2006/02/14

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was one of my all time favorite PS2 adventure games, but the sequel, Warrior Within just didn't do it for me. Maybe because of all the sudden changes like the Price suddenly getting an attitude change and the darker, grittier feel and story of the game? Thankfully, The Two Thrones reinstills my faith in the series as much like the first game it just draws you in with a great story, great gameplay and some welcomed gameplay innovations.
The game is a direct sequel to Sands of Time and Warrior Within, so it's the same Prince as he returns to his homeland only to find it burning as he arrives. His ship gets sunk, his girl gets kidnapped and sacrificed, and the Sands of Time are again unleashed, leaving the Prince half-infected and fighting to take back his kingdom.
The story really pulls you in, and with the classic gameplay mechanics still intact, long time players will be able to jump right in, only having to learn some of the new Quick Kill moves, which are stealth attacks where you sneak up behind an enemy and take them out silently. This is a cool and unique addition to the gameplay as you get a real sense of satisfaction when you get it right. The new stealth aspect to the game fits right in too.
There's also the new Dark Prince, as I like to call him. At certain points in the game the Price will be taken over by the Sands of Time, but still have control over his body. But your health meter drops as he moves on in this mode so it's important to get past the area as fast as you can, breaking objects or killing enemies for sand to replenish your health along the way.
The classic puzzle elements of the previous games are intact, and everything can be solved with some thought and a little looking around. As big as the environments can be, you never really get lost or feel a sense of not knowing what you should be doing next.
Combat is the usual hack'n'slash the game is known for, with combos now depending on the type of secondary weapon your holding. There's a small variety of enemies, but the boss battles can be quite challenging at times. One boss even takes a que from Shadow of the Colossus as you have to battle this huge giant in a closed off arena, using the environment to try and mount your huge foe so that you can attack his weak spots.
Overall, long time fans of the game will easilly get into this one, and if you've never played any of the previous games in the series, it's probably recommended that you do so you don't miss out on any of the storyline as all 3 games are connected. This is easilly one of the best action/adventure games ever.

Game Rating:
Graphics - 9
Sound - 8
Gameplay - 9
Lifespan - 8
Overall - 9

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