Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003) (VG)

Writer:

Jordan Mechner (writer)

Release Date:

4 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Plot:

A young prince with expert fighting skills acquires the Dagger of Time, and unknowingly releases the powerful Sands of Time with it. Now he is trapped in a palace with sand creatures and most undo the unfortunate deed he has done.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Palace | Persia | Sword | Time Travel

Awards:

10 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Yuri Lowenthal	...	Prince (voice)
Joanna Wasick	...	Farah (voice)
Barry Dennen	...	Vizier (voice)
Warren Burton	...	King Shahraman (voice)
William Knight	...	Sultan (voice)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:12

Company:

Ubisoft Montreal Studios

Trivia:

There is a code you can input upon starting a new game (while staying outside on the balcony) that will load a 3D version of the first level from the original Prince Of Persia game from 1989. While tricky to do (it may take a few tries), and while the level/mini-game has no end (the team didn't have enough time to complete it), it still has two main goals (attaining a sword and getting into the secret room) and it's fun to go and see. Inside the secret room you will find 24 pack cases and empty bottles of POP drinks (a play on the European nickname for soda/soft drink - "pop" as in "bottles of pop" and the Prince Of Persia acronym as well), a giant poster of the POP Team themselves and stands full of Penguin Caffeinated Mints (which explains why the team put the company's credit into the end game Credits). The only sign of what the Penguin stand is, is because the stand logo has one word: "Penguin", a penguin logo and the mainly orange packaging. The company's website looks almost the same four years after the game was made. You can also use the Landscape button to see glimpses into the secret room, and it changes every time you swap screens.

Quotes:

Prince: If you can crawl under that gate I'll really be surprised... I knew that crack was there.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004) (VG)

Zelda meets Soulreaver.

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" is a pleasant gaming-experience with a unique atmosphere and truly stunning visuals (see the animations for yourself, and you'll know what I'm talkin about!).

To be honest: PoP - Sands of Time lacks innovation, as most elements of gameplay have already been seen before. Many camera-techniques, most riddles and a fair share of the controls have obviously been inspired by "The Legend Of Zelda - Ocarina of Time", some visuals (especially the outdoor locations) resemble "Ico", and if you ever played "Soul Reaver 2", you won't lose the feeling that you somehow know what's gonna happen next.

Nevertheless, PoP was one of the most capturing and entertaining pieces of software to hit my system in a "long" time, because all the (wisely chosen) elements were put together so artfully, that the final product is at least as "fresh" as most of its mental predecessors were at their time. One thing that impressed me was the nearly endless repertoire of moves the Prince can perform and combine without ever leaving the player's control. You never really *notice* the engine enabling you to perform the moves at ´the specified spots... everything just WORKS, and it works well. The Prince is without a doubt one of the most agile heroes ever to appear in a game: He runs up or along walls, climbs most any surface, walljumps like mario and does somersaults, cartwheels, backflips and helldoIknowwhatelse when and wherever you want him to. As for the fighting system, PoP has taken a great leap forward in comparison to everything available up to now, as it combines the arcade-like fighting with a blocking-system quick as lightning and some matrix-moves that are marvelously cool to look at. The graphics are well done (best hair animation ever!), although some people might not like the blurry filter that lies on the entire scenery, but in my opinion it just helps creating a wonderful "Arabian tales" atmosphere. Music's alright when it's playing (mostly in fight scenes... silence is your friendly companion for the largest part of the journey). Just imagine oriental tunes with a slight touch of industrial. If you like atmospheric adventures with a lot of artistic jumping, climbing and swordfighting, this one's for you.

8.5/10