Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Score: 89% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action/ Platformer (3D)/ Puzzle
Graphics & Sound: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is the latest installment from the classic series, first seen on the PC years ago in simple 2D sprites. Throughout the series and the subsequent change into the flashy 3D realm, the core feel has still been maintained, despite the much more fluid style of combat. The Prince is back again to face evil forces, and this time he has to deal with his own inner demons. Graphically, this is one sexy looking title. These have got to be some of the best animations on the console - period. The lush fluidity of the Prince as he swings about, hacking and slashing, is jaw-dropping; he looks like he could best the greatest gymnast of our era. The intricate details, from clothing fabrics, hair sway and the amazing lighting effects, all add up to graphical excellence. The numerous cut-scenes also add heaps to the story process, as well as just being plain gorgeous to boot. Environmentally, this is another area unrivaled in today’s games. Only Shadow of the Colossus comes close to capturing the picturesque quality of the levels. Windows are subtly highlighted with rays of light, ancient statues crack and splinter in all forms, and impressive palaces cross your path constantly. There are a few hang-ups though. The framerate seems a bit sluggish at times, and the use of the soft-blur/glow effect is a good way to disguise some lack of detail, not unlike the infamous “fog effect” is used to improve performance. The soundscape in this title is equally stunning. Arabic-themed tunes spill out over you in a melding of light wailing, with the unique effects of the Middle Eastern flavors. Sound effects range from the clang and grunting of combat, with a smattering of engrossing ambience, like the Prince’s footsteps in a cavernous chamber, or the crackle of a torch. The voice work is also solid, complementing the Prince and his darker half nicely, while the dialogue doesn’t stray into the realm of lameness. It helps to flesh out the characters, most notably the dualistic Prince, and is generally well written.
Gameplay: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones begins after your city of Babylon was thrashed by an evil vizier. Kaileena, your lover and partner, also joins you in your epic struggle. And yeah… those pesky Sands of Time are released again. If you’re not up on the Prince of Persia lore, then let me refresh you a bit. You see, the Prince took this ‘ol dagger in the original PS2 game Sands of Time, which led to some serious issues with time shifting and general nasty demons running amok. Some quality stuff. There is a slight wrinkle to the story this time around, however. He is somehow corrupted by the evil Sands, giving him this “daggertail” weapon, as well as some serious persona issues with a new “Dark Prince infection” trying to overtake his body. There are even segments where you will be totally overtaken by this evil spirit, and are nearly invincible to enemies, cleaving off heads left and right. Just be warned your life is constantly draining, so don’t dawdle, young Prince. The storyline itself is doled out in bits and pieces, even during action scenes, so you have to be aware to pick up the tidbits. The basic game mechanics involve a bit of acrobatic combat routines, platforming, and some simple puzzle elements, a la Tomb Raider. You even get a cool new move with the ability to fling the dagger into a wall, and use it as a climbing tool or launching pad. The elaborate level architecture will lead you on many interesting, twisting paths, having to overcome tricky obstacles, most notably the numerous and deadly traps. You may have to hang from a ledge while spinning blades criss cross around you, or leap through rings of fire lest you get trampled by a boulder. Then, if you are lucky enough, you may have to face off against hideous demon sand warriors from the nether regions - fun! How is that action versus these dastardly foes, you ask? Well, it’s damn good fun, frankly. The Prince can twirl around his foes with expert dexterity, while pulling off wicked combos, throws, wielding duel weapons and more. But combat is a tad difficult, as an enemy can easily gut you for a chunk of life. You won’t need to memorize patterns or complex chains though - a simple mashing of the buttons will suffice most times. Your dagger again holds the power to alter time, either freezing it, reversing it, or slowing it, and that can really help in a pinch. Another interesting feature is the “speed kill” tactic. Here, you basically sneak up on foes, and execute them swiftly (think Tenchu) resulting in a nifty cut scene. This is a welcome addition, because the aforementioned combat can be quite tedious and plain hard at times. Better to be ninja than barbarian, eh? Rounding out the action are bosses and chariot races. The boss battles involve more timing-based gameplay and simple puzzles, as you take on some serious brutes. The race sequences don’t come off as well, but are a nice change of pace. They just handle like bricks and any slight bump will usually send you careening off into some alleyway into certain death, forcing you to start over. Ubisoft should have spent some time polishing off this forgettable gameplay element.
Difficulty: Ok, let's just get this out in the open right now. I personally have a HUGE pet peeve about save points in games. This is partly due to the fact that I play a lot of PC games, with the wonderful “F5” auto save feature present in most of them. Sadly, a ton of console games don’t have this feature, and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is one of these. Now, that isn’t always a big deal; it creates some added tension knowing if you don’t get by these spiked walls, or that bottomless chasm, you are going to have to slog back through it all over again. But right there is the key word “slog.” How many folks like to backtrack over stuff again and again? We all have better things to do than throw ourselves against a seemingly brick wall of frustration until we finally bust through. This game is quite taxing at times, and will challenge the best of your platforming and combat skills to overcome the challenges.
Game Mechanics: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones has quite possibly the best action-camera around. It expertly tracks this whirly dervish of a Prince as he leaps, bounds, and strikes his foes and ledges alike. Very rarely, if ever, would the camera get stuck in a funky position or cause you to scream in anguish after getting a wonky view, resulting in an untimely demise. The controls are equally stellar, enabling you to wall-run and battle with the best of them; they are snug, responsive, and downright excellent. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones combines solid elements of platforming action with dynamic combat, all intermixed with intuitive puzzles along the way. The duality of the Prince adds a further element as well, and with no real glaring issues, this title is another hit, fitting for the culmination of this revered series.
-Tybo, GameVortex Communications AKA Tyler Whitney
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