Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

"Peter Parker of Arabia"

This is one of the best games I have ever played. An excellent, if simplistic, story, incredibly fluid gameplay, stunning graphics, and an unbelievably immersive atmosphere all combine to a transcendent entertainment experience.

Story: 9/10
The story of this game is a simple "Fix my mistake and get revenge on the one who wronged me" story, but it is handled with enough plot twists and interesting characters that it kept me hooked the entire time. The Prince of Persia has accidentally unleashed the Sands of Time, a magical substance that can be harnessed to (you guessed it), control time. Unfortuneatly, the Sands also have the ability to turn anyone who is unprotected into a monster. With everyone around him transformed into horrible creatures and an evil wizard out to get him, the prince has to use the Dagger of Time, an innovative weapon and gameplay mechanic, to undo what he has done. An excellent tale overall.

Graphics: 9.5/10

These are quite possibly the best graphics I've ever seen. The levels are huge and sweeping, full of absolutely amazing particle and lighting effects. The particle effects in particular are the best I've seen on any console ever. The character models are well-rendered and animated, their movements realistic and believable. The Prince in particular is a joy to behold. He moves with a fluid, agile grace that Neo and Spider-man combined could never hope to match. Best graphics I've ever seen. There are a few problems with sharp corners on characters occaisionally, but you'll hardly ever notice, what with the way the models are moving.

Sound: 10/10
If I could give this a higher score I would. The sound in this game beats every game I have ever heard and then some. The music is incredible, soft and beautifully atmospheric. When a fight begins, the music kicks into high gear with a mixture of hard-rock guitar chords and soft Middle-Eastern chimes that is wonderful to hear. I often go back to an old save and play a fight just to hear the incredible music again. The fight music also changes and gets better as you progress through the game, so it never gets boring. Ambient sounds are perfect, realistic, and just the right volume. The voice acting is the best I've ever heard in a game OR in a movie. The prince's narration, one-liners, and hilarious grumbling rants are all brilliantly voiced. Whoever did the Prince has a duty to the world to do other games. The other actors are excellent as well, and the script never gives them cheesy lines to read.

Gameplay: 10/10
This is where it really gets good. The gameplay is a delightful mixture of platforming and furious action. The platforming sections are innovative and original. The Prince is the most agile character in video games today, able to run on walls, swing on poles, balance on beams, and swing on ropes as if it were all commonplace and easy. The platforming sections take full advantage of his abilities, resulting in matrix-like sequences that will leave you grinning like an idiot from the sheer coolness of it. Combat is amazing, with an aerial ballet that is unmatched by any other game. The Prince vaults his opponents, rebounds off of walls to get them, and uses the Dagger of Time to run circles around them. The Dagger is what truly makes this game cool. With it, you are able to slow down, speed up, and even REWIND time. The fuel for this process, Sand, is readily available from enemies and objects, so while you can' t play with time indescriminatly, you always have enough to get the job done. As well as being incredibly cool, the dagger also let's you work by trial and error without having to reset every five minutes. This is very necessary, as the mind-twisting jumping puzzles require some thought and work to get through. Truly ground-breaking stuff.

Atmosphere: 10/10
This is where this game truly shines. Never have I seen such a truly immersive atmosphere. You'll forget you're playing a video game at times. The game is portrayed as a story being told by the prince. Things such as saving and continuing are handled with charm and innovation. For a save, the Prince promises to start the story from that point when next he is interrupted. For a continue, the Prince says that he messed up that part of the story and starts over at an earlier point. Amazing stuff.

Replay: 6/10
This is where this game falls slightly short. I mean that literally, because this game is only about 6-8 hours long, even if you take it slow. There are almost no unlockables, and no alternate endings or other incentive to play again. However, the frantic, physics-defying gameplay is so good that it has brought me back time and again, so replay is not completely gone. It just could have been better. On the other hand, unlockables would have interfered with the immersive atmosphere, so maybe this is a good thing.

Overall: 9.5
It's certainly not perfect, but Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the best game I've played in many years. It is well worth your money and will keep you coming back time and again. Final Prescription: Buy one and play it through till morning.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/04