That Prince can move, baby!

Princes Kneel Before You

The Prince of Persia has had many looks over the years, but the one that stands out most in gamers' minds is the one from the Sands of Time trilogy.  The games, especially the first, were able to take what made the platforming in the original 2d games fun and update them to an almost acrobatic level while also doing away with the rampant frustration that came from many failed jumps.  This was done with the introduction of a rewind feature that allowed players to undo any of the mistakes they made during the course of the game.  It proved so popular that every version since has used this function though it was changed significantly, along with many other elements, in 2008's Prince of Persia.  That game introduced a new Prince, a new setting, and a new form of platforming, one based around fluidity and flow.  To say the game was met with divided opinions is an understatement but overall I enjoyed my time with the game and was looking forward to the next installment.  When I discovered that The Forgotten Sands was returning to the Prince introduced in the Sands of Time, I was more than a little disappointed.

However, when I actually sat down to play the game, I was quickly reminded why I loved the Sands of Time so much.  The Forgotten Sands picks up sometime after the first game (though still before Warrior Within) with the Prince travelling to visit his older brother, Malik, in order to better learn how to lead.  Rather than a grand welcome, he finds Malik's palace under siege by an invading army.  After meeting up with his brother, it becomes obvious that the battle is lost with the only hope being the fabled army of King Solomon that happens to be locked away beneath the palace.  The Prince has reservations and for good reason, as the army actually belongs to an evil Ifrit named Ratash.  Separated from Malik, the Prince meets a female Djinn and is instructed to reseal Ratash. 

The plot is nothing special but it is well told with likable characters and fun dialogue.  It also gives just enough motivation that players will want to see how it all turns out, if only to see what the Prince will be quipping next.  Sometimes the one-liners fall flat or seem oddly out of place when juxtaposed with some of the more melancholy cutscenes, but they still go a long way to giving the Prince some personality.  This isn't the selfish Prince from 2008's game or even the sulking Prince from Warrior Within.  He is a rogue and prone to doubt, but is still willing to do what has to be done. 

Just Go Ahead Now

The Forgotten Sands is a platformer at heart and never forgets it.  The game returns to the timing-based platforming of the Sands of Time trilogy, which means jumps and wall-runs are all dependent on finding just the right moment to make your move.  Climbing, jumping, shimmying, swinging, and even sliding down banners, the Prince does it all. Along with those basic abilities, the Prince learns magic that's able to take him even further.  First is the ability to freeze water in place and use it as if it were a solid object.  There is also a teleport spell that allows him to use enemies as platforms.  Finally, he learns how to phase in platforms that once were there but are now gone. 

Each new ability is given a small section afterward to help teach you the ins and outs of what's possible with it.  The result is a near perfect difficulty curve.  It's almost too easy in the beginning but once the different abilities start getting mixed together, the game quickly becomes a challenging and fun experience.  There is nothing more exhilarating than swinging from a pole to a water spout that must be frozen, then jumping to another while undoing the freeze spell long enough that the Prince can make it through the flowing water.  It all requires perfect timing on the button presses but never becomes frustrating thanks to the time rewind feature.  Rewinding mistakes is much the same as in previous games except there is a limit to how much it can be used.  If the meter empties and the Prince dies, players will have to restart at the last checkpoint  (although these are typically generous in their placement). 

The platforming is the most fun part of the game without a doubt.  It's obvious that a lot of time and effort went into making it feel that way.  Unfortunately this means that the combat can never really compete with it.  The Prince has a basic repertoire of sword strikes, charge attacks, kicks, and rolls.  It's easy to get stuck in the habit of mashing the sword button, but even when switching up your attack pattern the combat feels repetitive and bland.  A magic system is also in place allowing the Prince to learn four elemental spells: an earth shield, a fire step, a water blast, and a wind burst.  Each one can be upgraded in power thanks to a leveling system.  My favorite is the maxed-out wind spell that unleashes a tornado taking out everything in its path.  These magic attacks are attached to the same meter as the time rewind so it forces players to decide if a spell is worth it or if they'll need it for the next platforming section.

Rather than the one on one fights from 2008's Prince of Persia, the Prince constantly takes on groups of enemies that can number in the twenties.  It's a case of quantity over quality, as enemies generally like to take turns attacking.  Strangely, even in the moments where I was completely surrounded, I never felt worried.  Enemy variety is also lacking with about five different types and only one that requires the Prince to change his strategy.  There were also a few boss battles that were frankly uninteresting. That is, until I reached the final boss.  My jaw dropped as I was thrust into a scenario that perfectly blended the platforming and the combat and made for one of the most visually interesting setpieces I've encountered in a long time.  The boss itself is nothing special but getting to him was amazing.  Once the game is finished, which will take between eight and ten hours, there's an unlockable skin and two challenge modes.  The challenge modes will take about ten minutes apiece to finish but they're good for quickly leveling up the rest of your abilities as they can carry over into your next playthrough.

Just a Technicality

The graphics lack the consistency of the rest of the game.  Some areas look downright beautiful while others look dull and uninteresting.  Although it may not be pretty to look at most of the time, the level designs are so well done that you'll forget about the graphics soon after you start playing.  There's some great geometry at work here and, other than the always seemingly out of place traps, everything looks natural for what is happening onscreen.  Character design is also strong throughout with Ratash looking particularly powerful.  Oddly, it's the Prince who looks the most out of place mainly because of his odd facial structure.  It works, but I never got over the feeling that his lower jaw jutted out just a bit too far.  Of course his face is not a huge concern, as players will only see it during cutscenes.  More importantly the Prince's animation is fluid and almost simian in its presentation.  Particularly impressive is when he swings to a lower bar and has to compensate for the odd positioning.  Try it out and you’ll see what I mean.

Sound design is solid throughout with a musical score that emphasizes both the Arabian setting and the adventure of what is happening onscreen.  It never becomes too overbearing and instead just lets you sit back and enjoy the game.  Sound effects are also good, especially the clicking and clanking of released traps and moving gears.  The sounds of battle are the weakest part, as sword strikes lack weight and often I felt removed from the action.  Bringing back the original voice actor of the Prince from Sands of Time was a brilliant move, and he's just as good here as he was then.  He has the tone of a prince but just enough roguish personality to know that he's a bit of a troublemaker.  The other actors do fine as well, and I particularly liked how Ratash spoke exclusively in a foreign language.  You know he doesn't have the best intentions, but you have no idea what those intentions are.  Despite such a solid package, the game did have its fair share of glitches causing the audio to actually drop out several times throughout the game.  Though it would only last for a second or two, it immediately pulled me out of the experience.  The occurrences were randomized as well because when I did a second playthrough it happened at completely different times.

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is not an evolution or revolution to the series by any means.  Despite that, it's still a grand experience through and through, surprising me with the quality of its platforming (by far the main draw).  The classic design is just as strong as ever and though it is not directly tied with the upcoming movie, those who pick it up thinking that it is will find a thoroughly fun experience in spite of a few hiccups along the way.