http://www.gizmophobe.co.uk/wp-content/ ... rodigy.jpg[/img]
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones came out a while back. They were pretty fun, but they were more or less better-controlled Tomb Raider clones IMHO.
This latest one, the subtitle-less "Prince of Persia", is supposed to be a more direct throwback to the original game. There isn't the gimmick of the Sands of Time or any broody counterparts or split personalities. It's just straight up pure platforming, with the occasional fight that's always a refreshing change in action rather than an annoying constant.
First, what you'll notice about this game is that it looks just like a painting.
http://blog.wired.com/games/images/2008 ... prince.jpg[/img]
It's a semi-cel-shaded style, yet with an intricate, carefully-rendered look to it. Cloth and hair move beautifully, like wisps in the wind or something. Character and enemy animations are gorgeous, fluid, and dynamic. The environments are stunning, and the sense of vertigo in some areas is done very nicely.
http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/wp-con ... -may28.jpg[/img]
The gameplay is brilliant, really. It's VERY simple, yet you feel like you're doing a lot. Much of what you do is tap (X), really (PS3 obv). There are also contextual button presses, ala RE4, esp. in fights. But what's neat is that it FEELS like you're doing a hell of a lot, which few games pull off so well, so simply. The sense of impact a lot of games lack is very present here.
http://xbox360.qj.net/uploads/articles_ ... viewth.jpg[/img]
Your main character this run through is more of a dashing thief than a moody prince. This round, he's aided by a non-controlled "backup" character most of the time named Elika. She's a magic user of some sort, a princess from a strange land (that you must save from a dark god ... the story is real simple but it's neat enough to hold your attention).
What's neat is that---in most games, a "support" character is more like a dead weight with occasional helpfulness. In this game, Elika could probably do the whole plot without you. She's just as nimble as you (you never have to help her or wait for her), seamlessly pulls off combos with you, and she serves a very interesting purpose. Instead of checkpoints or savepoints, Elika is your checkpoint. If you fall or get stomped by an enemy (read: happens A LOT), she INSTANTLY saves you and places you almost right where you left off. This is VERY cool. You never have to backtrack or replay parts you don't feel like replaying.
There is no health, mana, or any gauges or HUD at all. Occasionally when you get hurt, the Prince will stagger a little and look like he's covering a wound, but that's it. If you get struck down, Elika restores you instantly. This admittedly makes the game MUCH easier, but the enemies have a nice uniqueness and difficulty about them that offsets that. There're no "ARRRGGH" *throw controller at the wall* moments.
ANYWAY I'm still playing it, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit so far. Pick it up if you get the chance, it's a must-play of this year.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones came out a while back. They were pretty fun, but they were more or less better-controlled Tomb Raider clones IMHO.
This latest one, the subtitle-less "Prince of Persia", is supposed to be a more direct throwback to the original game. There isn't the gimmick of the Sands of Time or any broody counterparts or split personalities. It's just straight up pure platforming, with the occasional fight that's always a refreshing change in action rather than an annoying constant.
First, what you'll notice about this game is that it looks just like a painting.
http://blog.wired.com/games/images/2008 ... prince.jpg[/img]
It's a semi-cel-shaded style, yet with an intricate, carefully-rendered look to it. Cloth and hair move beautifully, like wisps in the wind or something. Character and enemy animations are gorgeous, fluid, and dynamic. The environments are stunning, and the sense of vertigo in some areas is done very nicely.
http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/wp-con ... -may28.jpg[/img]
The gameplay is brilliant, really. It's VERY simple, yet you feel like you're doing a lot. Much of what you do is tap (X), really (PS3 obv). There are also contextual button presses, ala RE4, esp. in fights. But what's neat is that it FEELS like you're doing a hell of a lot, which few games pull off so well, so simply. The sense of impact a lot of games lack is very present here.
http://xbox360.qj.net/uploads/articles_ ... viewth.jpg[/img]
Your main character this run through is more of a dashing thief than a moody prince. This round, he's aided by a non-controlled "backup" character most of the time named Elika. She's a magic user of some sort, a princess from a strange land (that you must save from a dark god ... the story is real simple but it's neat enough to hold your attention).
What's neat is that---in most games, a "support" character is more like a dead weight with occasional helpfulness. In this game, Elika could probably do the whole plot without you. She's just as nimble as you (you never have to help her or wait for her), seamlessly pulls off combos with you, and she serves a very interesting purpose. Instead of checkpoints or savepoints, Elika is your checkpoint. If you fall or get stomped by an enemy (read: happens A LOT), she INSTANTLY saves you and places you almost right where you left off. This is VERY cool. You never have to backtrack or replay parts you don't feel like replaying.
There is no health, mana, or any gauges or HUD at all. Occasionally when you get hurt, the Prince will stagger a little and look like he's covering a wound, but that's it. If you get struck down, Elika restores you instantly. This admittedly makes the game MUCH easier, but the enemies have a nice uniqueness and difficulty about them that offsets that. There're no "ARRRGGH" *throw controller at the wall* moments.
ANYWAY I'm still playing it, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit so far. Pick it up if you get the chance, it's a must-play of this year.
