Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

[PhilB]

New PoP game announced today. No actual info/screens but it looks like they're going back to the Sands of Time storyline. They didn't announce any specifics but there's some talk of it maybe being a movie tie-in.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/105/1050182p1.html

Don't know how I feel about it because I loved the new PoP - and it's amazing illustrative look. However, it's possible that this has been in production since the movie has so maybe they haven't completely abondoned the new series but just put it on hold.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

God, I hope they go back to the gameplay of the first PoP in the Sands of Time series. I'm not sure how much shallower or easy mode they could get than the last PoP. Well, I suppose they could just make the whole game one big cutscene where you just press a button every now and then.

If you can't tell I couldn't stand the "gameplay" of the last PoP. Wait nevermind, there wasn't any gameplay... You couldn't explore, you couldn't lose a fight, there were no real puzzles, your path was always extremely obviously marked...

Regards,
SB

 

[rekator]

God, I hope they go back to the gameplay of the first PoP in the Sands of Time series. I'm not sure how much shallower or easy mode they could get than the last PoP. Well, I suppose they could just make the whole game one big cutscene where you just press a button every now and then.

If you can't tell I couldn't stand the "gameplay" of the last PoP. Wait nevermind, there wasn't any gameplay... You couldn't explore, you couldn't lose a fight, there were no real puzzles, your path was always extremely obviously marked...

Regards,
SB

Yes, the last PoP is one of the more boring game I'm playing. But I got the feeling that the gameplay (the absence of gameplay) will be the same that the last.

 

[PhilB]

New info about the game. Looks like it's not tied into the new movie at all but it's going to be a true sequel to the Sands of Time!

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/105/1054785p1.html

 

[obonicus]

It still looks like Jake G. is in it.

 

[warcrow]

Mini-Review

I'm near the end of PoP:TFS and it's definitely a game that is in need of more love from Ubisoft. It's a game that hasn’t a clue as to what it wants to be, it’s seemingly lost it's way home to it's predecessors. The nice thing is that it does feel like, in spirit, a sequel to the Sands of Time series, but unfortunately it adds some curious and unnecessary elements to the game that feel tacked on.

Did you know that in PoP:TFS you gain experience points by killing stuff? That's right, and you know where there's XP there's a...<drum roll>...a skill tree!<cheer> In a game where there is slight variations in the amount of guys you kill, there is actually a very limited and trivial system that allows you to "build" up your character. Sure you can drop points into a slot to do more damage with your sword or increase your energy bar, but it all seems pointless because the game remains exactly the game. This is a prime example of a game that should have been designed, like the previous versions, to give the player a very specific experience without the annoyances of haggling with a skill point system.

Perhaps this skill point system could have worked if Ubisoft decided to REALLY run with it by changing the game design dramatically and open the world up to the player--like Batman: Arkham Asylum where it's more of a guided open-world. But the game ultimately falls short of its ambitions and doesn’t succeed. But to be honest I'm not even sure I would want something like that. I really enjoyed Sands of Time and I would've loved it if Ubisoft would have focused more on that. Make a good, solid Prince of Persia with fantastic art, memorable level design, interesting characters and a protagonist who's a little more authentic (and unshaven). This whole thing works about as well as if you might imagine if Half-Life 3 had a skill tree.


The graphics are, at times, somewhat pleasing but they tend to be mostly boring, mundane and repetitious. The texture work and actual architectural design is fine I suppose, but the problem is that nothing is memorable. Levels from the beginning of the game seem to melt right into the ones near the end.

The protagonist, though animated well, is just a pillar of oddity. I'm not sure how else to say it but--his face looks weird, and I think this might be partly due to the fact that his facial hair (including eyebrows) are too perfectly groomed. I know it's weird, but he's annoying and coupled with the clichéd snarky attitude. Plus he looks more like a California surfer-dude than a Persian prince. The absolute strangest thing though is the fact that someone decided he should have a BRITISH accent! What?

The general enemies, mini-bosses and boss designs are dull. Everything is forgettable and without personality. I feel like I've seen everything 37 somewhere else in my life--be it from other video games or movies--and it's groan inducing.

What I will say is nice is the platforming design. The Prince is a touch too sluggish at first but once you adapt the running, jumping and flipping feels great. This is easily the most redeeming aspect of the game. The environmental puzzles are never difficult or frustrating, but also can be a touch too easy at times.

In the end I think Ubisoft should have stuck with the Sands of Time system: focus on the rewind mechanic, the platforming, more interesting characters and gameplay. Ditch the unnecessary experience and skill tree system and move on.

 

[PhilB]

[The protagonist, though animated well, is just a pillar of oddity. I'm not sure how else to say it but--his face looks weird, and I think this might be partly due to the fact that his facial hair (including eyebrows) are too perfectly groomed. I know it's weird, but he's annoying and coupled with the clichéd snarky attitude. Plus he looks more like a California surfer-dude than a Persian prince. The absolute strangest thing though is the fact that someone decided he should have a BRITISH accent! What?

Actually he's voiced by the same guy who did the SoT prince, who had a British accent. And yeah his look is horrible. I don't know how they screwed his face up so bad but he looks like a caveman rather than a Persian. It seems most reviews agree with you and say it's pretty average. Still I'm probably going to pick it up since I loved the SoT - the graphics also look pretty good from what I've seen.

Oh and I'd just thought I'd post this:

http://kotaku.com/5545824/ubisoft-ruins-prince-of-persia-box-art

Seriously Ubi?

 

[Svensk Viking]

Have played the Wii version quite a bit now, I enjoy the game...Have really missed these kind of games this generation

 

[Sigfried1977]

The Wii version, while obviously inferior on a mere technical level, is a heck of a lot more pleasing on the eyes than the "next-gen"-versions.
I think the next gen versions actually could have looked a great deal better if the designers simply put more colors in it. There is actually some rather nice architecture in the game, but everything just blurs together in endless waves of browns and yellows. Even the greens of the plants look sort of rotten. A desert setting is no excuse for that either. Just look at the first game or The Mummy movies.
The platforming is really well done though and the Anvil engine even got some nice updates, like god rays (the likes of which the game hardly ever capitalizes on) and SSAO. I also really like how well the clothes of the female Djinn are done, or the prince's flexing bizeps.

Technically competent game, but utterly misguided in a lot of ways. Short as hell too. The climax is pretty spectacular at least.