Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

"A sequel that's way better than its predecessor"

This is the sequel to the mobile game version of Sands of Time. Sands of Time could've been an excellent action platformer if only it wasn't held back by its flaws. So is the sequel an improvement over its predecessor? The answer is yes, it has improved, and the flaws of the previous games are mostly eliminated and I'll discuss it all in the review. Once again, the cellphone model I've used for this review is a Nokia 6670.

GRAPHICS (4 out of 5): The graphics have definitely improved from 8-bit to 16-bit graphics and the colors are more vibrant. The backgrounds are better but is still limited to only three types of environments, it still gets repetitive to look at but not as plain as those in Sands of Time. The animations have also improved, there are new animations for the new fighting moves, and there are also some subtle graphical effects like a rat running on the ground in some levels. There are also nicely drawn pictures of the empress of time's temptresses that appear after you've finished a level, it's just too bad there's no gallery mode for it.

MUSIC AND SOUND (3 out of 5): It still doesn't have some background music as you play along but the irritating and annoying chirpy sounds are gone. The sound effects have improved, they sound more pleasing and is worth turning the sound on. You'll here some good music on the main menu and before and after the level starts, and that is a plus.

CONTROLS: Like its predecessor, the game is easy to learn and control. There are new deadly special attacks that can be executed by pushing the attack and directional movement buttons two or three consecutive times.

GAMEPLAY (5 out of 5): The gameplay in this game is similar to Sands of Time but way better, it's not just a platformer, it also has some fighting game elements in it. After finishing levels in Adventure mode, you unlock new attack moves that you can use against your enemies and using them is the fun part as the game also emphasize on fighting your enemies. There is also a new power-up in some levels that lets you stop time, this power-up should've been present in Sands of Time since the PC version has a feature that lets you control time like rewinding it. A new mode called Arena is also a nice addition. Arena is like a survival mode and you fight enemies til you reach the 15th level. This is mode is addicting as you only focus on beating enemies using the special attack skills you've unlocked in adventure mode. Arena mode would be perfect if only it has bluetooth connection feature for a versus mode against other players street fighter style. The game is also longer than Sands of Time, the predecessor has 8 levels, this game has 10 levels in 4 chapters. I give the gameplay category a perfect score because with all the improvements done plus some extras and still retain the fun and excellent game mechanics, it really deserves the perfect score.

REPLAY VALUE (3 out of 5): Arena mode is very addicting and it boosts the game's re-playability. You can also unlock the final special attack move after you finish Arena mode. Arena mode does get repetitive and boring after playing it one time too many or after finishing it and unlocking the last attack skill. If only there is a versus mode using bluetooth connection in Arena mode to fight against other players, this game's replay value would've received perfect score.

THE VERDICT:
This game has improved greatly over Sands of Time, it has eliminated most of its flaws by offering better graphics, sound effects, longevity, gameplay, and an arena mode. This game would've been near perfect if the game environments or backgrounds have more variety or scenery, a gallery mode for the temptresses, and a versus mode using bluetooth. Still the game is very good, it's fun to play and has an Arena mode to keep you playing for awhile but in time, you will get tired of it as it doesn't really offer more to keep it in your cellphone forever. I give it an overall score of 6 out of 10.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/27/06