Customer Reviews

Prince of Persia

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

To give some perspective for my review, I think I should point out that on the scale of gamers, I fall somewhere between the "casual fan" and the "obsessive fanboy."

With that said, I found Prince of Persia disappointing for several reasons. First and foremost was Ubisoft's (second) failure to fully take advantage of their astounding open-world engine. I cannot dispute that the developer has, like Assassin's Creed, created an extraordinarily beautiful world with some of richest colors and textures I've seen on the PS3. In the case of PoP, the cell-shading animation of the Prince, his allies, and his villains is reminicent of Okami...jaw-droppingly gorgeous. But while the graphics astound, the gameplay suffers. It was a groundbreaking to be able to interact with every nook and cranny around the player, but the luster of this level of interactivity quickly wears off. I still have the sense that there has to be some way that Ubisoft could improve the gameplay to be less repetetive. The gold-standard for open-world gameplay has to be GTA4, in my opinion, and the city feels ALIVE. In PoP, however, the world seems to be nothing more than an excuse to showcase beautiful scenery and show-off how cool some of the player animations can be...you never feel as connected to the world as you do to Liberty City.

My second complaint is one that I've read on this product review, but I'll point it out anyway. The game is wholly comprised of the following pattern: execute acrobatic moves until you reach an enemy, fight the enemy...and repeat. The acrobatics and animations of both the "traveling" and the "fight" are seemless and stunning, but they happen over and over and over again. I found myself bored rather quickly.

Finally, I found this game incredibly easy. I completed the main story in less than ten hours. I did not die once as the Prince's companion makes such an occurrence a virtual impossibility. I easily won eight or so boss battles by pressing the "SQUARE" button repeatedly. And finally, the game will prompt which button to push in combat situations...the computer gives you a crutch you cannot turn off. Dissenters might point out that by button mashing in combat situations I am missing out on some beautiful extended combos and animations. I counter with the opinion that a combat system is seriously flawed if the player can easily succeed by pressing one button continuously.

Overall, I'm in the middle on PoP simply because it was incredibly beautiful and had a decent story with excellent characters. If I were you, however, I'd wait to buy this at a discount instead of paying full price. As beautiful as it is, you shouldn't be in a rush to pay full price for PoP.

The new entry in Prince of Persia is actually not related to the old POP/PS2 games. Our new Prince is just a ordinary man who accepts the responsibility of cleansing the world. This is a entirely new story and the gameplay is totally new. The main character has four moves mapped to the face buttons.. as simple as that. The same action button does different thing at different times based on your situation. It makes it for a smooth gameplay. No complicated button combos for movement and no frustrating deaths. I have to applaud the developers for producing a very satisfying game play with simple mechanics.

Artstyle is so refreshing, it is this generations OKAMI. Character animations are the best we have ever seen in video games. As the game progresses prince can pull off some amazing tricks like roof crawl, it is a pure visual feast. There is a lot of variety in play mechanics. There are even some flying quests, carrying Elka in your back. First you travel through infested dark world where the game play is totally linear. Once you beat the final boss the level gets freed from corruption, it becomes cheerfully colorful. Then it becomes like mario star collection. More skillfull you are more you can collect. The second try of the levels are lot more difficult than the first runup to kill the big boss. Which makes it a win-win for every one. Skilled players can go all out in collection to get skills faster and earn trophies. Where in normal players can finish the game without throwing the controller to the wall. What ever the situation you are in Elka will save you. You miss judge a jump she is there, you screw up in combat and want a break she will help you. Combat is near perfect this time around.. no mindless button mashing. Every boss battle is different from other. Some require Elka, some require use of environment etc. etc. I personally like the new combat compared to the old POP games. If are patient and chain the combos you can beat them in 2 or 3 rounds. Especially when you start to chain areal combos it gives chills. Visual combat animations for combos are amazing. It is not as extravagant as DMC4, but very well done.

The main character prince comes with all the necessary skill from the start of the game. There are some good chain combos for combat to learn. On the other hand Elka gets new power-ups and becomes better as you collect more goodies. She is be best female companion video games ever had. She is always helpful and nice. Without her Prince can't do much, but very unassuming and humble. I liked her more than the main character. The story is her quest to free the world from corruption and prince is more like a mule carrying her around the world. I know it sounds bizarre, the story is amazingly tied well.

I have played the game couple of times, it plays silky smooth. No frame rate issues or hangs. Even though it is built on AC engine, the game is more true to the orignal POP than AC. Dont pass on this one, at least give it a rent. Even if you have never played previous POP or AC this one is a must have.

The graphics and level design in this game are phenomenal, this is one beauty of a game. My wife actually stopped dead in her tracks to comment on the beauty of it.
Gameplay is dead on, I have played for around 5 hours and not once have I been frustrated by unresponsive controls or bad camera angles etc...99.9% of all my mistakes I can blame on myself.
Elika is a beauty and her role is perfect, she is the perfect AI companion, and she never hinders gameplay. The only complaint I might have about the game is that it's set up so you can't really fail, she is always there to bail you out.
Trophies galore!

I purchased this for the PS3 because of the controller, I am one of the few that absolutely love the Playstation controllers, especially for platforming and action based games. FPS games I give the nod to my 360 and that wonderfully bulky controller.

In my opinion this game is a must buy, PS3, 360, doesnt matter, go out and buy this phenomenal game now.

This game is truly one of the most enjoyable games I've played in many years. It reminds me of playing some of the earlier Nintendo games such as Legend of Zelda because of the pace and relaxation of the whole experience. There is no hurry in this game and no annoyances that you find in many other games. This is a nice break from some of the awesome but sometimes stressful pace and feel of some of the newer games out there. P.O.P. gives you plenty of opportunities to stop and smell the roses and to check out the BEAUTIFUL scenery that this game provides. Most games I play lately require me to sit up or stand up because they require extreme vigilance and concentration, but this one is more of a sit back and relax kind of exerience.

POP is simply just a lot of fun with no hassle. Some may complain that it's too easy, but this game is meant to provide you with a different type of entertainment than all the others. Controls are easy going and very rhythmical. The graphics are outstanding. The story is very easy to get into and not extremely complicated either. If you're looking for a change of pace or just a nice way to relax on the couch, this is the game to pick up. It's just a beautiful piece of art. Enjoy.

I really enjoyed this game when I first popped it in, unfortunately it became very boring after only a short time. Everything seemed to be repeating itself over and over, and all of the levels were basically completed in the same way, {by wall climbing, ceiling running, and pole swinging} in order to get to your final battle destination...
In regards to the boss battles themselves, many were as simple as excuting as few as three moves, and I never really felt like I was in any real danger while fighting head to head. It was just too easy for me. One more thing that I forgot, they all looked the same! I felt like I was experiencing Groundhog Day everytime I entered battle, and that's no fun after hours of gaming in my opinion...

I also became frustrated with Elika always being there to save me from death. It was cool at first, but after time, having her there made every difficult jump, wall run, ect seem effortless, and therefore creating no real challenge / focus to executing the moves themselves. Constantly knowing that you don't really die, and get saved all the time, makes the game seem less exciting in my opinion. It's a cool concept, but it weakens the gameplay in my opinion....

Bottom Line : This game was way overhyped prior to release, and wasn't nearly the experience that I was hoping for when I purchaced it. This game seems like it was produced for the large new gamer masses, instead of for the true long time gamers who wanted a lasting experience and something to remember. I simply didn't get that here...

Maybe it's just me, but I still think Unchartered : Drake's Fortune is the best and most fun action / adventure game available for the PS3...

Thankfully Amazon reviewers are a bit more balanced than mainstream gaming sites because - quite frankly - this stands as arguably the worst game to date in the 'Prince of Persia' (POP) legacy series. Yes, you read that correctly.

It pains me to state the above as I've literally played every iteration of POP dating back to Jordan Mechner's sinisterly hard 2D side scroller. As a result, I literally counted down the hours until the latest version's release date. Oh, how I salivated when picking up the 'Limited Edition' at a local retailer.

On paper...this game is wonderful. Stunning artistic environments, a deep plot, engaging soundtrack, and the best sidekick this side of Clank in Elika. Last. a near-open level design modeled around the award-winning 'Assassin's Creed.' This was supposed to be the system seller to end all system sellers this holiday season.

Somewhere between conception and actualization, however, something went horribly awry. The promised open world was anything but. POP's control scheme was both on autopilot and non-responsive. Enemies were subsequently reduced to sequential combat lessons in frustration.

To elaborate, the Prince - always trademarked by his vast array of combat skills and tactile responsiveness - is now reduced to automated sequences and timed button presses. Once a move is requested via a button touch + analog stick combo, feel free stand back and watch the show. The end result is rarely feeling in control of the Prince, and - as a reviewer on Gamefaqs put it - akin to a multi-hour episode of the game 'Simon.' Long, dramatic sequences devolve into a slew of button presses and boredom.

Related, approximately 1/3 of the time these jump sequences aren't correctly registered by the game, resulting in unnecessary repetition to pass seemingly simple jump patterns. Since POP does not allow the Prince to die nor alter moves mid process, expect to repeat even some of the easiest jumps a good dozen times before completion. (Don't make me get started on Elika's running and flying portions laden with counterintuitive obstacles.)

Combat only exacerbates this situation, as the Prince navigates on surfaces akin to footwork via glue based mouse traps. Further, boss fights are watered down endurance lessons, as repetitive fight strategies wear down baddies to the tune of 10 minute wastes of time. Multiply each of these battles x5, as POP requires the Prince and Elika (practially useless in battle except to save the Prince from failed button sequence presses) to fight the same boss over and over again, with no adjustment in boss strategy nor difficulty level from area 1-5.

Beat a boss, begin a scavenger hunt for moronic 'light seeds' used to power up new powers and areas. Nearly all are located in areas sorrounded by the suspect jumps above. 700+ light seeds later - yes, you read that correctly - I wanted those wasted hours of my life back.

Going further down the rabbit hole of disappointment one will find the childish, inappropriate over sexualized interactions between the Prince and Elika. 'Staring at rear end' comments, lame pickup lines, orgasm-inspired shouts when releasing fertile grounds combine to kill any personality this game could've had. Confounding, since the ending is quite good.

Speaking of ending, thankfully the game is fairly short by POP standards. Despite is beautiful artwork, I was counting down the minutes to completion for imaginary 'spite' purposes.

In sum: if you've got a backwards compatible PS3, buy the entire PS2 POP series for the same price and 10x the playability. (Even the much maligned 'Warrior Within' is better than this.) Related, save your dough on the 'Limited Edition' versions. There's nothing on that disc even for the Prince-obsessive.

I love this game. Not only does if offer time-consuming gameplay, great interaction between the characters, but it looks absolutely beautiful doing it. This and Valkyria Chronicles could be considered interactive works of art.

Don't be discouraged by those that say the game is too easy, or that its too repetitive. Yes, the game is easy, but that's what makes if fun to play since you don't worry about not making a difficult jump or dying facing an enemy, which brings up the character interaction I mentioned. Elika is what an A.I. controlled character should be. She does not get in your way at all. In fact, you will not make it through the game without her helping hand.

Some say the game is too repetitive. I think that describes almost all action/adventure games: go from point A to point B by jumping, climbing, fight X amount of enemies. The difference is that in this game you want to do everything, explore the dark environments of the Corrupted lands, and just stare at how beautiful those same lands are once they are Healed.

This is one of the best games of this year. Go on and play it. You will not be disappointed.

Sands of Time is by far the most fun platform of all time in my opinion. It was both breathtaking and revolutionary. Unfortunately, the next two sequels were more cookie cutter and repetitive - with a fake dark atmosphere and repetitive, needless fighting.

This games returns to the fun of the Sands of Time. The acrobatics are the showcase. The atmosphere, though not the most vibrant, can be lush at times. The concept is simple - you go to an area, find a way to the boss level, fight the boss, the area becomes "fertile", then you explore the area and get light seeds. You get enough seeds, you get a power. Your goal is to make all 25 grounds fertile, then fight the main boss.

You jump, drop down, climb onto poles. The same usual Prince of Persia stuff with the great, easy to understand mechanics. No falling because you misaligned yourself, no dying because you didn't press two buttons at the exact right time.

There are only about 3 puzzles and they are relatively easy. There are also very few enemies - you only have to fight the boss at the end of a fertile ground, and possibly a simple enemy in between the grounds. The amount of fights has reduced significantly. The main change to the platforming dynamics is Elika, a princesses who helps you double jump and can pick you up when you- meaning you never die. This allows you to actually worry about the game as opposed to worrying about whether you can make a jump.

And for fighting - no needless swarms to take care of. As usual, there are a combos you can use, you can use Elika's magic, and that's about it.

It's not all great though. There are two main problems - the boss fights are long. You face the same boss for each level 5 times, and these things take forever. Each fight is about 10 minutes long of basically button mashing. Really boring and dull after a while. The second main problem are the special powers your receive. Basically, you jump to a plate, and then you either jump to another plate, fly, or run on a wall. This is basically eye candy with game mechanics that don't run well. You'll find this to an tedious exercise of trial and error. These two things break the flow of the game tremendously.

All in all, it's a fun, simple game that returns to the splendor that was the Sands of Time.

Pros:
Great acrobatics
Open ended
Fun
No walkthrough needed
Less emphasis on fighting

Cons:
Bosses are somewhat annoying
Graphically - no wow factor
The "special powers" are annoying.

Time to Complete: 12 hours

Difficulty Level: Low

Frustration Level: Low

Prince of Persia is a beautiful game and it's a lot of fun to play. The controls are simple and make all the well animated jumping and running easy to pull off. The graphics are very beautiful, almost like playing in some kind of painting.

The game is rather easy, since you can never die. If you fall or miss your jump, your partner Elika will pull you back onto solid ground. If you start to lose in a battle, she will pull you to safety, knocking the enemy back. However, the enemy will regain some of it's lost health for doing so. To me, this is a really great option. Sometimes games are just meant to be fun, and not so much to provide a hardcore challange that will only end up frustrating.

Combat is fun and smooth, with great attack animations. You can attack with your sword, you can grab an enemy, and you can let Elika attack. You can combo all sorts of beautiful moves together to make for an awesome fight scene. None of the bad guys should really give you too much trouble, especially since right before you would "die", a button will pop up and if you press it in time you avoid the "final" blow, so that way Elika doesn't have to save you and the enemy's health stays where it's at.

The environments are great to look at. The world starts off all dark and dreary with corruption, but as you heal the lands, everything becomes bright and green and lush again.

Most of the time you'll have to go through an area twice, once to get to the fertile ground so you can heal it, and then you'll probably want to go through it again after it's been healed so you can collect all the Light Seeds lying around. You collect Light Seeds in order to "buy" special powers that Elika can use for platforming, which allows you to get to new areas.

Most of these powers are pretty simple and fun, with two of them basically doing the same thing by jumping you to the next power plate. Another, and my favorite, has you running along the walls and you have to avoid running into objects. However, my least favorite, is one where you fly through the levels and you have to avoid flying into objects. Sometimes with the camera angle, it's just hard to tell whether you're supposed to go left or right to avoid a column or a wall or whatever.

The story is very entertaining. And dialogue between the Prince and Elika is really top notch. Not only is the voice acting well done, but the script was excellent too. It's always fun to hear what the Prince and Elika will say to each other next.

I know a lot of people complain that the game is too easy, but like I said earlier, sometimes games are just meant to be FUN, not challanging. I'm certaintly not going to hold it against this great game for being too easy. It just made it more fun to not have to go into a menu and load a save game because you missed a jump or because you got killed by an enemy.

Prince of Persia is one of the best looking games and really shouldn't be missed.

I played the Sands of Time way back and I loved the acrobatics and the level design. The two sequals after that were a bit darker in content and not as colorful as I like my games.

With this game however Ubisoft created a whole new, very artistic, World and a new Prince with a sense of humour. I like this prince better, I also liked the chemistry between the two main characters.

Graphicwise the game is pretty unique, which is a good thing. I love colorful games, variety of settings and open world feel. This game has them all. I'm aware that things you have to do are pretty much outlined but still Prince moves so freely that the game flows and you don't feel like guided.

I don't care if you can't die, I actually liked it because it saves time. Maybe it's just me but I don't like watching a load screen everytime I die. Besides Prince and Elika make fun of it from time to time when you miss a jump and get saved, nice touch.

Repetition is unavoidable I guess but they came up with some imaginative acrobatic puzzles here and there. Sure you fail in first few tries but then you figure out what to do, then it becomes a breeze.

I couldn't care less for fighting mechanics because I'll get God of War 3 for that purpose. I hit some nice combos but let's face it, it's more fun when Kratos does it, happy happy, joy joy, slash...

I got this game more than year later then it's released and Forgotten Sands soon to be released, you may think it's not worth buying but I still recommend it becuse it's colorful and fun.