Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

I love action games. But lately, I haven’t played many because there are so many mish mashed clones of the same old tired formulas, that I really haven’t given most a chance. Then along came Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time with a new twist on the platform genre. I think the rest of the industry will have to take note and raise the bar because creativity is alive and well again.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, takes place in ancient Persia during the time of Arabian Nights, beautiful harem girls and evil Viziers. A king and his son, the Prince and hero of our story, lay siege to the castle of a powerful Maharajah and take hold of all of his treasures. The greatest prize, a mysterious hourglass said to contain the Sands of Time and a dagger which holds the power to unlock it and possibly grant immortality to it’s wielder. But this fact is unknown to the Prince and his father who have been duped by the Maharajah’s wicked Vizier into aiding his plot to become an immortal, god-like being. When the Prince unknowingly unleashes the power of the Sands upon the world, turning his father and all the populace into demons, it is up to him to set things right once again. On his side is the ability to reverse time and save himself from what would normally be deadly mistakes. But will control of time be enough to save the Prince and the entire world?

Platform Revival

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time brings back heart racing platform action in stellar form. My heart was literally pounding in my chest as I jumped ledges, ran along walls and flipped in mid-air. Quick thinking and skillful button pressing is required to make it through this game in one piece. Unfortunately I have only one of the two requirements. Thank goodness for the ability to rewind time or I’d have had a tough time making it through some of the obstacles in one try. By the way it’s the button presses I have trouble with. I can’t help it, I have big thumbs! The game flawlessly integrates puzzles and problem solving with the action portions of the game for some excellent edge of your seat fun. You’ll encounter switches that will require you to run along the walls to press them and then jump in order to reach a platform, but don’t delay or the platform might disappear back into the wall. Or, you might run into a set of motion sensitive floor traps near spinning blades that will require stealth to eek past or maybe something more cunning? I really appreciate the effort that the designers put into the level design. Each area will force you to think before you act in order to make it to the next level.

One good turn deserves another and another and another….

The key feature to this game and what makes it stand out from other action titles is the ability to reverse time to save yourself from calamity. How many times do you wish you could just take back that fatal move in some other game that took you to the dreaded “Game Over” screen. Well now, you have the chance to do that again and again and again. The Prince’s Dagger of Time can hold several caches of The Sands of Time that were released when the hourglass was opened. The amount increases throughout the game in various ways and you’ll come to rely upon it heavily during your journey through the castle grounds where the game takes place. As you progress, you’ll find more uses for the sand than just saving yourself from going kersplat all over the superbly designed scenery. The sands can be used to enhance your attacks when fighting demons as well. Button holds and combinations will give you the ability to perform attacks at lightning speed or just slow down your enemies and put them at a disadvantage.

Hey! Aren’t you that guy who just tried to hack out my spleen?

There isn’t a broad variety of enemies in this game. In fact, I’d say there are maybe ten different kinds of enemies total. But that’s fine. I mean Super Mario Brothers didn’t have much more than that and it was a great game. Besides, the enemies are smart enough and tough enough kill you where you stand. And isn’t that enough? It’s a good thing that the Prince knows a thing or two about close quarters combat or you’d be seriously screwed. Your main attacks include, simple sword slashing with your main blade, time stopping attacks that utilize your Dagger of Time which can also absorb the Sands of Time from your fallen enemies and over the top attacks that use the X button, but be forewarned that not all enemies are affected by these kinds of attacks. There is also one other attack, which allows you to spring off of walls and into your enemies. I was never able to get it to work well for me, but I know people who will almost swear by it.

As beautiful as a desert oasis.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is a visually stunning game. The level design is one of the most impressive I’ve seen in a long time. I almost felt like I was actually walking the halls of this impressive castle that was almost like a city in itself. The character designs were good, too. They are very much reminiscent of what I would imagine the people of ancient Persia to look like.

I can’t imagine why this game wouldn’t win Game of the Year. From the wonderful voice acting, story telling and in-game banter, to the unbelievably engaging gameplay and musical score, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is a game you can’t afford to miss. And I don’t want to say much, but the stunning conclusion is something movies are made of! Perhaps this is one that will be in the works soon!

Cynthia Threadgill

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Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

Platform Revival

One good turn deserves another and another and another….

Hey! Aren’t you that guy who just tried to hack out my spleen?

As beautiful as a desert oasis.

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