This completes the new series, and takes the consequence of the ones before it, similar to how Warrior Within(the saving method of which this retains) built on the first. It has elements of both of them, and adds quite a lot(and far more than aforementioned earlier sequel). You may still wield two weapons, but now the choice of the other one... sword, mace, dagger or axe... affects the way you do so, in the range, force, etc. of the blows. There are still many different ones within those four kinds. The Free Form Fighting System is also still in use, so spamming powerful attacks is still possible, however, this comes closer to The Sands of Time in the combat, with more strategy and tactics necessary, among other things because of those archers... arrows in general are present in this, and they are very welcome. The battles are longer and tougher, and do not get tedious like they did in the one immediately preceding this. Making things interesting is also the fact that you no longer use a lengthy blade as usual... and I will leave it at that, lest I spoil something. One can also tell that the good people at Ubisoft had Splinter Cell on their mind... a couple of the new moves are right out of those, and stealth is a genuine option at several places. They make it work, and it doesn't stand out as (much as) one might think. Speed Kills are part of this... and no, that's not a campaign telling us to slow down on the freeway, nor one against that particular drug. It's a way to take out opponents, typically when they aren't yet aware of your proximity, and all you truly need is to get the timing right, albeit the first time you try the specific ones, before you know what's coming, you will have to react split-second, as well as not get trigger-happy. It works impeccably well, and really adds to this. The Bosses vary, but at their best, they're incredible. The plot is great, picking up where the last one left off, confirming which of the endings they used, and taking you through one place that had yet to be visited in these three... The Prince's home, Babylon. Only it's not how he remembers it, and you'll soon find out why. The idea is magnificent, and making your way through the city is entertaining. As a character, he grows and develops a lot in this, and this really does close this version, these post-2000 entries, well. The voice acting is all satisfactory. Yuri is back, and thankfully, he left the vast majority of the emo back in the first one, but he did bring the humor with him, as well as what comes of his inner talks with his... other half(who's got a nasty case of cynicism). Yes. In this, you also get to control the Dark side of the leading man sometimes, who's stronger, but whose life gradually drains, one of the aspects of this making for serious tension. Does the word Daggertail mean anything to you? Once you've gotten to use it in this, it definitely will. It is a lot of fun, downright addictive, and a marvelous spice for the squaring off against enemies(and it can be used at points for maneuvering, marvelous). You once again get to use the special abilities. The chariot racing is pure awesomeness captured perfectly. The foes are relatively diverse, and less annoying than those of WW. The camera is a little limited, compared to the ones before this, and the panoramic view is less available, and once or twice, even kinda phoned in. The story-telling is similar to SoT. This gets you into it the fastest, and is also the shortest of them. There are graphic glitches and even bugs beyond the others, and it is sadly not as stable, either. This can be disturbing, though it is not as bleak as the second one. There are grotesque creatures herein. The tone is a mix of the others. The style is achieved well, and this uses slow-motion rather well. This also requires patience, reflexes, fingers adept at VG's, and time. The AI is nice, in that they all respond and act the way you'd expect them to. The re-playability is reasonable, you earn Sand Credits as you go, and if you get them all, you will unlock everything, in all of the artwork galleries. And you may just gain something else, as well. The videos(sadly, sans subtitles, although mostly, you can tell what's said) become available upon completion, all but one are the ones you watched along the way in this, and that one is an absolutely hilarious, if criminally brief, gag reel. The cut-scenes are well-done, and can be fairly effective. The CGI is utterly stunning. The animation and look of everything is fantastic. The level design is perhaps the tiniest step down from earlier in these, here and there, but overall it remains at the high quality of them. They utilize the new moves and acrobatics unbelievably well. The puzzles are still well-done, and this can be challenging, and should satisfy a decent range of people, with three difficulty settings. Do you like those ledges that fall off after you step on them? Well, they've made a triumphant return. The audio is well-done, everything sounds the way it should, and the music is nice. The heavy metal of the middle chapter is gone. The attitude towards nudity in this is the same as the earlier two, but it does somehow seem less provocative. The violence is debatable, but there is some blood. There is next to no gore. Language is nonexistent. I recommend this, and the entire franchise up to this point(the pre-beginning of new millennium-ones are immensely well-done, as well, they just happen to be old, and you can tell), to any fan of action-adventure titles, anyone who enjoys the culture, and all who appreciate swordsmanship in games. 8/10
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
(2005 Video Game)
Wraps up the trilogy well, and what a way to go
10 April 2009