soon finds out
that he can’t escape the Sands which have tainted his very being and given rise
to a malicious Dark Prince that resides within him. From this point on you can
only rely on your instincts and your quick reflexes to get by or else you will
be a dead man. Are you up to the challenge?
Just like in all of the other Prince
of Persia games, you will take control of the Prince. If you have ever played
any of the games you will know what to expect. That is a lot of fighting as well
as solving various environmental puzzles, such as getting across a ledge by
running against the wall and other various things. The combat in this game is
just as good, too; you can pick up various enemy’s weapons and use them or throw
them back at them. Then there are the sand powers that will help you throughout
the game immensely – such as the power to rewind time, ground attacks, or even
slow time down.
A new addition to this game is the
ability to pull off what the game calls Speed Kills. These kills are quick and
really dispatch enemies quickly and quietly with just a few presses of your
controller. The thing is that if you mess up you will come out of the Speed Kill
and have to take on the enemies one on one. Later on in the game if you get
proficient enough you can do a double Speed Kill which is a sight to behold.
The newest and biggest addition to
this game is the inclusion of the Dark Prince, which is a ruthless, reckless,
and sadistic version of the Prince. Playing with him changes the gameplay
somewhat as you have to implement different strategies to get various tasks
done. First of all, when you are playing as him you will notice that your health
is constantly going down, the only way to get it back up is to kill various
enemies and obtain more sand to prolong your life. The Dark Prince can’t pick up
any of the enemies weapons but he doesn’t need to because he has his own special
weapon entitled the Daggertail, which is a powerful chainlike weapon, as well as
the Dagger of Time. He can also use the power of the Sands of Time.
Just like the first game, Prince of
Persia: The Two Thrones takes players back to the Arabic theme with players
fighting through the city of Babylon, visiting its many rooftops, caves, and
even getting a glimpse of one of the ancient wonders of the world: The Hanging
Gardens. One thing that the developers did is create some of the best looking
environments around, as everything that you will see looks drop-dead gorgeous.
Throughout the course of the game you will see the environment’s various
effects, such as curtains moving around, the glow of the torches that give off
light, as well as other various elements.
The character models also are a
thing to behold. The characters are really highly detailed from the Prince to
all of the enemies that you must vanquish. The best thing about this game is the
smooth animation and steady framerate. Since the first game, players have been
in awe of seeing the various acrobatic tricks that the Prince can perform as he
takes out an enemy or gets around various environmental puzzles. It is all a
real feast for your eyes to take in and looks great on your screen.
The music and sound effects for this
game really fits well with the entire theme. Since you are fighting through the
depths of Babylon you will get more Middle Eastern themes with instruments that
are more common down in that area. This really motivates you to go through the
game and makes it seem more authentic. The voice acting for the game is also
really top notch; the Prince and the Dark Prince conversations are really good
and having the contrast in voices really makes it stand out even more and shows
how desperate the Prince really is.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is
rated M for Mature. It will take up to 175KB on your memory card for game saves.
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Gameplay: 8.7
If you have ever played any of the other Prince
of Persia games you will know what to expect here. It is still really fun as you
solve many of the levels with the highly acrobatic moves throughout each of the
levels. The Speed Kills really give the game some added flare, and makes it fun
to go through without taking any damage. The best part is playing with the new
Dark Prince as it really changes the gameplay flow and makes it more
interesting.
Graphics: 9.0
One thing that this series has always had is a great art direction.
Even though the engine is starting to show its age, the game still looks really
good. The atmosphere that the game has is just really good.
Sound: 8.9
The music for Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones fits the entire theme
really well. The voice acting and sound effects also mesh well with this game.
Difficulty: Medium
The game will throw players many wild punches, but if you are patient
and use your Sands of Time wisely you will be able to overcome any adversity
that comes upon you.
Concept: 8.8
I really liked having the Dark Prince and Speed Kills added to the
game. The Dark Prince really adds a lot to the game and breaks up any of the
repetition that you might have while playing though this game, plus it forces
players to come up with different strategies as they play with the two different
Princes.
Overall: 8.8
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is a great conclusion to the Prince
of Persia Sands of Time trilogy. Even though this series has had its bumps along
the way, the end product was completely worth it. You will not want to quit
playing this game until you find out how it all ends.
