Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

"With a darker tone, better puzzles and engaging combat, the Prince rocks harder than ever."

So Sands of Time came out last year and despite craptons of awesome reviews, not alot of people bought it. Ubisoft, being the crafty people they are, aimed the new installment: Warrior Within at a broader (more adult) audience. Did it work? Oh god yes.

Gameplay - 10/10

The platforming, probably the best part of last year's game, is as deep as ever, if not more so. Added are Rope Swinging to enhances your wall running distance, and drapes that hang from walls to help slow the prince's fall from great heights. Balance beams come into play, and even serve as ground for combat. The animations are as beautiful as ever, a staple of the series, and I haven't even mentioned the combat. The Combat in Sands of Time was fun, and good to look at; it wasn't all that fun, mostly consisting of the "flip over and double slash" move. The Combat in Warrior Within contains MANY new combos, most of which are useful, if not cool just for the hell of it. Taking on multiple enemies is even cooler than it was before, with multi enemy killing moves, rebounds, throws, and the ever-cool Angel Dive move. Swinging around poles, diving from ladders and the like also enhance the game's combat, although the moves aren't very useful. Some parts of the game introduce a frantic pace in which you will need to quickly decide where to go and what to do lest you enjoy continue screens. I don't want to give all the twists and turns away, but let's just say the Dahaka isn't chasing the prince in just cut scenes.

Story - 9/10

Wow, the story actually gives the developers reason to darken the tone. Basically a creature called the Dahaka is hunting The Prince. The Dahaka is there to right the wrong, and by wrong I mean how the prince was supposed to die when the sands were opened. The prince travels to the island of time in hopes to go back far enough to where the sands were never created. It may not seem that intriguing on paper, but then again, paper doesn't do Cutscenes justice.

Graphics/Sound - 9/10

The game, like the last installment, is gorgeous. The game is a bit grittier, but that is to be expected with the new direction it has headed. As for visuals in combat, take sands of time, and turn the leaking sand into blood. The music, again like the game, has gotten a face lift, this time with generic heavy metal coming in during fights...or when you load up a save. While cool at first, you can get pretty sick of it by the end of the game.

How long will the adventures last? Multiple difficulties etc will ensure Replayability, and as of this writing, I have yet to beat the entire game.

Final Recommendation - Like Sands of Time? Buy It. Don't Like Sands of Time? It's worth your $7 for the rental, maybe 2. While the game has undergone some changes, the overall experience is still as good as ever, and the new tone the developers have set breathes new life into the series. Kudos, Ubisoft.

Final Rating - 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/04