Once You PoP, The Fun Don't Stop... (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PS2))

Member Name: tom1clare

Product:	Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PS2)
Date:	17/11/06 (215 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks lovely, top-class design, innovative platforming elements, interesting combat

Disadvantages: Some battles can be very tough, too short, little replay value

It took the appearance of Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time for me to realise how little the traditional, exploration-based action/adventure genre had been represented of late. Indeed, to find the last true classic that fits this description, PlayStation owners would have to rewind as far back as 1997 and Tomb Raider 2 to find a truly top-class adventure in this mould.

Prince Of Persia (POP: SOT), released in 2003, is something of a 3D homage to the classic eighties platformer of the same name. But beyond settings, swords and spike-pits, this 21st century iteration is very much a new adventure – and one that is unlikely to leave fans (old or new) disappointed.

Unsurprisingly, you assume control of the Prince; his efforts to gain honour and glory (and the approval of his father) go seriously wrong as his discovery and subsequent use of a mysterious dagger serves to unleash all kinds of hell in the King's palace; the inner and outer facades of which form the majority of the games picturesque locales. For better and worse, the Sands Of Time have been released (as well as a veritable swarm of hellish creatures) and its your job to use them to your advantage; teaming up with the mysterious lady-in-red, Farah; escape the chaos and put things right once more.

POP: SOT is a bit of a treat. It mixes a host of established, tried-and-tested platform elements and moulds them around a bunch of well-implemented new ideas, to excellent effect.

The acrobatics and modes of movement at the Prince's disposal are the most immediately impressive aspect of the game; not only can he execute the usual running-jumps, rolls, ladder-climbs and block-pushing attributes that have become a stale of such games, but he can to perform a variety of almost gravity-defying stunts. He can, for a few steps, scale a wall vertically in an attempt to grab high-up ledges, as well as running along walls and even vaulting his way upwards if there are two adjacent walls that are close enough together – Lara Croft would certainly approve. But it isn't all for show – it has clearly given the developers more freedom as to the level-design, and with the Prince's considerable athletic-arsenal at your disposal, you will have to face some of the most vast, well-realised platforming environments seen in years.

Indeed, Prince of Persia is in its element when showing-off its huge environments. Not since the early Tomb Raider's has a game of this ilk so successfully built a game world to accommodate its central characters new-found freedom of movement. A tap of R2 allows you to switch to a first-person perspective, allowing you to admire the fine attention to detail that each area showcases. By contrast, a tap of L2 reveals an environment in its entirety from a birds-eye view – be it a trap-filled corridor, a gigantic courtyard or a water-cavern, the apparatus and manner in which you need to progress is often evident, just not immediately obvious - there is usually a lot of it, and this is part of the reason the level-design is so impressive. Certain sections can appear bewildering to begin with, but once you've set your foot on the right path, an array of new possibilities arise that you must consider, and the games beautifully clear logic shines through – one little challenge leads to another, and they are often part of a much bigger puzzle or obstacle course. The route of progression as a consequence is somewhat limited, but it's likely you'll be too engrossed to question its linearity.

The Sands of Time themselves deserve a mention because of how clever their uses are. The Prince has the ability to reverse time by up to ten seconds (provided he has enough sand) – and the chief advantage of this (apart from it looking nifty) in the main body of the game is that if you make a mistake, such as falling from a ledge or misjudging a jump, you can hold L1 to send things back to the point you made the error, and try a different approach. It's genius really; saveing a massive amount of frustration and avoiding making you retrace your steps too often. As well as this, the Sands form save points, whereby you can record your progress, but also watch a short, flash-forward clip that gives you hints at what might lie in wait – though not all of what you are shown is guarenteed to happen, you can glean hints from the images – it's a nice touch.

The controls are also superb – the Prince's movements are utterly fluid, and he rarely ever suffers from getting snagged on the scenery. The platform-based elements often require dexterity on the part of the player, but by the same token you never feel you have to be overly-concious about lining up a jump right at the edge of a platform. Even with such a variety of moves at your disposal, the nature of the configuration means most abilities can be utilised at the touch of one button (and a direction), and you have to applaud the developers for this – it's all been terrifically thought out.

The battle-system reveals more of the games 'cool' streak and creative flair, and though it isn't perfect, there's rarely a dull fight. Whilst hammering the standard combo button is enough to down enemies in the early stages, you'll need to learn a few more tactics to take on the tougher beasties, as they become more adept at defending themselves. The Prince can run straight up and over an enemy, slicing them on the way down, or if he is backed against a wall, he can spear his way out of a tight spot. Enemies need to be vanquished with the dagger (usually after knocking them to the floor) to stop them from reanimating, though this also helps refill your sand quota. Depending on the quantity of 'sand' you have in your gauge, you can perform a variety of tricks including slowing-time (very Max Payne-esque), freeze a single enemy, or freeze all enemies – allowing you to make light work of them. The battles are up-tempo and graceful, and require quick thinking and reactions on the part of the player. There are a couple of niggles however – brawls become genuinely quite tough in the latter stages of the adventure, and it isn't uncommon to find four or more enemies targeting you at one time, and as the Prince tends to lock-on to the one that is nearest his position, he does leave himself open to attack on several sides. The difficulty of these sections is often exaggerated by the need to protect Farah, who can't withstand much damage, and has an annoying habit of standing right where the baddies can surround her most easily. But I'm picking at straws somewhat – the fighting system has some genuine innovations to show for itself and for the most part, it is fun.

Also well-judged is the puzzle element. There's nothing that is overly fiendish or involved as for a start you can't pick up items or keys, though its nice to see the game does take a breather every once in a while to test your grey-matter – usually in the form of moving blocks or mirrors, or turning leavers to reveal something new. A lot of the games 'levels' require you to ascend or descend to or from a great height, and some of POP's greatest (and most satisfying) teasers lie in finding the correct route and sticking to it.

Visually, it is an absolute work of art. Everything about the game radiates aesthetic quality; from the flawless animations of the Prince and Farah, to the clever battle effects and gorgeous FMV sequences. It's the settings that give POP: SOT the ultimate 'wow' factor however – the scale in particular is absoultely breathtaking. From certain standpoints, the aforementioned first-person camera reveals what feels like miles of landscape, with incredibly pretty structures that technically aren't even part of the playing space – it shows of a host of beautifully sculpted and lovingly-detailed buildings, lush waterfalls and other suitably grand features. The castle-siege section that the game opens with shows parts of the level being destroyed before your eyes, as soldiers can be seen fighting their own private battles with each other. There's a definite sense of grandeur to Prince Of Persia that had not been evident in gaming for quite some time.

The sound is rather less inspiring than the graphics. Though the voice-acting is okay, it is often too quiet and too mumbled to make out, and this is most evident when the Prince and Farah are exchangeing tips or banter in-game. The Arabian jingles are used sparingly and to solid effect, but are hardly memorable.

What robs POP: SOT of the 'classic' status it deserves is a mixture of it being too short, and not having any real replay-value. I finished the game first time through in a fairly modest ten hours, but was surprised that the game didn't prompt me to 'save' at the end – it has become something of a tradition for shorter games to allow this so you can start the adventure afresh with bonus weapons, costumes or scenarios. But alas, no – once the end credits roll, The Sands Of Time has little more to offer, beyond unlocking the original 2D game and a secret one-level remake, though both of these can be accessed first time through anyway.

The 12+ age rating PEGI recommend is about right I think, as there is no excessive blood-letting, limb-severing or other such unsavoury actions, though as the game features its fair share of sword-fighting and creepy underworld inhabitants, it may be best for very young gamers to steer clear. Otherwise, I would encourage all gamers to give it a try.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time amalgamates ideas new and old to form an unique and very enjoyable adventure. It looks wonderful, is extremely-cleverly designed and will keep you hooked right to the finish, which regrettably arrives all to quickly. The lack of replay value is a definite disappointment, but as it is now packaged with its two sequels as part of Prince Of Persia Trilogy, it would still have to come recommended in this guise.

Summary: A genuine breath of fresh air for the action/adventure genre