Prince
of Persia: Sands of Time was undoubtedly one of the best games of 2003/2004. It was charming
and witty, set in a beautifully airy palace where dust-motes danced in beams of sunlight
shining through the windows. More important than all this, it was thought-provoking and
highly enjoyable, in a market currently flooded by grisly, brainless first person
shooters.
So where can you go from there? Sadly, despite everything it had going for
it, Sands of Time didnt sell many copies. This has caused Ubisoft to run in completely the
opposite direction with its sequel, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. I can imagine the
design meeting going something like this:
Designer: So, we have a game
which people really enjoy, but it didnt sell that well. What can we do to improve
this?
Marketer: Semi-clad leather-wearing women! Preferably in
thongs!!!
Marketer:Pant
Designer: O......kay, and what about
the gameplay?
Marketer: Well, we had a game before that was all about
finding your way to the next section, with occasional fighting. How about we create a sequel
thats all about fighting, with a bit of not-very-interesting exploring and a lot of
confusion. That can pass as pseudo-intelligent and will keep people playing
longer.
Thus, the problems with this game are numerous and huge. Combat, the weakest
aspect of Sands of Time, is now the main focus. It crops up everywhere, and the large number
of combos you are provided with reduces the whole process to a button-mashing mess. The
sandstone palace has been replaced by a gothic castle, grey and dark, with a sound track to
match. The whole game in fact is seeped in bloody grimness, with much more emphasis being
placed on decapitation and cleaving animations than on exploration and enjoyment. The
script, such as it is, ranges from cheesy to downright painful, with the Princes charm and
wit so lacking that you could be forgiven for thinking that Warrior Within was written by
those responsible for the brain-dead offerings of Need For Speed Underground.
It
doesnt end there either. The camera, which caused most of the frustration in Sands of Time,
remains unchanged. You still cant pan through walls, which occasionally forces the player
into unnecessarily claustrophobic environments, or makes you fight against opponents who are
off the edge of the screen. The fixed camera angles can also be problematic - to pick a
specific example, on one occasion you have to run up a wall and grab a rope. The camera is
fixed in a position which makes this difficult, but makes accidentally running along
the wall and out over the edge of a cliff much easier.
Sadly, this game is a
disappointment from the very first cut-scene. Boycott it - go out and buy Sands of Time
instead. You wont regret it, and you will be giving an under-sold game some much needed
support.
6/10 (3/10 for disappointment)
