VGR:Quickies Ports of Persia

As you've probably seen on the blog, I've reviewed most Prince of Persia games already. (and comics...and movies..)

But this isn't all of them yet.
During this long running franchises, most episodes have known various releases on several platforms. If most releases nowadays are pretty similar to one another it wasn't always the case "back in the ol' days".

For this occasion, I decided to make this new Quickies installement! 
To have a look at some iterations of the original Prince of Persia games by Jordan Mechner. As well as another bonus quick review.

Originally, the Prince looked like this! True story!

The original Prince of Persia, released on Macintosh and Dos systems, is regarded as a classic nowadays.
It launched a genre of more realistic platformers, sometimes referred to as "cinematic platformers".
Unlike Sonics and Marios it wasn't as surreal and was based around real physics. The acrobatic character of PoP was couldn't jump over enemies. Nor double jump. But he was able to grab ledges, roll under small passages, walk carefully to avoid setting off traps.

It was original designed by Jordan Mechner after a moderately successful Karateka.
Both titles were adapted over all of their current video game systems, countless ports. PoP even ported to this day on most consoles ever released.
Most of those ports were done by the small studio Brøderbund, who alongside Mechner took a great care keeping the games faithful and the experience similar. Yet using each system's specifics whenever the need arose.

The story is a classic now.
You play as the unnamed Prince, trying to get back to your Princess trapped by the evil Vizier.
The Prince gets thrown in the jail caves. The game is a journey, which has to take less than a real life-hour before it's too late and the sands of the giant hourglass ran off.
The directly sequel The Shadow and the Flame sees the Prince expelled from the palace and losing himself in the seas. Now wandering in another island, the Prince is castoff the palace, needs to fight back his inner demons (represented by an evil doppelganger), find his way back to the palace and clean up his name!
The sequel isn't as much puzzle/platforming oriented but a tad bit more combat focused, featuring lots of new various enemies often attacking in groups.

Now, let's dig into these games, shall we?

Title: Prince of Persia Collection
From Brøderbund Software

On PC
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1999

This compilation runs on most modern computers easily.
Sometimes going by the name Prince of Persia Collection, Prince of Persia CD Collection, Prince of Persia: Collector's Edition or even Prince of Persia 1 & 2 (like mine). It was released on 1999, around the release of the 3rd game.
It contains the original Dos versions of both first games. Playing with the settings you can play the original Dos or VGA enabled versions. The music added later on by Brøderbund is available but you can also play it old school with the old chiptunes and no musical ambiance.
All the original levels are present.

Overall: Want to play the real original Prince of Persia games? This release is a must have!
Both games are fluid, fun and huge to explore. PoP2 looks more colorful and complex graphically, it even contains all its cutscenes and voices!
I said in my earlier review of PoP2 I didn't like it as much as the original, wasn't as perfect gameplay-wise, rushed, awful music and wasn't that well adjusted in its platforming sequences...but the original Dos version is far more suited to play.
Since this was released to promote PoP3D, it even contains a preview, making off (in an awfully small resolution quick time video) and a behind the scenes look at Prince of Persia 3D/Arabian Nights!

I give this one a: 3 / 3 Score!

Title: Prince of Persia
From Brøderbund Software

On SNES
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1992

The SNES port of PoP1 was an enhanced version sporting all-new graphics.
It features 20 levels instead of the usual 13. Though some big edits were given to the level design.
It is also the only version were you're given 2 hours instead of the usual one hour to complete the game, making it a bit easier (even counting the extra levels).

Overall: I'm honestly not a big of this version, not because of its quality but because how different the whole game feels.
The music's good. (even if I admit I'm not a big fan of it)
There's some extra plot in this one. The graphics though are the part that suffer the most. It's just so dull and colourless..  I like the new ideas and design, adding wood here and there, putting more designs across the levels. (even splitting screens in 2 to add extra room to run around) But why's everything so brown and mushy? And the Prince looks like Vectorman, like he's composed of smaller parts/spherical objects to mimic the original game's motion capture while they designed new graphics.
Sidenote: It was censored in the US and Europe, thus my Japanese version (picture above)

I give this one a: 2 / 3 Score! 

Title: Prince of Persia
From Brøderbund Software

On Megadrive
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1993

Covered in the main Prince of Persia Review.

Overall: Not playing on the SEGA side against Nintendo above. But this version is a much better and faithful version of the original game.
Like the SNES, but featuring its own original art, it also uses enhanced graphics. It even contains 4 additional levels. (but here the original levels weren't cut down or edited)
The Pal release has its share of own differences, like new kinds of potions, some that can freeze time, others give you additional minutes to complete the game...

I give this one a: 3 / 3 Score!

Title: Prince of Persia
From Brøderbund Software/Titus Software

On SNES
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1996

Covered in the main Prince of Persia 2 Review.


Overall: Missing some features as well as some levels (including the actual last level!), PoP2 may not have been as good as the original, but on the SNES it's a whole different level altogether!
I blame this on the co-developer, Titus.
The music is really annoying, enduring it through this longer sequel is one heckuva challenge, at least the game features a password system to help out!
The game seems to be on speed compared to the original Apple/Dos version.
Which is quite annoying to avoid some precise traps and segments...


I give this one a: 1.5 / 3 Score! 

Title: Prince of Persia
From Brøderbund Software/Microïds

On Megadrive
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1996

Covered in the main Prince of Persia 2 Review.

Overall: Like I wrote in the original review, this one wasn't actually released originally. But the game was completed anyway!
The game contains its own share of problems though. If Sega prevented its release due to quality concerns (those were the days, right? :P) it's a miracle Nintendo didn't.
Anyway, the graphics are the same as the SNES port and similar to the PC version.
But the game is buggy (around traps, like the released SNES version), the controls aren't as precise as on the computer... Try it or skip it!

I give this one a: 1.5 / 3 Score! 

Title: Prince of Persia
From Brøderbund Software

On Master System
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1992

When the home console systems starting picking up in the early 90s, Prince of Persia 1 was converted to almost all systems. If some, like the NES port, were simple copy/past of the original game with lower settings, other were proper adaptations by Brøderbund.

Overall: Strangely good for an 8-bit system.
It is a lot truer to the original game in colors compared to, say, the Atari or NES port.
The game feels also pretty right, the Prince moves well if a tad bit slower. The proper physics were well implemented for such a simple system. Most cutscenes were cut down though.
The Prince was given brown hair for a change! (due to the limited color palette no doubt)
I'd say, try it if you can!
A pretty good port given the circumstances.

I give this one a: 2.5 / 3 Score! 

Title: Prince of Persia
From Brøderbund Software/RIVERHILL SOFT 

On PC Engine
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1991

CD format meant improved graphics and all-new music back then!
It's from this port that the Prince started sporting a turban and colored clothing (a green jacket!).

Overall: Pretty good. The controls feel different but the overall experience is still good.
It was based, from scratch, on the Macintosh release.
The music is pretty impressive and the new redone cutscenes look great! It evens features voice tracks!
It's the most Arabian Nights-ysh version of the game in my eyes.

I give this one a: 3 / 3 Score! 


Title: Prince of Persia
From Brøderbund Software

On Mega-CD
Type Sidescrolling platformer
Year 1992

The Sega CD version, mostly an upgrade version of the PC Engine. Reusing all its assets as basis.

Overall: This one's the one I like to call the "Prince of Persia: ANIME! Edition".
If the PC Engine version was more colorful this one's like a rainbow enhanced version of the previous one.
The Prince who was getting a lot more colorful in the previous iteration (green jacket, blue turban..) is now a fully Japanese anime character. And for good reason, the game features now (slightly) animated cutscenes!
And the worse part is that the boxart doesn't give any hint to its new direction at all.
The cutscenes are funny though. Even if out of place.
This is another one of those "on speed" versions. (like PoP2 on the SNES), even when running on 50 Hrz.
The music doesn't make good use of the Sega CD system that much...but it works in this cracked up ort.
The game itself is good, don't worry. But the over-saturation of colors and animesque Prince makes this one feel either really funny or pretty bad.

I give this one a: 2 / 3 Score! 


Title: Prince of Persia: Rival Swords 
From Ubisoft Montreal

On Wii also available on PSP
Type Sidescrolling platformed
Year 2007

And finally, you probably didn't expect it, here's the alternate release of a modern Prince of Persia. (something that tends to happen less often these days.. we usually get completely different games, not alternate editions)

I've already did a review of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within here.

Overall: Rival Swords is an upgrade/new edition of Warrior Within which saw the conclusion to the Sands of Time series.
 Rival Swords tweaks some gameplay elements of the original Warrior Within. Mostly in-combat and related to the AI of the enemies. It also fixed and changed some gameplay details and added some zones (nothing that noticeable). Before the recent HD remastered release, it was seen as the definitive version of this game.
It was released on Wii and PSP.
The Wii version doesn't bring new changes from the overall look of the Gamecube version. It could look a bit cleaner I'd say.
Though it adds the brand new motion-sensing functionality. It's all gimmick, I know.
It may be annoying in the gameplay (since the game wasn't designed around it), but the combat gets easier (probably on purpose by Ubisoft) and the instant kills are finally easy to pull off.

I give this one a: 2.5 / 3 Score!


And that is all for this time!
Of course, it's not all the versions of the original games nor all the current alterations of the recent episodes.

The original Prince of Persia as since its release been made available on almost virtually every system ever.
Phones, iPhones, Xbox, PS2, etc..
Often simple re-releases of the original game, other times remakes using the Sands of Time engine. (as the Xbox 360 port on the Xbox Live Arcade)
But most of those, besides the facelift, often uses the original game as basis and frame, keeping either the original level design of physics intact.

 

That's all for this time's Quickies!

MR Prince of Persia

By now, you've probably seen I'm sort of an expert on all-things Prince of Persia.
We've seen last time the comic book, but what about the movie adaptation?

Movies based on video games tend to suck, mostly because Hollywood decides to take the easy route and turn those into cash-ins. (and also, for some strange reason, adapt fighting games, which aren't the best type of narrative-filled games...)

Also, don't miss my previous PoP reviews (you can find listed on this page if I don't forget to update it sometimes...)

Movie: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 
Directed by Mike Newell
Release date 2010
Genre Action adventure/fantasy
Country USA
 
For quite some time, Jordan Mechner always wanted to adapt the Prince of Persia series into a motion picture.
During the mid-90s', an animated motion picture based on the original Prince of Persia games almost came to be. But due to a lack of interest from producers Mechner wasn't able to pull it....

Then, thanks to the current mainstream popularity of the series under Ubisoft, Mechner was able to first adapt it into a fantastic comic book (link above), and finally convince a studio, Disney nonetheless, to buy the license and make something out of this cult series.
The comic book can be seen as a tryout. Nor a particular adaptation of one of the games but its own product developing its own narrative.

This movie was written by Jordan Mechner himself (the screenplay mostly), Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, and Carlo Bernard. It was directed by Mike Newell and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Walt Disney Pictures.

New PoP requires a new Prince and Princess.

What is it about?
The story is loosely based on the very game it shares its title with.
It follows rather closely the Sands of Time distinctive plot.
Jordan Mechner changes a lot of details, kept some of the best elements and dragged some references from almost all of the video game entries. Since he's the creator of the IP, I didn't had much problem with that.
The plot as usual still revolves around a Persian Prince who turns into a fugitive, embarks on a journey and fights his way back against evil forces all the while ending up with a Princess and battling a corrupt power. (the Vizier usually)
It didn't keep all of the series trademarks (the evil doppelgänger) but kept most (time, duels, parkour...).

Some non-Prince of Persia elements find their way into the movie...hint for upcoming Ubisoft adaptations?

The plot is about Dastan. Yes, the Prince is named this time. (Hollywood hates unnamed protagonists)

Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) was an orphan living in the Persian Empire. He was adopted at a young age by the King Sharaman himself. There, in the palace, he grew up along his step-brothers Tus and Garsiv.

Several years came by, now an adult, the brothers are planning an attack on the sacred city of Alamut, rumoured to have been selling weapons to their enemies.
In fact, a treachery of their own uncle Nizam (Ben Kingsley) who was seeking this city for his own reasons...

Dastan leads a surprise attack in the city and ends up finding a magical blade, the Dagger of Time.
The brothers forces the local Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) to marry Tus as a peace agreement.

Short story short, Dastan is tricked, accused of the murder of the King and has to flee the kingdom.
Accompanied by Tamina, he goes on a journey first to get more Sands of Time for his Dagger, and then to strike back at his deceivers.
On his adventure, the Prince goes through a lot. He meets Sheik Amar (played fantastically by Alfred Molina) and his fidel "Um Bakr" Knife thrower Seso, faces the legendary Hassassins, participates in ostrich racing(!), and much more!

 Spinoff potential?

Jordan Mechner wrote a very fun script.
Rather than a plain straightforward word-for-word adaptation, he took the best elements of PoP and used the story arc of the first Ubisoft-produced Prince of Persia to showcase the most of the series.
The story deviates, sure, but in a very fun and entertaining movie.

There's a lot of elements ported directly from the game.
The Prince is loosely based on both the Sand of Time trilogy and the 2008 Princes. As such, he starts the movie in the Warrior Within garb and end up in a pretty similar costume to the one wore by the 2008 PoP hero.
While the game's about getting the Sands back into the hourglass/sealing it back, the movie is about preventing it to be released in the first place. (which sort of makes more sense in my eyes, though it takes the fantastical monsters and enemies out of the movie)
The Prince Tamina serves a role similar to Farah in the SoT game, but seems to draw a lot more from Elika from the 2008 game (as well as her relationship with the Prince).

Similarly, the overall plot is pretty close to the one from the original 2nd game The Shadow and The Flame. The hero flees the palace but needs to get back to it in the end.

The score is amazing!
Best aspect of the movie for me. Pretty epic, well composed and conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams. It's not that far from the 2008 PoP score itself, with some tunes sounding pretty close to some of Two Thrones or even, dare I say, the Arabic melodies of Prince of Persia 3D.

 Face-off! It all comes down to this, an hourglass, a Prince and an evil Vizier...

The movie's pretty entertaining.
Fun and epic. For me, it's the (proper) return of the adventure genre!
Without silly gimmicks like movies such as Journey to the Center of the Earth  and its 3D-in-yoour-face.

It feels like a cross between the Arabian Nights and Indiana Jones.
The movie doesn't contain much magical/fantasy elements, but it's in the backdrop beneath the story or in the musical approach.

The new characters introduced are fun.
There's some humour, even one of the most memorable action scenes ever featuring osterich in a movie. A scene that will have people talk about for years to come fo' sure!

Overall, a very good movies in my own opinion.
It was able to adapt most of Sands of Time while not being trapped by it and being able to feature elements from most Prince of Persias.

Easily the best video game adaptation. Probably because the team behind the movie didn't want it to end up being just another usual bad video game movie. But a proper movie in itself.
Sure it might not be something new. A hero needs to prove his innocence, a magical object, tagging with a disinterested Princess, facing the corrupt member of the family and getting the girl in the end... But it's the whole package and atmosphere that really sold it to me.

The movie incorporates for the first time in the series the fabled Hassassins, who originally came from the old Persia. And main characters of that other platform-ysh parkour-inspired video game series developed by Ubisoft. Is Ubi trying to tie Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed? (there's some elements that seem to be directly referencing AC, from an "Eagle View" moment, early in the film, to the order of the Assassins, the acrobatic sequence in the flashback sequence, etc..)

It's a pretty good movie, already one of my favorites. And much better that I hope it would be!

I give it:

2.5 / 3 Films!

CBR Prince of Persia

 

After the renewed success of the PoP series, thanks to the Sands of Time series, it was finally time for the series to expand beyond video games and unto new mediums.

While a live movie was for a long time rumored to start development, Jordan Mechner, its original creator, started working on a comic book version.
And rather than adapting any of the game, it was to be its own original self-contained story. Another take on the legend.

Is it possible that maybe, the best Prince of Persia isn't a video game but a comic book?

Comic title: Prince of Persia: The Graphic Novel
Art by LeUyen Pham & Alex Puvilland            
Story by Jordan Mechner & A.B. Sina
Published by First Second
From 2008

Lineup Prince of Persia
Format: Graphic Novel.

"Which one is the true Prince of Persia? All of them. And none of them."

That is how Jordan Mechner, creator of the legendary original Prince of Persia game describe this series, who has been known throughout the years under the face of various Princes.

Most of the time, comics based on licenses tend to either embrace the comic book medium and go explore new horizons be it story-wise or artistically. Or either they turn into quick cash-ins, only to serve as marketing gigs.

With Mechner on board, and the story penned by A.B. Sina and drawn by LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland, this Prince of Persia seemed more like a long-time dream being finalized. Jordan Mechner's platforming game finally taking place strictly in a narrative and not as an excuse to establish a motivation behind a gameplay.
Would it be faithful to the ever-changing franchise?
Would it feel still Prince of Persia-ysh despite the lack of interactivity?
As soon as I was able to put my eyes over these pages.. I knew I was in for quite a ride....

Our new hero! At least, one of them.

This original graphic novel is about two princes whose stories run parallel to each other.

The story follows two different Princes, jumping from the 9th and 13th centuries at various points.
The books opens up on the tale of the prince in the 9th century.
Guiv, this prince, had attempted to kill his own brother Layth. He is then seen running and manage to escape the city of Marv from Layth's guards who tried to drown him.

Then the story jumps to a young woman named Shirin who also ends up fleeing the very same city, centuries later, while escaping her own father. She ends up meeting Ferdos, a young man who lives far away from the city and seems quite detached from the life in the then-modern city.

Both this Ferdos and Guiv won't meet in these pages, but their lives are both connected, two separate adventures leading both princes to their own destinies they've been trying to avoid for so many years.
Destinies linked by a prophecy.

...Meet our other heroes!

It's an epic story, well thought, and constructed around two stories which at first don't seem to share much besides taking place in Persia and featuring Princes. (and a Princess!)
A.B. Sina makes a good use of both storylines to narrate a deeper and more interesting tale than what both stories might look like at first glance, and under so few pages.

The story of Guiv, in the 13th century, featuring such a mystical and magical citadel, is about.this man who escaped an execution by his own brother Layth.
And then we get in the future, years later, the repercussions of those same events, the resistance against Layth's sucessor, and a romance story between to young heroes. Both storylines complement each other, even to the end when they finally get juxtaposed in the final hours on each side of the Princes.

This scene taken out of context seems even more epic than what it actually means.

Fans of the game series should at least check it out, be it firstly because it came from the mind of its creator, Jordan Mechner.

The tale as this very dreamlike quality, the way the story is broken down between both eras, the stories overlapping each other.
The Persian city of Marv has a quite central role both in the 9th and 13th century.

A vizier with lust for power, a rightful prince fighting back for his place, the flows of time always running (represented in this story through water rather than sands), doubles echoing each other.
It contains all the classic Prince of Persia elements you'll find in the video game installments.

Do their knowledge of events comes from memory or prophecy? The story is built upon various levels of narrative, some will probably need to keep track of which hero is performing what on a given page.



There's plenty of action, and the artwork by Pham and Puvilland is amazing. Colorful, brilliant and exotic.
Stunning background of ruins, lush gardens, and desert landscapes.

Overall, a fantastic graphic novel!
It's for me, easily the best PoP. Yes, a comic book is the best PoP.

It's roughly over 200 pages.

The book even contains an afterword by Jordan Mechner.
Looking back at the genese of the series.
Mechner explains how the game gained popularity over the years, the simple yet original background, the storyline that easily evolved through the years over reimaginings and new episodes.
It's been upgraded several times with somewhat different versions of the hero, which Mechner justifies in these segments. 

It explores and makes good uses of all the traditional elements of the series.
Even in the end, without it being forced, rescuing a princess.
It feels like a modern Arabian Nights tale.

Epic battles, passion, horror. One of the best attempts at the adventure genre in comics from these last couple of years in my own opinion.
The video game universe of Prince of Persia translated easily to this graphic novel.

I give it:

  2.5 / 3 Ampersands!

VGR PoP: The Sands of Time

I've actually already reviewed the original Prince of Persia trilogy.
Prince of Persia, The Shadow and the Flame and Arabian Nights.
I guess it was finally time I decide to move on the Sands of Time trilogy.

For most (younger) players, it was their first introduction to the PoP series, for me I was decided to not like this usurper. Brought to mainstream audience by Ubisoft of all the teams? (it was long before they became that huge blockbuster developer known for excellent titles such as Assassin's Creed and the likes nowadays)

So.... verdict?

VGR: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
From Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal
Played on Gamecube
Also available on PS2, Xbox, PC, PS3 and as a stand alone unrelated 2D spinoff on Game Boy Advance

Type 3D Platformer
Year 2003

After a hiatus of approximately 5 years since Prince of Persia 3D, the series seemed to be lost, dead alongside Broderbund, the studio behind the port of the original game and its two sequels, and the fact that the original creator had long gone away from the gaming scene.

Then, in the early 2000s, the French developer Ubisoft took up the series where it was left, rebuild a new universe and concept around it and brought back the name Prince of Persia to recognition.

The team charged with this impossible task was Ubisoft Montreal, the makers of the modern well liked Splinter Cell series. They wanted to bring back the platforming genre to a more mainstream audience, while trying to innovate at the same time. For so, Jordan Mechner himself was brought back on this subject
Almost 15 years had passed since the original...
Did they succeeded?

Enter a new prince...

 The story opens in Persia. Some unknown time after the original trilogy of PoP I would say.
(note: PoP3D ended with that original prince leaving the kingdom with his princess on a magic carpet ride~)

We're introduced to a different sort of Persia. Now following the tales of another unnamed  Prince.
The King Sharaman is passing through India in his way to Azad. As they're leaving yet another conquered city with the help from a local Vizier, the Prince wants to prove himself and decides to go straight fro the treasures. By a great coincidence, he is able to instead find the mythical Sands of Time!

Long story short, he takes off the Dagger of Time out of an Hourglass.
With it, the Prince is able to turn back in time using the so-called "sands of time".
When he shows it to the King, the Vizier wants to keep it but the Prince refuses to give the dagger.
The Persians also take a prisoner, the local Maharajah's daughter, Princess Farah.
The Vizier is able to trick the Prince in using the dagger, it releases the Sands of Time all across the kingdom.  The people are turned into sand monsters and only the Vizier, the Prince and Farah escape this curse.

The goal of this game is to help free the kingdom.
The Vizier wants to take the dagger and all its power it represents and is awaiting in a tower.
In his journey, the Prince is helped by Farah who as protector of the Sands of Time also wants to preserve and keep the dagger.

The warrior within!

Yes, that is a lot more thought put into the story than any previous episode of the series or even most games anyway.
But a game's not all about its plot. How does it play?

The game is true to its roots, that is, a challenging more cinematic platformer. And unlike those arcade platformers such as Mario & co, it's all about timing and taking your time to go through the level.
Despite its new direction at Ubisoft and on modern systems, the game still feels like Jordan Mechner's classic. Probably thanks to the fact Ubi took him in early on the project to assist the direction.

What is new is that the game takes a more acrobatic approach.
It still is about precision and calculated jumps, like the classic Prince of Persia or games like Flashback, but in this 3D era of platformers such as the Tomb Raider series, Sands of Time takes a more athletic and flexible gameplay.
The Prince can wall-run, jump to various type of objects and grab onto them or swing by, etc..
An early attempt of bringing parkour into gaming. (which Ubi perfect in the Assassin's Creed games and many other copied these days)

A story with a twist!

Unlike the original PoP or PoP3D, Sands of Time embraces its duel scenes and is a lot more combat-oriented too.
The Prince carries a sword and knows how to use it! (which gets upgraded along the story)

But wait, how does the dagger of time gets in all of this?!
Well it's the second "big" part of the gameplay here, and a big innovation to the series and gaming in general.
The Prince is able to rewing time with it! But we'll get right to this in a little moment below.

The story is also told by the Prince from a certain point set after this game.
And the game plays with this fact, if you die you either will have to rewind time a bit to un-die the Prince or the Game Over screen will have the Prince telling you "Wait a minute...that's not how it exactly happened..."
The Prince-narrator will also have plenty of fun "breaking the 4th wall" moments when you'll pause the game and such...

Sometimes...bugs happen...

Making its debut in the franchise is also co-operation.
But not with another player, but with the CPU which will control Farah.

As Farah helps the Prince in the game's plot, she will also be there in the game as you play.
In combat she'll use her arrows to keep enemies away. Which isn't that useful all in all.

And to resolve some puzzles, you'll have to use her to activate doors, drop platforms, release objects, open the path, etc..
Oh, I mean, you'll have to hope SHE decides to help you.
Yeah, because there's literally a TON of bugs and glitches in this game. Not just on the game itself, level design and gameplay, but on the AI. Farah's AI to be exact. Which is annoying. Specially when you'll be trapped in some places because nothing will change even if you'll load the segment a hundred times.

Why am I making a big story of all this? Because it happened to me at some crucial point. (there's like 4-5 crucial moments where her AI will be decisive on whether you'll be trapped in a bug/loophole or will be able to continue the game...)
And I had to restart the whole game.
Which since I learned, made me keep 2 savegames always, in case a new save becomes corrupted and I had to go to an earlier part of the game....
So annoying :/

Run little Prince, run!!

Anyway, this didn't affect my relation to this game. I kept on playing it.
I've seen worse, much worse. and wasn't expecting much from Ubisoft (at least, back then...).

Now, on the dagger of time itself.
It makes this kind of cinematic platformer so much easier. Because you'll never fear to have huge segments to replay and will always throw yourself in the middle of danger, which is a big part of how this game works.

A misstep happens so easily...

Jumping from cliffs, running across uncertain walls, playing from ropes in any direction without fear of the consequences going in such ways will have on the Prince...

Game OVER! Again?! Hopefully, the game doesn't keep track of those...

...since all you'll have to do will be rewind time.

Speaking of which, that is not all the dagger of time can do.
You'll have to keep track of how much sands it has in stock. For this, killing sand creatures (doesn't it kill Persia's population too??) will replenish the sands of time. You see, they are "sand" creatures now.

There's various sort of powers you'll be able to trigger, as you play.
Such as slowing down the time, rewinding/fast forwarding, freezing time (and then striking frozen enemies down easily).

 Back to the Future! Huh, I mean, 3 seconds ago!

Collecting sand clouds from defeated enemies recharge the dagger. But you'll also be able to collect extra sand and augment the gaughe.

Be careful to always keep an eye on your sand gauge!

This gameplay mechanic works great in concept and helps make the whole concept go easily on gamers, which helped bring the series to a more mainstream audience.

It still feels Prince of Persia-ysh, as difficult as the classics, and taking as much time to finish. (the original takes one hour, but on repeated playthroughs!)
But it is a lot more accessible too.

Now you DIE!!

All in all, it's both part classic/faithful and part new ideas/original innovations.


The game plays around with the time as main thema, and the story will have plenty o' surprises and twists.
It's a great new episode, and great new starting point despite its many, many flaws.

End of the line.

Overall, it's a great experience.
Not my personal favorite of the series, but even though, I gotta admit its qualities.

I was decided to hate it, but in the end even I fell for it.

Farah as a character is a bit void of any real personality, and a real pain in the butt gameplay-wise.
The game has various glitches and bugs.
But its own of those game you can't really hate for its flaws and only remember its qualities in the long run.

A perfect new start for a new trilogy of PoP.

The game was made available on a lot of 128-bits systems.
The original version is the Gamecube one. It also features the original PoP in bonus and some featurettes.
And the first level of the classic game remade with the Sands of Time engine as a bonus.
The Xbox port offers the classic PoP1 and PoP2 as bonuses and most of the featurettes. (only PoP1 on Pal releases)
The PS2 features also only has PoP1 has bonus but the 3D remake of the first level of the classic game is back from the Gamecube.
Finally the PC only offers the remade level. All those ports looks and sound pretty similar without going too much into the details. It has also been released recently in HD for PS3.

The Gameboy port is a completely different unrelated sidescrolling game. (apart from the sands mechanic)

The music in this game is a bit generic and not that memorable but works as background "noise". Not my fav.
(I prefered PoP3D or some later game's score over this one)

It's more accessible and less difficult than PoP3D and less complicated than the original, but just as fun and entertaining.

I give it:

 2.5 / 3 Quacks!