This game makes you feel like you ARE the lead character in a movie! As your character runs around the screen, jumping over chasms, scooting along walls, and despatching enemy sand-creatures, it is hard to believe that you are controlling him. It is all so life-like (albeit some of the amazing athletic feats the prince performs may be a bit over the top), it really does feel like you're there!
The story is engrossing, the gameplay takes skill (but once you've mastered the controls you should be humming along quite well), the graphics and setting are totally believable (as I said you'll start to think you are the prince); the whole experience has already made me want to restart the game and try to get through without even one "game over" (or save, me being a masochist).
One of the best things in this game is the "dagger of time". It gives you the ability to reverse some of your mishaps, slow time to give you the edge on your enemies, or (as you progress and the dagger gets stronger) even freeze your enemies so that you can despatch them at leisure.