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Many years ago there used to be a game called Prince of Persia, it was a platform game where you controlled the prince through many levels, fighting your way through and avoiding all the traps. Fast forward to the present day and now you have got Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time. No longer is it 2 dimensional, but a glorious 3 dimensional world where once again you control the Prince and fight your way through the many levels, avoiding the traps and completing the many puzzles and obstacles.
In fact the Sands of Time is a prequel to the original. You are introduced to a young Prince eager to fight in his first battle. He is part of his father's army as they attack an Indian palace and as a trophy of victory, they take some treasures including a giant hourglass containing the mystical Sands of Time and a dagger, which the Prince takes as his own personal prize. This turns out to be a big mistake, as the Prince inadvertently unleashes the Sands of Time on the palace. The Sands are a plague that transforms everyone they touch into terrible sand creatures... Only the Prince is spared because of the dagger, which gives him special powers of time. Also a mysterious, beautiful girl who was captured as a prisoner of war... she escapes too. And the two of them are forced to join together to survive.
The Prince must undo all the trouble that he has caused by unleashing the Sands with the help of his special dagger and acrobatic skills. The dagger allows the owner to turn back time, which is especially handy if you as the Prince, fall to your death. As for his acrobatic skills, you can run along walls, grab onto columns, swing from ropes and walk along narrow beams.
Graphics:
At 60 frames per second, this game runs so smooth and freely that you will find it hard to fault anything. The colour and scenery is pure magic which gives the game a feel that is in most games…..lacking. During the game, the appearance of the Prince changes. At the start he is wearing all of his battle armour, but by the end of the game and several beatings, he would have lost most of his armour. Also, the animations for when he is standing still do change over the course of the game. If you set down the controller for a minute and just watch the Prince, you will see that in the early stages of the game, he seems impatient and eager to fight... By the end of the game, he has become a more mature and weary warrior and this is reflected in the way he stands, as if he is conserving energy or meditating before the next challenge.
Sound:
Perfect !! The use of authentic Persian and Middle Eastern instruments really give the game an atmosphere. In fact, if the music was in a film, it would probably win Best Film Score. It is that good. Apart from the music, the voices of the characters are superb. The narration by the Prince is subtle and elegant and helps move the story forward.
Longevity:
There is only one level of difficulty to this game but as you progress, the puzzles and enemies all get harder to fight and solve. Once you have finished and if you find the secret room, the original Prince of Persia is opened up.
Round Up:
Overall, the game is so full of character and style that you will find it hard to put the controller down and switch off your Xbox.
Pros:
- Excellent animation and graphics
- Rewind Time.
- Music
Cons:
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