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This thread has been linked to the game 'prince of persia'.
Note: originally written for my website, ShaunMunro.co.uk. Thanks!
~~~
Change can be a good thing. and fans of the long-running Prince of Persia franchise, upon observing the newest installment in the popular platformer series, are going to realise that Ubisoft really hold this mantra true.
Whilst the Prince's first next-generation outing retains the outstanding physics and acrobatic elements of the previous titles, this newest iteration (something of a reboot for the series) boasts cel-shaded 3D visuals, something fans are either going to love or hate. However, given that Prince of Persia is richly presented throughout and mostly entertaining for its 10-hour campaign, only the most ardent critics are likely to find the game's flaws overwhelming, even if it does not always amount to the sum of its parts.
As per usual, players are introduced to The Prince, the vine-swinging, death-defying acrobat who spends his spare time collecting artefacts and fiddling with the fabric of time in ancient Persia. In the nature of a true reboot, much of the what gave the previous titles their identity - such as the time-travel elements - have been removed almost entirely, instead opting for a refined platforming element, overhauled by way of a two-character platforming dynamic, whereby the Prince is assisted by a magical princess named Elika.
Although the time-travel elements have been excised, this is still very much a game in the tradition of its predecessors - the core gameplay, such as running along walls, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and the high-wire combat have thankfully all been retained. The addition of Elika is the game's deal-breaker - as well as being an integral part of the game's narrative, she can be used to give the player a boost if they are unable to reach a ledge or pillar. Furthermore, on the event of imminent death, she will resurrect you, and provide valuable magic assistance in battles.
Fortunately, the frenetic platforming element is enough to give Prince of Persia buoyancy, as the gameplay's narrative drive can be described only as fairly stagnant. The player is tasked with healing lands that have been controlled by the dark God Ahriman - this essentially consists of travelling between sixteen small lands, killing a sub-boss situated at each, before battling four larger bosses and then one larger final boss. From the outset, the game maps out its own trajectory, giving procedings a very procedural feel to the point that it begins to feel very repetitive even before the half-way mark. Although the Prince is allowed to teleport between locations to cut down on back-tracking, gameplay issues are further compounded by the need to collect a large number of "light seeds" dotted around the various lands in order to progress. Not only does this serve as an artificial means of inflating the game's running time, it is largely unrewarding and only stalls the game's main drive further.
The game is also certain to earn a share of criticism for its lack of difficulty - the fact that Elika is present at almost all-times to bail you out of trouble means the player seldom has to repeat large sections, which, whilst a blessing, also serves to protect the player from any sense of challenge, and it certainly damages the game's sense of immersion. In fact, most of the game's difficulty is from superficial or erroneous factors - Elika's guiding light, which is intended to aid your quest, ironically points the wrong way fairly regularly (which resulted in a frustrating back-and-forth trek on a number of occasions), and at key moments (such as on-rails travel sections), the camera will deliberately limit your viewpoint so as to artificially increase the difficulty.
Prince of Persia's combat system is mostly agreeable - curiously, it presents only one-on-one battles, yet they are satisfying and well-designed, despite offering little challenge. Further to the lack of difficulty, Elika will even intervene if death is to occur during a battle - if she has to, the enemy will regain some health, yet this is usually a setback of no more than one or two minutes. The combat, although not as cluttered and chaotic as the previous games, employs greater use of a variety of attack modes, from grabbing your opponent with a gauntlet, to using your environment to defeat enemies, to even using Elika to deploy magic damage. The only real complaint is that the enemies become very predictable - they mostly follow the same pattern of attacking, becoming enraged, transforming into dark matter, casting a sort of magic, instigating a brief QTE sequence, and attacking as per usual again.
Although the above suggests the gameplay is deeply flawed, the classical, staple gameplay elements are very rewarding, and the most enjoyable aspect of the game. Combat is almost entirely limited when the Prince is not about to heal a land, instead inviting a high degree of exploration aside the main campaign. Ironically, it is in performing the arduous task of collecting the 540 light seeds necessary to beat the game, that the player interacts with all of the exciting devices the game has to offer, such as cranks, pillars, light panels and many more, and to this token, the game, as a sandbox adventurer, works very well. To add further irony, it is only when the game carries out its fairly routine story-driven gameplay elements, that things become murky and tiresome.
The gameplay is sure to alienate some, yet, regardless of stylistic preference, it is difficulty to deny that Prince of Persia is a visually striking game. Ubisoft have convincingly managed to combine cel-shaded graphics with authentically-rendered, realistic monuments, making for a title that is both eye-popping and artistically realised. Clearly influenced by titles such as Shadow of the Colossus, this game oozes imagination and ambition, conveying a grand, robust sense of scope with class and wonder. Quite literally, one could screenshot most sections of the game and frame them on a wall.
Prince of Persia, with its striking visuals and fun platforming element, could very well have become a modern classic of the seventh generation. Whilst accomplished as a work of art and fun for a few hours, it is marred somewhat by a by-the-numbers campaign that presents little in way of inventiveness, and seems very contented to simply play out procedurally. Despite a surprising (and divisive) ending sequence, the game's crusade offers little in way of reward, and only completionists are likely to attempt to collect all 1001 light seeds. This, combined with a relatively short play-time, render the game a mostly fun, yet decidedly casual play. Ultimately, Prince of Persia inspires debate about the application of gaming - is artistic mastery enough to render a game worthy of purchase and mitigate its gameplay shortcomings? This game is certainly a breathtaking wonder to observe from a visual perspective, yet despite some impressive platforming elements, Prince of Persia falls short of glory, materalising simply as a satisfying yarn for a weekend.
7.5/10
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
~~~
Change can be a good thing. and fans of the long-running Prince of Persia franchise, upon observing the newest installment in the popular platformer series, are going to realise that Ubisoft really hold this mantra true.
Whilst the Prince's first next-generation outing retains the outstanding physics and acrobatic elements of the previous titles, this newest iteration (something of a reboot for the series) boasts cel-shaded 3D visuals, something fans are either going to love or hate. However, given that Prince of Persia is richly presented throughout and mostly entertaining for its 10-hour campaign, only the most ardent critics are likely to find the game's flaws overwhelming, even if it does not always amount to the sum of its parts.
As per usual, players are introduced to The Prince, the vine-swinging, death-defying acrobat who spends his spare time collecting artefacts and fiddling with the fabric of time in ancient Persia. In the nature of a true reboot, much of the what gave the previous titles their identity - such as the time-travel elements - have been removed almost entirely, instead opting for a refined platforming element, overhauled by way of a two-character platforming dynamic, whereby the Prince is assisted by a magical princess named Elika.
Although the time-travel elements have been excised, this is still very much a game in the tradition of its predecessors - the core gameplay, such as running along walls, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and the high-wire combat have thankfully all been retained. The addition of Elika is the game's deal-breaker - as well as being an integral part of the game's narrative, she can be used to give the player a boost if they are unable to reach a ledge or pillar. Furthermore, on the event of imminent death, she will resurrect you, and provide valuable magic assistance in battles.
Fortunately, the frenetic platforming element is enough to give Prince of Persia buoyancy, as the gameplay's narrative drive can be described only as fairly stagnant. The player is tasked with healing lands that have been controlled by the dark God Ahriman - this essentially consists of travelling between sixteen small lands, killing a sub-boss situated at each, before battling four larger bosses and then one larger final boss. From the outset, the game maps out its own trajectory, giving procedings a very procedural feel to the point that it begins to feel very repetitive even before the half-way mark. Although the Prince is allowed to teleport between locations to cut down on back-tracking, gameplay issues are further compounded by the need to collect a large number of "light seeds" dotted around the various lands in order to progress. Not only does this serve as an artificial means of inflating the game's running time, it is largely unrewarding and only stalls the game's main drive further.
The game is also certain to earn a share of criticism for its lack of difficulty - the fact that Elika is present at almost all-times to bail you out of trouble means the player seldom has to repeat large sections, which, whilst a blessing, also serves to protect the player from any sense of challenge, and it certainly damages the game's sense of immersion. In fact, most of the game's difficulty is from superficial or erroneous factors - Elika's guiding light, which is intended to aid your quest, ironically points the wrong way fairly regularly (which resulted in a frustrating back-and-forth trek on a number of occasions), and at key moments (such as on-rails travel sections), the camera will deliberately limit your viewpoint so as to artificially increase the difficulty.
Prince of Persia's combat system is mostly agreeable - curiously, it presents only one-on-one battles, yet they are satisfying and well-designed, despite offering little challenge. Further to the lack of difficulty, Elika will even intervene if death is to occur during a battle - if she has to, the enemy will regain some health, yet this is usually a setback of no more than one or two minutes. The combat, although not as cluttered and chaotic as the previous games, employs greater use of a variety of attack modes, from grabbing your opponent with a gauntlet, to using your environment to defeat enemies, to even using Elika to deploy magic damage. The only real complaint is that the enemies become very predictable - they mostly follow the same pattern of attacking, becoming enraged, transforming into dark matter, casting a sort of magic, instigating a brief QTE sequence, and attacking as per usual again.
Although the above suggests the gameplay is deeply flawed, the classical, staple gameplay elements are very rewarding, and the most enjoyable aspect of the game. Combat is almost entirely limited when the Prince is not about to heal a land, instead inviting a high degree of exploration aside the main campaign. Ironically, it is in performing the arduous task of collecting the 540 light seeds necessary to beat the game, that the player interacts with all of the exciting devices the game has to offer, such as cranks, pillars, light panels and many more, and to this token, the game, as a sandbox adventurer, works very well. To add further irony, it is only when the game carries out its fairly routine story-driven gameplay elements, that things become murky and tiresome.
The gameplay is sure to alienate some, yet, regardless of stylistic preference, it is difficulty to deny that Prince of Persia is a visually striking game. Ubisoft have convincingly managed to combine cel-shaded graphics with authentically-rendered, realistic monuments, making for a title that is both eye-popping and artistically realised. Clearly influenced by titles such as Shadow of the Colossus, this game oozes imagination and ambition, conveying a grand, robust sense of scope with class and wonder. Quite literally, one could screenshot most sections of the game and frame them on a wall.
Prince of Persia, with its striking visuals and fun platforming element, could very well have become a modern classic of the seventh generation. Whilst accomplished as a work of art and fun for a few hours, it is marred somewhat by a by-the-numbers campaign that presents little in way of inventiveness, and seems very contented to simply play out procedurally. Despite a surprising (and divisive) ending sequence, the game's crusade offers little in way of reward, and only completionists are likely to attempt to collect all 1001 light seeds. This, combined with a relatively short play-time, render the game a mostly fun, yet decidedly casual play. Ultimately, Prince of Persia inspires debate about the application of gaming - is artistic mastery enough to render a game worthy of purchase and mitigate its gameplay shortcomings? This game is certainly a breathtaking wonder to observe from a visual perspective, yet despite some impressive platforming elements, Prince of Persia falls short of glory, materalising simply as a satisfying yarn for a weekend.
7.5/10
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Note: originally written for my website, ShaunMunro.co.uk. Thanks!
~~~
Change can be a good thing. and fans of the long-running Prince of Persia franchise, upon observing the newest installment in the popular platformer series, are going to realise that Ubisoft really hold this mantra true.
Whilst the Prince's first next-generation outing retains the outstanding physics and acrobatic elements of the previous titles, this newest iteration (something of a reboot for the series) boasts cel-shaded 3D visuals, something fans are either going to love or hate. However, given that Prince of Persia is richly presented throughout and mostly entertaining for its 10-hour campaign, only the most ardent critics are likely to find the game's flaws overwhelming, even if it does not always amount to the sum of its parts.
As per usual, players are introduced to The Prince, the vine-swinging, death-defying acrobat who spends his spare time collecting artefacts and fiddling with the fabric of time in ancient Persia. In the nature of a true reboot, much of the what gave the previous titles their identity - such as the time-travel elements - have been removed almost entirely, instead opting for a refined platforming element, overhauled by way of a two-character platforming dynamic, whereby the Prince is assisted by a magical princess named Elika.
Although the time-travel elements have been excised, this is still very much a game in the tradition of its predecessors - the core gameplay, such as running along walls, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and the high-wire combat have thankfully all been retained. The addition of Elika is the game's deal-breaker - as well as being an integral part of the game's narrative, she can be used to give the player a boost if they are unable to reach a ledge or pillar. Furthermore, on the event of imminent death, she will resurrect you, and provide valuable magic assistance in battles.
Fortunately, the frenetic platforming element is enough to give Prince of Persia buoyancy, as the gameplay's narrative drive can be described only as fairly stagnant. The player is tasked with healing lands that have been controlled by the dark God Ahriman - this essentially consists of travelling between sixteen small lands, killing a sub-boss situated at each, before battling four larger bosses and then one larger final boss. From the outset, the game maps out its own trajectory, giving procedings a very procedural feel to the point that it begins to feel very repetitive even before the half-way mark. Although the Prince is allowed to teleport between locations to cut down on back-tracking, gameplay issues are further compounded by the need to collect a large number of "light seeds" dotted around the various lands in order to progress. Not only does this serve as an artificial means of inflating the game's running time, it is largely unrewarding and only stalls the game's main drive further.
The game is also certain to earn a share of criticism for its lack of difficulty - the fact that Elika is present at almost all-times to bail you out of trouble means the player seldom has to repeat large sections, which, whilst a blessing, also serves to protect the player from any sense of challenge, and it certainly damages the game's sense of immersion. In fact, most of the game's difficulty is from superficial or erroneous factors - Elika's guiding light, which is intended to aid your quest, ironically points the wrong way fairly regularly (which resulted in a frustrating back-and-forth trek on a number of occasions), and at key moments (such as on-rails travel sections), the camera will deliberately limit your viewpoint so as to artificially increase the difficulty.
Prince of Persia's combat system is mostly agreeable - curiously, it presents only one-on-one battles, yet they are satisfying and well-designed, despite offering little challenge. Further to the lack of difficulty, Elika will even intervene if death is to occur during a battle - if she has to, the enemy will regain some health, yet this is usually a setback of no more than one or two minutes. The combat, although not as cluttered and chaotic as the previous games, employs greater use of a variety of attack modes, from grabbing your opponent with a gauntlet, to using your environment to defeat enemies, to even using Elika to deploy magic damage. The only real complaint is that the enemies become very predictable - they mostly follow the same pattern of attacking, becoming enraged, transforming into dark matter, casting a sort of magic, instigating a brief QTE sequence, and attacking as per usual again.
Although the above suggests the gameplay is deeply flawed, the classical, staple gameplay elements are very rewarding, and the most enjoyable aspect of the game. Combat is almost entirely limited when the Prince is not about to heal a land, instead inviting a high degree of exploration aside the main campaign. Ironically, it is in performing the arduous task of collecting the 540 light seeds necessary to beat the game, that the player interacts with all of the exciting devices the game has to offer, such as cranks, pillars, light panels and many more, and to this token, the game, as a sandbox adventurer, works very well. To add further irony, it is only when the game carries out its fairly routine story-driven gameplay elements, that things become murky and tiresome.
The gameplay is sure to alienate some, yet, regardless of stylistic preference, it is difficulty to deny that Prince of Persia is a visually striking game. Ubisoft have convincingly managed to combine cel-shaded graphics with authentically-rendered, realistic monuments, making for a title that is both eye-popping and artistically realised. Clearly influenced by titles such as Shadow of the Colossus, this game oozes imagination and ambition, conveying a grand, robust sense of scope with class and wonder. Quite literally, one could screenshot most sections of the game and frame them on a wall.
Prince of Persia, with its striking visuals and fun platforming element, could very well have become a modern classic of the seventh generation. Whilst accomplished as a work of art and fun for a few hours, it is marred somewhat by a by-the-numbers campaign that presents little in way of inventiveness, and seems very contented to simply play out procedurally. Despite a surprising (and divisive) ending sequence, the game's crusade offers little in way of reward, and only completionists are likely to attempt to collect all 1001 light seeds. This, combined with a relatively short play-time, render the game a mostly fun, yet decidedly casual play. Ultimately, Prince of Persia inspires debate about the application of gaming - is artistic mastery enough to render a game worthy of purchase and mitigate its gameplay shortcomings? This game is certainly a breathtaking wonder to observe from a visual perspective, yet despite some impressive platforming elements, Prince of Persia falls short of glory, materalising simply as a satisfying yarn for a weekend.
7.5/10
Thanks for reading,
Reefer
~~~
Change can be a good thing. and fans of the long-running Prince of Persia franchise, upon observing the newest installment in the popular platformer series, are going to realise that Ubisoft really hold this mantra true.
Whilst the Prince's first next-generation outing retains the outstanding physics and acrobatic elements of the previous titles, this newest iteration (something of a reboot for the series) boasts cel-shaded 3D visuals, something fans are either going to love or hate. However, given that Prince of Persia is richly presented throughout and mostly entertaining for its 10-hour campaign, only the most ardent critics are likely to find the game's flaws overwhelming, even if it does not always amount to the sum of its parts.
As per usual, players are introduced to The Prince, the vine-swinging, death-defying acrobat who spends his spare time collecting artefacts and fiddling with the fabric of time in ancient Persia. In the nature of a true reboot, much of the what gave the previous titles their identity - such as the time-travel elements - have been removed almost entirely, instead opting for a refined platforming element, overhauled by way of a two-character platforming dynamic, whereby the Prince is assisted by a magical princess named Elika.
Although the time-travel elements have been excised, this is still very much a game in the tradition of its predecessors - the core gameplay, such as running along walls, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and the high-wire combat have thankfully all been retained. The addition of Elika is the game's deal-breaker - as well as being an integral part of the game's narrative, she can be used to give the player a boost if they are unable to reach a ledge or pillar. Furthermore, on the event of imminent death, she will resurrect you, and provide valuable magic assistance in battles.
Fortunately, the frenetic platforming element is enough to give Prince of Persia buoyancy, as the gameplay's narrative drive can be described only as fairly stagnant. The player is tasked with healing lands that have been controlled by the dark God Ahriman - this essentially consists of travelling between sixteen small lands, killing a sub-boss situated at each, before battling four larger bosses and then one larger final boss. From the outset, the game maps out its own trajectory, giving procedings a very procedural feel to the point that it begins to feel very repetitive even before the half-way mark. Although the Prince is allowed to teleport between locations to cut down on back-tracking, gameplay issues are further compounded by the need to collect a large number of "light seeds" dotted around the various lands in order to progress. Not only does this serve as an artificial means of inflating the game's running time, it is largely unrewarding and only stalls the game's main drive further.
The game is also certain to earn a share of criticism for its lack of difficulty - the fact that Elika is present at almost all-times to bail you out of trouble means the player seldom has to repeat large sections, which, whilst a blessing, also serves to protect the player from any sense of challenge, and it certainly damages the game's sense of immersion. In fact, most of the game's difficulty is from superficial or erroneous factors - Elika's guiding light, which is intended to aid your quest, ironically points the wrong way fairly regularly (which resulted in a frustrating back-and-forth trek on a number of occasions), and at key moments (such as on-rails travel sections), the camera will deliberately limit your viewpoint so as to artificially increase the difficulty.
Prince of Persia's combat system is mostly agreeable - curiously, it presents only one-on-one battles, yet they are satisfying and well-designed, despite offering little challenge. Further to the lack of difficulty, Elika will even intervene if death is to occur during a battle - if she has to, the enemy will regain some health, yet this is usually a setback of no more than one or two minutes. The combat, although not as cluttered and chaotic as the previous games, employs greater use of a variety of attack modes, from grabbing your opponent with a gauntlet, to using your environment to defeat enemies, to even using Elika to deploy magic damage. The only real complaint is that the enemies become very predictable - they mostly follow the same pattern of attacking, becoming enraged, transforming into dark matter, casting a sort of magic, instigating a brief QTE sequence, and attacking as per usual again.
Although the above suggests the gameplay is deeply flawed, the classical, staple gameplay elements are very rewarding, and the most enjoyable aspect of the game. Combat is almost entirely limited when the Prince is not about to heal a land, instead inviting a high degree of exploration aside the main campaign. Ironically, it is in performing the arduous task of collecting the 540 light seeds necessary to beat the game, that the player interacts with all of the exciting devices the game has to offer, such as cranks, pillars, light panels and many more, and to this token, the game, as a sandbox adventurer, works very well. To add further irony, it is only when the game carries out its fairly routine story-driven gameplay elements, that things become murky and tiresome.
The gameplay is sure to alienate some, yet, regardless of stylistic preference, it is difficulty to deny that Prince of Persia is a visually striking game. Ubisoft have convincingly managed to combine cel-shaded graphics with authentically-rendered, realistic monuments, making for a title that is both eye-popping and artistically realised. Clearly influenced by titles such as Shadow of the Colossus, this game oozes imagination and ambition, conveying a grand, robust sense of scope with class and wonder. Quite literally, one could screenshot most sections of the game and frame them on a wall.
Prince of Persia, with its striking visuals and fun platforming element, could very well have become a modern classic of the seventh generation. Whilst accomplished as a work of art and fun for a few hours, it is marred somewhat by a by-the-numbers campaign that presents little in way of inventiveness, and seems very contented to simply play out procedurally. Despite a surprising (and divisive) ending sequence, the game's crusade offers little in way of reward, and only completionists are likely to attempt to collect all 1001 light seeds. This, combined with a relatively short play-time, render the game a mostly fun, yet decidedly casual play. Ultimately, Prince of Persia inspires debate about the application of gaming - is artistic mastery enough to render a game worthy of purchase and mitigate its gameplay shortcomings? This game is certainly a breathtaking wonder to observe from a visual perspective, yet despite some impressive platforming elements, Prince of Persia falls short of glory, materalising simply as a satisfying yarn for a weekend.
7.5/10
Thanks for reading,
Reefer