First off, this game is a load of fun. Prince of Persia is one of those memories I have from way, way back when my computer only displayed four colours (if you can call black a colour) and I used to try and beat the seemingly impossible clock on the original game. And never did it. So it is nice to be able to indulge in a bit of sword-swinging pole climbing ledge hanging fun once again. And this game has it in spades.
The developers have managed to bring together great gameplay, a fine plot, wonderful graphics and a real sense of fun and adventure to create something that is really an all-round success. The graphics in particular are very well done - the character models are very comprehensive and never look blocky or puppet-like. The Prince's animations in particular are very smooth, something which has always been present in the PoP games. They should be too, as he can perform all manner of spine-cracking and neck-twisting feats.
The sound is also fantastic. It never really comes to the front, but is hanging off in the background, when suddenly it will come bursting in at just the right moment, like when you enter a room full of bad guys.
The fights can be quite extraordinary, wtih the Prince usually surrounded by four or five goons at a time, all trying to poke him with sharp things. Thanks to his athleticism you can normally steer him out of such messes, and the Sands of Time help here a lot, which allow you to rewind if you die, or freeze a particular enemy, slow them all down, or freeze time entirely and hack away.
One problem I do have is with the control system. Instead of being character-centre, the controls are screen-centred, so up is always up, even if the Prince is facing a different way. Camera changes can sometimes mean,m therefore, that you'll run out of a room one way, then when the camera shifts you're still holding the same key and will run back inside. It can be frustrating. But there are a few camera tricks which allow the player to get a real feel of what is around the Prince, which really helps as the game progresses as the way out of the huge environments gets less and less easy to spot, and requires more and more gymnastics.
All in all, a fantastic game that should not be missed. (And there is a sequel coming out soon, too).
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