By Kevin Chen on August 7th, 2004

This is precisely the game’s greatest feature - the Prince’s ability to control time. On how many occasions have you played a game where you died in an area, then had to start the whole level over again? With the Sands of Time, you can undo the mistake that caused you to die, whether it be from fighting a group full of Sand Creatures or even from something such as falling off a ledge. During the game, I was very much compelled to try different, even crazy things that I would never try in a regular game. I could roam around anywhere I wanted to without having the fear of seeing the dreaded Game Over screen.

A great strength of Prince of Persia is its story, which isn’t fully revealed in a bevy of cutscenes (even though quite a few exist), but is mostly told through the Prince verbally. This makes it seem as though he is telling about his adventures to his children (or grandchildren, maybe). When you die in the game, the Prince actually claims that he has told the story incorrectly, and needs to try again.

Prince of Persia tells of a prince that strongly desires to gain the approval of his father. He believes he can fulfill that task by being the first to find the Dagger of Time. However, the evil Vizier tricks the Prince into unlocking the Hourglass, and the mighty Sands of Time are unleashed, spreading chaos throughout the Sultan’s palace. In addition, the palace’s soldiers are transformed into evil, vile Sand Creatures. The Prince has to restore order to the Sands to save the palace.

Prince of Persia’s fighting system is marvelous. It is impossible not to love the acrobatic moves of the Prince. Running along walls, flipping through the air, jumping over large pits... the list goes on and on. I loved controlling the agile Prince against enemies, vaulting over unlucky foes and slashing them to the ground. And finally, I would take their lives with the powerful Dagger of Time. It’s a truly rewarding experience.

The Dagger has five powers. There are the Powers of Revival (rewind), Delay (slow motion), Restraint (freeze), Haste (fast-forward), and Destiny (visions). All can help you during your quest, some to a greater degree than others.

At one point in the game the Prince meets up with a girl named Farah, who is the daughter of an Indian Maharajah. Farah follows you around, and can help you get past certain areas. However, sometimes you have to protect her from enemies, and if she dies, the game ends. This can be a bit annoying, as she can only shoot arrows and doesn’t help you much.

Farah isn’t a total pain though, and is actually vital to the development of the story. She and the Prince sometimes bicker endlessly, creating one sarcastic remark after another. Quite amusing. And do I sense a bit of flirting? Probably.

Now, as great a game as Prince of Persia is, it does come with its flaws. One of the greatest setbacks of the game is the camera, sometimes moving jerkily in different directions. This problem has caused a few unnecessary deaths when I was, say, trying to jump from one pillar to another one, when suddenly the camera changed, causing me to fall to my doom.

Another concern I had for the game was its slightly repetitive gameplay. Sure, running sideways along walls and flipping from flagpole to flagpole can be entertaining for a while, but doing it for a long time can take the fun out of it. And the combat? The Prince needs a few more fighting moves.

Sometimes you are faced with the nearly impossible task of killing off a group of tough enemies. These moments can be very frustrating, as some Sand Creatures are a bit cheap (you try to vault over them and they whack you back to the ground, for example). The Sands help a bit, but quite a few times they won’t. My sister even quit playing near the end of the game because she couldn’t beat a group of really tough Sand Creatures. Such a pity.

Prince of Persia contains a few puzzles. Most of them, especially one in particular, are very tough, almost ridiculously so (at least they were for my weary brain). Fortunately, there aren’t too many, and although they might not be the most straightforward puzzles ever, they do provide a challenge.

As there may seem quite a few flaws in the game, I must tell you, they are very minor. You will hardly notice them while you are playing this breathtaking game, captured by the compelling story, taken in awe by the Prince’s flowing movements. Although all of its secrets can be revealed the first time around, Prince of Persia is worth playing again.

Presentation-9.5
I liked this game immediately after I discovered it. After all, slick visuals, a great story, and an innovation such as time control is all it takes to hook new players in.

Graphics-9.5
Beautiful. The artists of UbiSoft designed the visuals very well, adding their trademark lighting effects that bring a dark aura to Prince of Persia’s environment. Crisp and flowing, the graphics are an important feature in the game. However, game images suffer occasional slowdowns, and at times characters become slightly blocky.

Sound-9.0
Dark and mystical. The music of Prince of Persia is a fresh combination of different styles - one of Middle Eastern and Rock. However, most of the time the music plays only during battles; more compositions would be good. To add to that, the sound can be a bit muffled at times, though there is a simple remedy to this - just turn up the volume of your television. (Hah! Who would’ve guessed?) The voice acting is top-notch, and fits in with the characters very well. I have very few complaints in this category.

Gameplay-9.0
Wonderful, and practically seamless. The control of the game was excellent, and I simply loved playing this game. As stated in the review, Prince of Persia slips up in just a few areas, but those flaws are enough to bring its score down.

Value-7.0
Depending on your skill level, Prince of Persia could take a long or short time to complete. The game should take you a while to beat if you want to get the most out of it; however, some people will be able to finish it within a rental period (play time is about ten hours or so). Nevertheless, gamers may want to replay the game to master the Prince’s moves and discover things they might have missed the first time, such as the secret fountains. And the question of whether to rent or buy this game? Rent, if you’re one of those people who can finish games in a flash. Otherwise, definitely buy it, because Prince of Persia deserves a purchase too.

Appeal-9.0
There are a few parts where some people will get stuck in Prince of Persia. Add to that occasional super-tough enemies and brain-racking puzzles, and you have a chance that people will stop liking the game. However, most people will do just fine and have fun for many hours. Prince of Persia, in large part, will provide a unique and enjoyable experience.

Overall
Prince of Persia is an excellent game that everybody will want to play, unless the action genre doesn’t suit your style. If you’re interested but don’t want to buy it, at least give it a solid rental. You’ll be glad you did so.

A great game, Prince of Persia lives up to its name well. And it’s not everyday you get the chance to turn back time.