Prince of Persia: Rival Swords
Score: 83% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Ubisoft Entertainment Developer: Pipeworks Software, Inc. Media: UMD/1 Players: 1 - 2 (Ad Hoc) Genre: Action/ Platformer (3D)
Graphics & Sound: Prince of Persia: Rival Swords is an updated version of last year's Two Thrones and the series' second appearance on the PSP. Although the series' last outing, Revelations, was a faithful translation, it was riddled with bugs and long load times. Rival Swords cleans up many of these issues and even adds a few additions, making it, to date, the most complete version of the game available. Rival Swords does a great job of capturing the look of the console games. There are a few noticeable changes, namely the low-poly count characters, but the overall aesthetic of the console games is left intact. The biggest visual hit is the texture work, which looks great from far off but gets really blurry up close. There are also instances of flickering and massive bouts of slowdown that take away from the presentation. The Prince's movements, which have always been a highlight of the series, remain just as smooth and flashy even when the framerate drops for a couple of seconds. The orchestral score found in Two Thrones makes its way over to the PSP intact, as does much of the voiceover work. A few new tracks of dialogue have been added to flesh out the story a little more; something the game really needs since the narrative can get a little confusing at times. The only noticeable sound issues are a few minor sound skips or spots where the dialogue gets ahead of the animations. The PSP's on-board speakers also give everything a tinny sound, so a set of headphones is recommended.
Gameplay: Prince of Persia: Rival Swords continues the storyline from the past two games. After mucking up time and avoiding his fate for doing so, the Prince returns home with the Empress of Time to find his kingdom, Babylon, burning. Here the plot gets a little confusing and involves all kinds of time traveling and reversing which boils down to a simple premise. By rescuing the Empress of Time, he negated his actions from the first game, allowing the Vizier to enact his original plan and take over. Over the course of his adventure, the Prince becomes infected with enchanted sand that turns him into the Dark Prince, whom you'll take control of from time to time. Unlike the Prince, the Dark Prince comes with a set of deadly, razor-edged chains and a lethal temper. Although incredibly powerful, the Prince's life slowly ticks away with every passing second, adding a bit of urgency your actions. While the series has always been about frantic action, having to also hit key enemies and jars of sand pushes things even further. As with other games in the series, the ability to alter time plays a major role in Rival Swords. At the beginning of the game, you are reunited with the Dagger of Time, which gives you the ability to convert sand, which is acquired by killing enemies and busting up jars, into the power to rewind time - essentially giving you the chance to fix mistakes. Eventually the dagger acquires additional abilities like slowing down time and allowing the Prince to move faster than time, resulting in a lot of dead bodies. One of the key additions to Rival Swords are new levels that pop up when knocking out the Vizier's sand portals. In Rival Swords, you can't simply hit them and forget about them; instead you have to enter the sand portals and destroy them from the inside by navigating a series of levels. The difficulty of each varies - some are simple, while others are challenging. In addition to new levels, Rival Swords includes an Ad-Hoc Multiplayer Mode and Chariot Races, which have you racing through tracks while fighting off other riders.
Difficulty: The main goal in Prince of Persia: Rival Swords is figuring out how to get around each level. Generally the camera does a good job of indicating where to go, though there are times where you may have to adjust the camera or zoom out on the area and think about where you are going. Early in the game, you will find yourself plummeting to your death in nearly every section, but once the dagger is in your possession, you can really do whatever you want without fear. The sand required to charge the dagger is plentiful as are save and check points. Rival Swords's control scheme works, though the nub doesn't feel right. Some of the more complex levels require a lot of quick motions with the stick, so it can tire your thumb out.
Game Mechanics: Although Prince of Persia: Rival Swords offers plenty of combat, its focus is primarily on complicated platform puzzles. It is rare that you will go through a room that has a complete floor or some sort of trap - requiring that you get a little creative with how you pass each section. Sometimes you might have to run up a wall while others you may need to jump, climb and flip around to get where you're going. Surprisingly, this all translates onto the PSP rather well. As you would expect, there are a few camera issues to deal with and the analog nub still doesn't beat a true analog stick, but with a little practice you'll find yourself pulling off all manner of acrobatic moves. Of course, should you screw up you always have the option of rewinding a section. Though it features plenty of platforming, you'll still have to fight your way through groups of enemies. The Prince's acrobatic abilities are just as useful in combat as they are for moving around. The combat interface is quick and extremely easy to learn. Button mashers can easily do loads of damage, though some foes require additional finesse to overcome. One of the Prince's new tricks is the Speed Kill option. When sneaking up on an enemy the screen will blur, indicating that you can quickly take down an opponent with a series of correctly-timed button presses. Not only is this a great way to avoid unnecessary conflict, but it offers a little more sand than a normal kill. Overall, Prince of Persia: Rival Swords is a good translation of Two Thrones. Although it does face its fair share of problems, a majority of these are due more to the technical limitations of the system rather than poor implementation. If you are a fan of the series or just looking for a fun PSP game, Rival Swords is worth a look.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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