Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

"If you search for Platformer in the dictionary, you'll find this game."

Just below Donkey Kong for the Arcades is this throwback (which has nothing to do with sports jerseys) to the running and jumping of old, except in 3D and with imagination that not only astonishes, but works, and looks really good while doing it. It may be a little boring to the kids who are used to the constant fighting of Jak and Daxter (not that that's not a good game, mind), but I think that those who can appreciate a more simplified type of game will find a new home within the ancient sands of Prince of Persia.

Now, there's something that needs mentioning, something that I think sets our hero apart from other heroes. This kid is extremely agile. To compare him to the classic "flip out and kill" ninja would be an insult. They ain't got scratch on him. Most of your game will be spent deftly swinging from poles, running and jumping off walls, climbing pillars, and looking extremely cool while doing so. At the same time, you'll be solving clever puzzles thrown in your path, while still keeping that almost ICO-like feeling where nothing is a chore. It's just fun. I don't think I ever really got aggrivated with this game, because it was just so enjoyable to be doing what I was doing at the time, even if I screwed up while doing it.

However, a lot of gamers think that good story and good gameplay are mutually exclusive, and I think that Prince of Persia discredits this theory. While the story isn't a whole lot more than "saving the Princess," there are a few interesting things thrown in - some unexplained - that keep things going. There's also the cool fact that almost all of the story is sort of being silently narrated by our hero, so if you (or the Princess in some segments) should die, the dream-like game over screen will be accompanied by a "No, no, no, that didn't happen. Shall I start over?" and then the obvious selection. If you should choose to continue, he'll say "Then I'll continue." In yet another ICO-like way, your hero wakes up from a daze at the last save point, which is a strangely possesive beam of light, during which you get visions not unlike those Ozzy Osbourne was having when he wasn't touring. The hero will then remark, "Alright, I'll start the story from here next time," as you wake from the possibly LSD-induced stupor.

When you aren't specifically running, jumping or climbing to solve a puzzle and you aren't running, jumping and climbing to get away from that damned Princess, you're probably going to be running, jumping and climbing (oh my!) to assist in your destruction of some sand-constructed zombie like things. Not to be outdone by a few grains, your hero has more than enough skills at his disposal to dispatch such beasts, including the classic sword, a special time-dagger that can stop time for a monster, slow it down, or do this super cool thing where time almost freezes, and you dash around in a Shinobi-like way, kicking (slicing?) ass and taking names. There are also many flashy looking moves, such as running up the bodies of your opponent, jumping or flipping off of a wall, or even diving off of a wall to knock your opponent down.

The fighting is probably one of the more tedious parts of the game, however. This game makes up for all your skills by producing increasinly deadly monsters who will counter your skills, and late in the game they come in huge, kekeke LING RUSH-esque droves. Yes, instead of the constant, sporadic fighting of games like Kya: Dark Lineage or Ratchet & Clank, you only fight in specific segments that get longer and harder as the game progresses. These segments are where you are most likely to kick the bucket, or lose because the Princess dies (if she's with you). It's still entertaining though, and nothing if not satisfying when you do finish the last monster and watch our hero gracefully sheath his sword and give a little victory stance.

Probably what you're all wondering though, and what I wondered myself, is this: If you can turn back time, how do you ever die? Well, fear not, my friend. Somehow, a genius balancing system has been put into place where you SHOULD always have plenty of sand capsules to assist you in solving any puzzles you may be at, but you almost never seem to have enough in the later battles, since turning back time will be a last resort when it comes to slaying the baddies. I realize I may not have answered this question to the liking of some, but I think it's safe to say that I was satisfied with how they handled the usage of time in this game, and I'm sure you will be, too.

This leads us to our next subject, which we dabbled in earlier: graphics. This game looks superb. Everything is very smooth and oddly shiny, and there are very few glitches or jaggies that I noticed to complain of. There's an option in most areas to have a wide, fixed camera shot that shows the entire area you're working with, and you'll probably want to use that and the first person view, just to spend a moment gazing at the your current surroundings. They are quite vast; from castles to caves, to underground sewers, to high towers, this game has it all, and looks fantastic when doing it.

Which leads us to out next nearly-as-trivial subject, music/sound. This game has nothing to complain about, with very natural sounding footsteps and the clank of your sword as you do things with it, but there's really nothing to write home about. The sound of turning back time is pretty cool, but that's about it. There's some good music about, but it's sporadic and usually goes unnoticed.

Last and not least on our list of things we want to know about this game: replayability. I would say this ranks with ICO in that department; it's fun enough to where you'll want to relive the experience every few months, but little more often than that. There are some secrets, including the old-school Prince of Persia, and a beta version of a 3D update to that same Prince of Persia, but that's about it. I think all-in-all, including the extras, you'll get about 15 hours of gameplay out of this one: 10 completing the main game, and probably 5 or so playing the oldschool version. However, don't let that stop you from playing this gem at least once; it's worth it.

A final word: This game is very likable, but can be very boring for some. It all depends on who you are. If you don't find this game is for you, that's great. But if you're looking for something that can be fun when you AREN'T stabbing away at thousands of denizens looking for your head, this should fulfill those requirements.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/19/04