Players who've only used the PC version probably won't notice it. It's really only an issue for players who have tried both, though.
Oh, don't get me wrong, the Prince is perfectly controllable on the PC and players shouldn't have any difficulty getting the hero to do what they want, it's just that, after trying out the game with a PS2 gamepad, I found the PCs keyboard controls a little looser and sloppier. This is an extremely puzzling omission, especially for anyone who's played a console version of the game. It's worth noting that the PC version of The Sands of Time does not contain gamepad support - the only way to control the Prince's movements is via a keyboard and mouse. Including the rewind option lessens the inevitable frustration that these "die and retry" games seem to cause. It's obviously a way to get around the traditional "save and restore" rollercoaster that games like this get into, but the way it's done - including the slick graphical effect that accompanies it - is nothing short of brilliant. While a simple slip-up can send you to instant death at almost any time, the "Dagger of Time" the Prince carries has the ability to rewind the last ten seconds of the game, meaning you can instantly "undo" your death and try again. The Sands of Time is also quite forgiving when it comes time to make your moves. Fortunately, that didn't happen and solving these puzzles is tremendously enjoyable. Had the level design (or the controls) not been up to snuff, it could have been a disaster. Every level of Prince of Persia is a fiendishly designed deathtrap, and figuring out the right combination of moves, jumps, and tricks that will get you up to the other side makes up the majority of the gameplay in Prince of Persia. That leads to the game's first strong point - the level design. The Prince has to use his extraordinary array of jumps, flips, swings, and leaps - all animated with amazing beauty and grace - to jump, roll, and dive his way through the game's levels. Add in the damage that the castle has undergone when the "Hourglass of Time" was broken, and you can see the problem.
Said system includes a whole bunch of elaborate traps including saw blades, spring-loaded scimitars, spikes, and much more. The castle that the Prince finds himself in has an elaborate security system that I'm pretty sure wasn't standard issue for 9th century Persian palaces, but nonetheless stands between him and the goal. Now, he has to track down the evil Vizier, collect all of the sand, and somehow defeat the Vizier to put everything back the way it's supposed to be. This pretty much FUBARs the whole region, turning its denizens into bizarre sand-filled monsters and putting a serious crimp in the Prince's day. While there, they take advantage of a sneaky vizier (is there another kind?) to launch an assault on an unsuspecting maharajah's castle and steal an extraordinary artifact: an hourglass containing the titular "Sands of Time." Returning to Persia, the Prince gets tricked into smashing the hourglass containing the sands. The Sands of Time finds our nameless Persian hero traveling through India in the company of his father. Ubisoft has helped the Prince make the transition to the 21st century in grand style. Still, whether you're an old fogey like me or a young kid just starting up in the gaming world, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time belongs in your collection. Suffice it to say that our love stems from the memories of the first two Prince of Persia games - brilliant combinations of side-scrolling action and puzzle solving that quickly became classics. Gamers who only got into the hobby recently and are only familiar with the nastiness of the recent Prince of Persia 3D might be puzzled about why many old school gamers like myself are so excited at the revival of the Prince of Persia franchise. Developer Ubi Soft Montreal, best known for its work on Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, has worked closely with the original game's creator Jordan Mechner for this new tale in the Prince of Persia series. As in previous games, cinematic cut-scenes help tell the story as the prince overcomes a number of deadly traps and enemies lurking inside the Persian palace. With the help of an ally, players must right this wrong by recapturing the Sands of Time before the deceitful vizier can harness its power.Īs players explore each room, from an ornate reception hall to an underground foundry, they will be able to perform a number of acrobatic moves to protect them from harm. The story begins with the titular prince tricked by a vizier into using a mystical dagger to release the Sands of Time from an hourglass. The classic story, which had players guiding a young prince through a trap-filled palace to save his beloved from marrying an evil vizier, has been updated with 3D graphics and new traps and puzzles. One of computer gaming's biggest titles makes its return with the release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.