Prince of Persia (PS3)

Go on and save yourself
12/9/2008 6:28 PM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 2

But even the enjoyable (if a bit simple) flow is unfortunately broken up by some incredibly slow and repetitive combat sections. These plodding one-on-one fights usually take place in a large, empty, circular room where you and your opponent slowly circle each other, waiting for the correct moment to strike. Getting a few hits in can lead to a near-effortless series of unblockable, beautifully animated combo strikes, but your computer opponents have a seemingly preternatural ability to parry most attacks, turning each battle into an overly choreographed war of attrition more than a measure of combat skill. What's more, the Prince's Elika-granted invincibility saps whatever tension might have come from the battles, replacing it with boredom and frustration as you continue to push your unstoppable force against the enemy's immovable object.

After these fights are over, the pacing is further marred when Elika uses her powers to bring verdant life back to her ruined, dilapidated kingdom. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful effect that highlights the excellent level design, where every wall and platform looks like part of a ruined civilization (rather than a simple contrivance designed to allow the Prince to move on). This revival, though, brings about the most tedious portions of the game, which require the player to backtrack through just-finished areas to collect the light orbs that power Elika's magical abilities. I suppose the point of these sections is to give players a chance to revisit these ruined areas now that they've been revived with new life, but any "Oh, now it's green" wonder at these new environments is overruled by the frustration of pointlessly repeating the same exact moves a second time.

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Prince of Persia are nearly indistinguishable in terms of visuals, load time and gameplay. Even the button layouts are identical, so you should have no trouble transitioning from one version to another. The only major difference is a mandatory five-minute, 2 GB installation at the beginning of the PS3 version, giving the Xbox 360 the slight edge.

Late in the game, Elika remarks to the Prince that she "won't always be there to save you." But the real problem with Prince of Persia is that it seems designed to perpetually save you from even the slightest hint of challenge or frustration. For all its beautiful environments and animations, it's a game that makes the player feel extraneous and, ultimately, feel as if it's a bit pointless to continue playing.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.