Prince of Persia - Impressions

(For the most part, the above Gametrailers video review is an accurate representation of my viewpoint, and most importantly it shows the game in motion.)

The new Prince of Persia is certainly worth playing for most 360, PS3 and PC owners who enjoy platforming games, and while it has many dazzling moments, its not quite a must own title for the system. If you are a huge fan of the series, or platform-orb-collection in general - this game will almost certainly please you. However, my prediction is that like Assassins Creed 2, the sequel to this Prince of Persia game will be closer to perfection in all regards, even if this game is nearly perfect in some.

One of the best parts of Prince of Persia is that its actually a very non-gamer friendly title, the controls are simple to learn, and nothing occurs in the game that you wouldn't want to show your little niece or grandmother, its all very much on the up and up, which is extremely rare in a top tier title not made by Nintendo. Its easy to just pick up and play, and many non-gamers will mistake it for anime or an animated film when they first see it running on an HDTV.

The game is a visual masterpiece. It is easily one of the most graphically stunning games Ive ever played, not so much in a technical sense like Gears or Crysis, but in the fantastic art and overall gorgeous look of world. It is a world which is presented seamlessly without any loading screens, which is a true technical feat given how large and detailed it is. And unlike other games which made a really big deal about no loading screens and then it turned out nobody cared about loading screens in a racing game anyway, and actually preferred them, in Prince of Persia the lack of loading screens really enhances your immersion into the fantasy world. Because the animations are spectacularly lifelike, the entire game looks like one long anime motion capture sequence. The music is also excellent, while the voicework and sound design are merely adequate. The overall presentation of the game, from the menus to the cutscenes to the final credits, is among the best I've ever seen.

The gameplay itself will be very much a love/hate affair for many gamers, although if you give yourself over to the controls and try to shake off the years of button mashing programmed into your thumb, you will find a pleasingly addictive platformer with some occasional QTE focused battles. The combined effect of the stunning anime like graphics with minimal button pressing in both the platforming and combat segments gives the game an almost Dragons Lair like quality. You watch the game as much as you play it, and thats a beautiful thing - or not, depending on your gaming philosophy and style. For me, in the end, I loved the platforming segments, hunting the orbs, reaching the fertile ground, but when it came time to fight I simply wanted more control. The prince moves too slowly in combat, he is no longer nimble but becomes stiff and awkward to control, as his gaze is fixed upon the enemy. The animations in the combat are amazing, I just wish I had a bit more to do with them than blocking QTEs until I could go into a combo. Also, Elika becomes unwieldy at times, the hit detection isnt perfect, and sometimes button presses wont be recognized properly.

I could go further into detail about why the combat isnt perfect, or I could just say, once you get a feel for Ninja Gaiden and God of War's combat style, you cant go back - its like going from a Ferarri Enzo to a Toyota Camry - even if its the most blinged out, pimped out Camry this side of Midnight Club LA, it cant drift at 209mph. But for the way many people drive, a blinged out Camry is really all they need, and ultimately all they want, and thats why I think the combat in this game is pleasing to so many journalists and gamers. But for many of us weaned on faster, and more hardcore action games, it feels like a step backwards.

Ultimately my feeling is that driving down a beautiful fantasy land country road, in a blinged out Camry, with a hot princess by your side, isnt the worst way to spend an afternoon. In fact its quite enjoyable, despite the fact that the combat simply bores me. But thats OK, because I think this game does have a place in your collection, especially if you dont have a Wii. Could you bring a nice girl over to your house and even contemplate showing her Ninja Gaiden 2, or God of War 2? Games you can play with your non-gaming friends and family have real value, and they do great service for the videogames industry in general by opening peoples eyes to the fact that it doesnt have to be all guns and gore and violence. Lets hope Ubisoft hears our criticisms and our praise and makes the sequel that much better, because for a total reboot of the franchise, they have done a commendable job.

As a final note, I read on some crappy website called Kotaku that some guy at MTV "discovered" that Prince of Persia may have been "influenced" by Shadow of the Colossus. Thats like saying Dennis Leary was "influenced" by Bill Hicks. You just have to laugh at he naivete of it all. The New Prince of Persia is not "possibly" "maybe" "allegedly" "influenced" or "inspired" by SOTC and ICO, it is a direct descendant which lifts part and parcel segments of those games, as well as Crackdown, Zelda TP, and Assassins Creed, and retrofits them into a new environment with a new look and feel. Fortunately for Ubisoft, the new look for Prince of Persia is so exquisite that all sins are forgiven - almost.