Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

by Ubisoft

Product Features

• Play and master two distinct characters, the Prince and the Dark Prince -- wield the powers and weapons of two master warriors with different combat styles, attitudes, and histories
• The expanded Free-Form Fighting system lets you choose the way you kill - Strangle enemies from afar, use a new stealth art to inflict surprise decapitations -- and much more
• Dominate enemies on the perilous rooftops, dodge through chaotic streets, and ambush pursuers in dark underground passageways
• Manipulate time to surprise enemies, using all-new Sands Of Time properties
• Action combat, agility and story-driven puzzles are blended together for a rich gaming experience

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0009Z3IVY
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 30, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,187 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Platform: GameCube

From the Manufacturer

The Prince of Persia makes his way home to Babylon, bearing with him Kaileena, the enigmatic Empress of Time, and unspeakable scars from the Island of Time. But instead of the peace he longs for, he finds his kingdom ravaged by war and Kaileena the target of a brutal plot. When she is kidnapped, the Prince tracks her to the Palace--only to see her murdered by a powerful enemy. Her death unleashes the Sands of Time, which strike the Prince and threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Cast to the streets and hunted as a fugitive, the Prince soon discovers that the Sands have tainted him, too. They have given rise to a deadly Dark Prince, whose spirit gradually possesses him...

Features:

• Play and master two distinct characters: wield the powers and weapons of two master warriors with different combat styles, attitudes, and histories.
• Choose your way to kill: master the expanded free-form fighting system to destroy enemies in your own style; strangle enemies from afar with the deadly Daggertail; or use a new stealth art to inflict surprise decapitations and other attacks--the choice is yours.
• Battle freely through Babylon: dominate enemies on the perilous rooftops, dodge through chaotic streets, and ambush pursuers in dark, underground passageways.
• Immerse yourself in a dramatic story: experience unparalleled depth in storytelling as you fight your way through a twisting tale filled with adrenaline, tension, and discovery.
• Manipulate time to surprise enemies: execute powerful attacks against entire armies by slowing down or rewinding time, or surprise them by using some all-new Sands of Time powers.
• Destroy foes in furious chariot combat: seize the reins of a chariot to fend off hordes of enemies at breakneck speed in impossibly tight pursuit.
• Experience a masterful blend of gameplay: true to the Prince of Persia franchise, the game provides a variety of action combat, agility, and story-driven puzzles--all masterfully blended together into a rich gaming experience.

Product Description

Prince of Persia: Two Thrones picks up the incredible action and adventure of the series with an all-new chapter. The Prince has returned from his adventures with his love, Kaileena. Instead of the peace that he longs for, he finds his homeland ravaged by war and the kingdom turned against him. The Prince is captured and Kaileena has no choice but to sacrifice herself and unleash the Sands of Time to save him. Now a fugitive, the Prince discovers that past battles have given rise to a deadly Dark Prince, whose spirit gradually possesses him.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Timeless Classic Comes to an End, December 2, 2005

By 

S. Rhodes - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Prince of Persia The Two Thrones (Video Game)

The Prince of Persia series has left a huge mark on the gaming world. The newest in the series makes that mark permanent, keeping true to the entire series. Fans old and new alike, should be satisfied.

The prince has returned from the Island of Time to Babylon with his new love Kaileena. To those who didn't see the alternate ending to the previous title, Warrior Within, you may find yourself a little confused here. As they come into the harbor, they're ship is invaded and Kaileena is captured. You soon find that the man behind the attack is the vizier from the very first game. He then murders Kaileena and unleashes the sands of time on Babylon. As the prince, you're going to battle to save your kingdom and avenge your lover's death.

The prince has to worry about more than just the sand creatures and the viziers warriors. Because of the sands of time, he'll also have to confront his arrogant self from the past. There will be moments in the game where the prince will have a conversation with... well... himself. The darker version of himself. This stems from the fact that Warrior Within suffered heavy criticism and complaints from fans about how arrogant he was in Warrior Within. This in and of itself would be easy to poke at were it not done so well. The voice acting is A+ material, and the change is consistent throughout the entire game.

You're also given the oppurtunity to play as the Dark Prince from time to time. As the Dark Prince you'll have an interesting weapon that resembles a chain. The Dark Prince is much more aggressive in combat, and a lot of fun to play as. The downside, however, is he constantly looses health. Luckily for you, this isn't a problem at all. Every enemy you defeat drops health to restore you. You shouldn't run out of health very often. The only hard part about playing as the Dark Prince is his acrobatic moments. You'll eventually get it down, but you'll probably die several times first.

There's a new technique added in The Two Thrones. This tactic is known as "speed-killing." By sneaking up behind an unsuspecting enemy, you can grab them. This begins an animation known as the speed-kill. The game will then pause for a moment and you'll have to press a button to execute a strike. You'll execute anywhere from one to five strikes. If you don't press the button, the speed kill will fail and you'll have to fight the enemy the normal way. But hey, if you mess up, you can rewind and try it again. The animations are incredible looking, and they're a lot of fun to pull off.

You can run across walls and perform some really awesome jumps of course, something Prince of Persia is very well known for. Several puzzles throughout the game require you to run along walls and jump to switches to get through. Again, some of them are done by a bit of trial and error, but they are, for the most part, fun.

There are also chariot races, but they're not much fun, really. A simple mistake could cost you your life. Once again, trial and error will be the key in succeeding. The good news is that you've got the sands of time on your hands. If you horribly screw up at any of these trial and error moments, you can easily rewind back so long as you've still got some sand.

The game looks gorgeous. The environments are a lot of fun to explore and sulk in, and the character models look good too. It's obvious at some parts that it's the same graphics used in the previous two games with almost no changes, but the previous games were gorgeous anyhow. Some of the pixels don't quite fit in with the environment, and that's okay. You probably won't notice them.

If you're looking for what is the best of the three versions, there's no clear winner. The XBOX version has great load times, but a few lighting effects cause it some problems, and the PS2 version suffers from slow down in some areas. There's almost nothing wrong with the Gamecube version, but it depends on what you want. If you want fast load times, go with the XBOX version, it's lighting problems aren't really that noticeable.

Overall, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones marks a thrilling conclusion to a remarkable trilogy. Any holes it left in the plot are neatly filled. Any fan of the series will be satisfied.

The Good
+Still has gorgeous graphics
+Fun Gameplay
+Speed kills bring new style to the game
+Long game
+The story ties up all loose ends
+Fantastic Music
+Fantastic voice acting

The Bad
-A LOT of trial and error moments
-This is not for newcomers to the series. Newcomers to the series should start with the first game: Sands of Time, otherwise the story will just confuse the hell out of you

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A strong ending to a great series..., December 6, 2005

By 

C. Thompson "Kabob" (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Prince of Persia The Two Thrones (Video Game)

Finally, the ending to the Prince of Persia series! A few new twists, a new alter ego, but still the same core experience that gamers have come to know and love. While there are a few areas that could have been better, overall this is a great title.

Gamers who have played the previous PoP games will feel right at home with the game. The controls are the same, save for the new Speed Kill system which is extremely easy to use. Combat is similar to how it was in Warrior Within, with one base weapon that you cannot lose and a free hand that you can use to pick up various other weapons that are strewn about. The speed kill system, the new way of disposing of your enemies adds a new experience to fighting. Instead of taking on hordes of baddies in traditional hack and slash style, you can sneak about and dispose of your enemies silently one at a time. The animations for these kills are an absolute delight, if somewhat limited.

The boss battles are a nice touch, as they were hardly memorable in the previous games. With two bosses in the first game and two or three in the second, all of which required you to simply run up to your enemies and do what you always do...mash buttons, there was nothing really special about them. In The Two Thrones, most of your boss battles will require speed kill actions at some point or another. This is wildly entertaining, as often you will be heaved high into the air and must use a well timed speed kill attack to stab your opponent and stop from falling to your death on the way back down.

At various points in the game you will use a chariot. This is quite simple and generally easy. If you die...use rewind to try again...not much thought required. I feel that this aspect of the game was thrown in as an after thought, and could have really been fleshed out more. It feels almost forced at points, and can get annoying.

The prince has returned with the mentality he possessed in the first game. He feels much more noble and inclined to help others. I was a bit put off by his "bad boy" attitude from Warrior Within, yet this time around he feels much more like the original prince.

For fans of the first game, you will be delighted to find that Farah is back...with an attitude. She doesn't come off as the same innocent girl that she was in the first game, and she has a more commanding voice. She doesn't do any fighting for you, although at various points in the game she will aid you in completing puzzles.

And finally, the most interesting character in the game makes his first appearance...you. Well, the dark you...whatever that means. The Dark Prince is a corrupted version of the Prince of Persia who is much more adept at combat, can access areas that the Prince cannot reach, and who has a much more evil attitude. Punish and kill, that is what he enjoys. While in the normal prince mode often the park prince will talk to you in your head. While in dark prince mode, the normal prince will have his say. The Dark Prince cannot pick up vanquished enemies weapons, but hey, who cares. He uses a weapon called the Daggertail which is essentially a bladed chain that you can whip about. This weapon deals serious damage and allows you to vanquish enemies at a great speed...

For first time plays this game may feel long, but for veterans of the previous games it may come off as somewhat short. It felt shorter than Warrior Within to me, and with the Speed Kills much of the time you spent battling baddies will be taken away, as speed kills usually take 2-4 seconds to complete, with a few lasting a good bit longer. There is not as much emphasis on combat as in Warrior Within, and more on story.

The environments are great, spanning from dungeons to rooftops to the famous hanging gardens and Tower of Babel. Graphically the game looks very good, if somewhat technologically dated.

The audio in the game is also quite good, although herein lies one of my biggest gripes. I with they would pick a voice for each character and stick with it throughout the series. The voice for the Prince is the same as the voice from the first game, but different from the second game. Farah's voice is different. Kailena's voice is different. And...an old enemies' voice is different as well. The voice acting is good, and the sound effects are, in my opinion, much better than in the previous games. The hard rock music from the second game that seemed so out of place is gone, replaced with Middle Eastern sounding music which fits much better.

Overall this game is highly entertaining and well made, if someone short, and should provide both fans and newbies to the series with lots of entertainment. Although if you are new to the PoP series I highly suggest you purchase and play the first two games before getting into The Two Thrones so that you have an idea of what's going on. I am sad that this is the last Sands of Time themed Prince of Persia game, although hopefully the makers will continue to produce great PoP games in the future.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow, December 3, 2005

By 

Aaron L. Shaw "Casual Reviewer" (Provo, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Prince of Persia The Two Thrones (Video Game)

This is a wonderful return of the series to it's roots. At least for the most part. There are shadows of warrior within but not many. YOu do have to do the dark prince bit. THese parts are fun, but nothing compared to the brilliance of The light prince parts. The light prince parts are just like sands of time. THankd Goodness. Only this time they are better and prettier. yes, I said better and prettier. This game is well worth the price of admission. Buy it and you will love it. THE GOOD PRINCE IS BACK.

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