Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

So I managed to pick up Prince of Persia for the PS2 for only $20 brand-new last week. Ashley and I finished it in short order. I'm left with an overall pleasant impression of the game, but that doesn't mean that the game is merely "okay." It's really an absolute gem of a game with a couple of blemishes that, unfortunately, take away from the overall beauty of the experience.

What's good: The story, which has our hero (a Persian Prince, go figure) trying to undo a curse that he's unwittingly unleashed upon his people, is good fun and is well-presented. The two main protagonists have a great chemistry together and are dynamic, in that they actually develop in ways that are noticable during the actual gameplay. Their banter is hilarious and it adds a lot of colour to the game. You really grow to like the main character a lot. The graphics are nothing short of jaw-dropping, with clever environments and character designs. The animation is crisp and beautiful (outstanding work!), and the controls are fluid and for the most part very intuitive. The music works well, but varies from adequete to awesome. The exploration aspects of the game - which have you running along walls, jumping over pits, swinging from ropes, pulling switches, etc. - are fun and challenging, without being too frustrating (or too complicated). The swordfighting is really fun and dynamic, and it's deep enough to keep you on your toes - learning more effecient strategies through trial and error. The use of the Dagger of Time - which enables you to rewind time to undo mistakes, such as falling crotch-first onto a bed of razors or getting a machete to the face, also works well in combat - allowing you to do cool stuff like freeze enemies in time, turn them to dust, or slow them down.

What's bad: The combat can drag on a bit long when the enemies just keep coming and coming, and sometimes 10-on-1 seems just a bit unfair, especially when the enemies only need a few hits to screw you over. The end boss (and ending) are shockingly underwhelming, considering the high quality and intensity of the rest of the game. As with most 3D games, the camera is an issue, but only a couple of times were the issues outright aggrivating. It's a bit short, too.

So, all in all, I'd heartily reccomend it!