Prince of Persia - 360

Amazing Acrobat

And that's where the insane platforming and acrobatic maneuvering comes in. Because Elika can reach out and save the Prince from any deadly fall, repeating obstacles over and over is usually avoidable. This gives the game a more fluid sense of play, and keeps it moving forward at a steady pace. I found this much more pleasing than the often frustrating challenges of other Prince games, usually because if you died, you'd often have to repeat some rather lengthy sections.

Most of the corrupted areas require a boss or mini-boss battle to heal them, and these get progressively difficult along the journey. I was initially put off by the fighting system, but about halfway through the game, I really started to enjoy it. There aren't an abundant amount of enemies, but the fighting system is puzzle-y by nature-like a mini Metroid or Shadow of the Colossus. Blocking is essential, and well-timed blocks allow the Prince to counter attacks. Sword attacks and grabs are the Prince's only way to physically attack enemies, but he can also call on Elika to unleash a series of magical melee attacks.

The tricky party comes with phase changes. Ahriman's dark enemies rise from the corrupted ground like a geyser of black fog. Easier enemies can be attacked in several ways, but more complex ones shift between phases where only a specific attack will work, and in some cases, you can't block. Certain enemies can't be hurt at all, so you'll have to use the environment to take them down. While you won't see the multi-thieved sword fights of the Prince's past, once you get accustomed to this new system, it becomes very rewarding, with nods to Zelda-like adventure games.

Prince of Persia - 360

Prince of Preposterous (Dialogue)

The one thing I didn't like about the Prince and Elika's relationship was the dialouge: listening to the pair converse is borderline agonizing. If you're expecting a return to the mysteriously intriguing Prince from the Sands of Time, well, tough luck. This Prince is more of the "average Joe" type, typically spouting smart-mouthed remarks every time he opens his mouth. In fact, the game's dialogue is often laughable, especially when other characters enter the story line. And it really doesn't help that both the Prince and Elika both look like characters out of a romance novel, with his rippling chest and her flowing hair and bountiful bosom. It's quite ridiculous, but thankfully, the dialogue is kept to a minimum, so it's somewhat easy to ignore.

But while our heroic pair may seem a bit cheesy in character design, the rest of the game-world is certainly not. The corrupted lands are dark and creepy, providing a great contrast to the vibrantly colorful and fertile areas that get restored. Similar to the Impressionistic-influenced world of Okami, this game deserves praise for its beautiful surroundings, a catchy Indiana Jones-inspired orchestral soundtrack, and even more design kudos for gracefully blending the in-game obstacles together in such a fluid fashion.

New Beginnings

All told, this is a great debut for the Prince of Persia series on the PS3 and Xbox 360. While I can't help but miss the old Prince's darker character, the new Prince's world is just too much fun to play through. Once you have at it, I'm sure you'll feel the same way.

PROS: Addictively fun acrobatic platforming, thought-provoking boss battles, beautiful Okami-inspired world, abundant puzzles to solve.
CONS: Incredibly cheesy voice acting, character design evokes romance novels, some will miss the darker Prince of old, no time manipulation.
Prince of Persia - 360
Prince of Persia - 360

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