Review

If like me you had become increasingly frustrated with the direction Ubisoft had taken with Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones and Warrior Within then Ubisoft Montreal's 2008 re-imagining should serve as a reminder as to why you fell in love with the series in the first place. Where Warrior Within and The Two Thrones followed a dark and violent path full of frustratingly constricted enemy encounters and a tone gratingly out of sync with The Sands of Time , this reboot reverberates like a breath of fresh air, the kind of gust that makes you forget about the diminishing returns delivered by The Warrior Within and its sequel The Two Thrones

Like many, I was reticent about another Prince of Persia reboot but this version bucks the trend and ends up working because it exists in its own wonderfully crafted universe with a graphical style that is visually appealing and asks that you kindly forget that Warrior Within and The Two Thrones ever existed. In fact the "Prince" in the title is not even a prince but a cocky, wise-cracking thief looking for his donkey - whom he gets separated from during a violent sandstorm - when he comes face to face with a beautiful and mysterious stranger called Elika who is trying to escape from a contingency of guards her father has sent to capture her. We soon learn that Elika is a princess and that her father is the King that our jarringly Americanized Middle-Eastern "prince" finds himself in. Without giving too much of the plot away, Elika's father manages to destroy an ancient tree in a moment of madness, a tree that Elika had sworn to protect because of the evil it contained. Soon the land is engulfed in blackness and corruption as the God of Darkness himself, Ahriman, is released from his prison.

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What is immediately noticeable with the reboot is how streamlined the combat is from previous versions, but players need fear not because despite being streamlined it's also surprisingly deep. There is a sword attack, an acrobatic move, a gauntlet grab and throw, Elika's magic attack and the standard block. For the most part, you will be looking for an opening in the enemies attack stance before firing off a combination of sword attacks, acrobatics and magical blasts that are incredibly satisfying to pull off when chained together correctly. I was not too enamored with the QTE events that pop up during enemy encounters when things haven't quite gone your way simply because of the speed at which you need to execute them. Encounters do get further complicated by the starting state of an enemy. The starting state of an enemy will determine what type combat combinations you can use against it. Often enemies will switch in and out of states so you will need to adapt your fighting style on the move as some combinations will be useless against an enemy.

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Visually, Prince of Persia (2008) goes for a completely new look with cell shaded graphics that are exquisitely crisp and fluid to look at. This new graphical look often evokes that of a watercolor painting constantly in motion. Like the combat system, this new versions control system has also undergone a revamp and is far more simplified than previous versions. This actually ends up being a welcome addition because it allows for some incredibly cinematic death-defying acrobatics if you manage to string together a successful combination of wall runs, jumps, slides and grapples. Speaking about death-defying stunts, this is one area where the reboot stirs up some controversy. There is no death mechanic. Throughout the entire journey, which lasts roughly between 10-15 hours depending on your playstyle, Elika will not only be an aid in combat but also a lifesaver as she uses her magic abilities to rescue the player from death. I ended up rather enjoying this mechanic because I found it removed the frustration that often accompanies these precision point platform adventures. Elika ends up being a useful and incredibly likable sidekick that thankfully doesn't simply exist in the game world as a poor damsel in distress waiting for a strapping young hero or plumber to come along and save her.

Conclusion

I found this reboot successfully achieved everything it set out to do. It's gorgeous to look at, exhilarating to play and has a surprising little twist at the end. By the time I had completed the game I was so immensely satisfied with the experience that it is now my favorite game in the entire franchise. Prince of Persia (2008) effortlessly earns a "Recommended" purchase from me.

Rating