THE PRINCE ARRIVES

Surprisingly, it doesn't seem like the Prince is up to the task -- at least not initially. The controls' somewhat sluggish nature, combined with some odd last-second camera perspective-switching (like in previous games), results in occasional missteps. Imagine running along a wall, and just before you jump, the camera switches and makes the Prince cling and slide instead. Fortunately, the Prince's magic-imbued ally, Elika, routinely bails you out from assured death: If you happen to screw up while zipping through a level, she plants you back on sure-footed ground for a do-over. While this human safety net may seem counterintuitive in offering a sense of challenge, the entire process functions similarly to most other death-checkpoint systems (you die, you go back to a nearby checkpoint), but with the added benefit of giving the action a more seamless feel.

 

In this case, that's quite important, as Prince of Persia (much like Mirror's Edge) is at its best when everything feels like it's in a constant state of motion -- particularly when the Prince moves fluidly throughout levels to reach their respective fertile grounds. Something's just inherently satisfying about seeing where you need to end up, and getting there in dramatic acrobatic fashion. Admittedly, Prince of Persia cheats this fluidity from time to time with some excessive handholding that makes longer segments of platforming feel more like drawn-out quick-time events, taking most of the control out of your hands and relegating movement to a single button. Yet, even these parts still require sharp attention -- quick glances away from the screen produce potentially annoying consequences.

But no sequences are more annoying in Prince of Persia than the trial-and-error moments involving the plates that give the Prince and Elika their special powers. Two of these four plates essentially act as teleportation devices, flinging the pair from one wall to the next; it's all automatic, provided you press a button at the right time. Easy enough...but the other two plates (which allow the Prince to run up walls and fly) are a bit trickier, since you have full control over the Prince for the purposes of avoiding obstacles. Unfortunately, it's often difficult to judge where these obstacles are in relation to the Prince, so his head usually ends up on the business end of a wall, lamp, or whatever else happens to be in the way. Of course, Elika steps in and sends you back to the first plate (or where you last stood on two feet). Normally this isn't an issue, but when you're halfway through a long flying or running sequence that has no gaps, starting all over again borders on tedium -- especially if you make it past the first obstacle you hit and then ram into a completely different one shortly thereafter.

 

Thankfully, you'll find a pretty even amount of plates scattered throughout the world, so the more irritating ones don't override all the game's other entertaining aspects, such as the combat. Indeed, while the relatively small number of enemies suggests that the battles may be an afterthought, it's quite the opposite: The sporadic 1-on-1 fights and numerous boss encounters are engaging, slower-paced affairs that revolve around precision and rhythmic timing as opposed to freewheeling button-mashing. Actually, it's quite similar to Assassin's Creed in that respect, only with a bit more diversity in the combinations available. And while these fights aren't quite as acrobatic as those in previous Prince of Persia games, the sense of satisfaction for accurately timing a parry and then moving into a crazy attack involving both the Prince and Elika makes them entertaining.

The inclusion of light seeds (little orbs of light you need to collect in order open new areas) as a collection element plays into this as well, since they're generally lined up along main paths within a level, and therefore keep the game moving along nicely. Even the seeds off the beaten path are still fun to chase after and introduce a small exploration element to the game -- at no point does it really feel like a chore to collect them and progress. The seeds are plentiful, and if you remain somewhat diligent in collecting them for the first several levels, you don't need to be nearly as thorough later on.

 

Prince of Persia delivers well-crafted gameplay that borrows elements from its predecessors (and plenty of other titles) but makes great strides in developing a new identity for a series -- and a character that isn't as completely annoying as you might think from the first few lines of dialogue -- that seemingly lost its focus over the past few years. Of course, some issues here and there disrupt its goal in surpassing The Sands of Time, but it's an incredibly enjoyable journey nonetheless.