|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
email login
|
12 baddies running
11 pints a flowing
10 torches burning
9 bodies lying
8 arms a flailing
7 feet of guts
6 bodies bleeding
55555555 unholy things
4 a cut up corpse
3 entrenched swords
2 gurgling throats
and a game that's really bloodeeeeee
Well, the game has been out for a little while
now, and it's time I sounded off on how swell it is. Picking up after the
first game, the Prince has learned that he will indeed die. Not that we all
won't die, but the Prince has been told he will die a very, miserable fate by
a creature called the Dahaka. The Dahaka was created through a time
disruption inadvertently generated by the Prince in the first game. Now
constantly on the run the Prince knows that his time is up and only through
the power of time will he be able to go back and stop the events of the first
game thereby removing the Dahaka from existence.
If you're thinking that this game is taking a
different tone then the first, you would be right. In the first game, the
Prince seemed almost family friendly, almost a Sinbad like character with his
grandiose bravado and bright colors. Well years of living on the run have
changed our friend the Prince. Now he's a shell of a man, battle hardened and
quick to violence, he doesn't know when the death will occur so he's almost
desperate in his actions, constantly moving, constantly fearful.
Honestly, this is a great way to move the series
on. I liked the Prince's new look and character development. The dark
foreboding that encompasses the game is also a welcome change. And with these
visual changes come the introduction of some really crazy over the top
combat. Prince of Persia Warrior Within introduces a new combat system, and I
will tell you how. Get a gamepad controller, you'll need it. The Prince has
an absolute ton of attacks including attacks that vary from one weapon at a
time, to two weapons at the same time. Jumping combos, using enemies against
themselves, running on wall attacks, etc., etc. Yes, this game is somewhat of
a Jackie Chan type movie with fantastic moves that you control, provided you
work at it. I really liked how the game incorporated the action. As the bad
guys surround you, if you are clever there are always several ways to deal
with each situation, whether it's gutting the nearest baddie and then
systematically moving down the line or kicking one into an object and then
moving away from the melee.
As I stated before, the game's look is very
sinister and foreboding. It really looks great and the texturing is blended
very nicely. The lighting effects were translated well through my graphics
card and sprites were used liberally against the dark shadows. Strange gothic
locales and nasty, creepy locations are a plus for this title. Likewise, the
monsters also were developed rather nicely and all look like they could dish
out some serious harm. Main character creation stands tall with the five main
characters all being designed nicely. The women in the game are for the most
part, evil, and in looking at them that fact is translated nicely with their
sultry yet dangerous looks. Yowza! Not a game for the younger player. I
really thought the game was done graphically very well. The dynamic 3rd
person camera also seemed to play out very well, with minimal camera problems.
From a players perspective, I really got into how
the game unfolds. Since Dahaka is more of a force of nature rather then a
tangible enemy, the Prince knows he can't defeat him in a regular fight, so he
travels to the Island of Time in order to travel back in time and kill the
Empress of time (allot of times huh?). The plot is simple enough, but the
cleverness of the game exposes itself with the reintroduction of the Prince's
sand grains. If, during the game, you make an ill advised leap and begin to
fall to your death, you can activate the sands and rewind the action up to 8
seconds back. Now this is nothing new to the players of the first game and
the old adage "if it isn't broke, then don't fix it" could not be more true.
What is new however, is the fortress that the Prince is running through
contains special rooms that allow you to travel back in time and affect items
in that time so that they can be used back in the current time. It's pretty
cool to see things that are new and working in one age only to be ruined and
decrepit in another.
I love a good soundtrack, and this one has it. A
full, gothic soundtrack with very strong instrumental accompaniment. Booting
up the game, the sinister subtle music got me revved up for some down and
dirty action.
Now I can't say enough about how the game both
ties up loose ends and preps you for what I'm sure will be a third game. But
Prince of Persia is more then the sum of its parts. There is a certain
satisfaction I got while playing this game.
Gameplay: 9.1
Really slick gameplay here folks. Strong controls
with a nifty new fighting system. Traps and time travel, bad guys to
eviscerate and walking force of nature hell-bent on your destruction.
Graphics: 8.8
Wow, really dark, black shadows, really nasty
looking monsters and really hot looking women. This is your dream game if you
are 18 to 34.
Sound: 9.5
Strong gothic soundtrack that peppers the game's
in game action. Quality sound effects and beastly noise emanating from the
monsters. I can't tell you how much I liked the games music. I turned down
the lights and let it envelop me, getting me mentally prepared to do battle.
It's rare that a game can affect me this way, yet it does.
Difficulty: Med/hard
Concept: 8.5
It borrows some elements from the third Onimusha
game, but it still stands tall amongst it's peers in terms of originality.
UBI's got a winning franchise here, let's hope they continue their winning
ways.
Overall: 9.1
This is one of the finest action games I have ever
played on the PC. Get yourself a controller, turn the lights down, put the
young ones to bed and immerse yourself in a fantastic gaming experience.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Affiliate Program • Submit
Reviews • Meet
Affiliates • Link Exchange • Advertise
About GameZone • Privacy Policy • Contact Us! © 1996-2004, GameZone Online. All rights reserved. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
