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A preview of a worthy sequel...(rating based on first-look)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 19
Date: November 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you enjoyed playing Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time, then you will be spellbound by its sequel "Warrior Within". This game no doubt, ups the ante of the previous rendition by a huge scale. Since I am not in a position to review it yet, let me state my first impressions of the game in the context of the videos and files I've gone through.

Firstly, the protagonist. The Prince in the first game was an up-and-coming warrior of immense skill and heart. Though naive, he had the courage to set things right . But he had no clear idea of what to do except restore the order of time.
In Warrior Within though, the Prince is 10 yrs older. And more mysterious. He is the ultimate warrior, having experienced countless battles since restoring the Sands of Time. He is dark, broody, independent and utterly dangerous to the point of being manic. And he knows exactly what to do now.

Sands of Time has a very brightly-lit atmosphere to it. All the surroundings are visually breathtaking and there is a soft aura of appearance to it, probably showcasing the transient beauty of the Arabian landscape.
POP-Warrior Within is the exact opposite in appearance. It has vivid and awe-inspiring landscapes, no doubt, but it is creepy, foreboding and unforgiving. It rather showcases the effect of the Sands of Time's disastrous effect on the world. It also has a completely re-worked graphics engine which looks terrific. The terrain and the characters looks extremely realistic and fluid in movement.
I wish to state that if there is any reason POP:WW might have a fallout with you, it could only be the environment itself. Take it for granted that the game will have a very dark, menacing look to it, all through. It will be gorgeous to look at, no doubt, but somehwere down the line, we might start asking "Why is it SO dark in concept?". This could turn us off quite a bit coz' we would want to relate this game to the fantastic feel of Sands of Time. Let's face it. Sands of Time had the most uplifting level design to date. I surely hope Ubisoft has not taken the word 'bleakness' to the extreme.
I also noticed that the Prince is not the same naive, likeable guy we know off. Hopefully he doesn't have a total makeover in his personality.

Neverthless, POP:WW has a lot more to offer.....

Sands of Time had the bubbly Farah as your companion. In Warrior Within, you seek no one's aid in combat. But a few new mysterious characters do help you at times, in achieving your objective. Variety is one thing you can expect.

In Sands of Time, the Prince has only a few but effective combat moves to his repertoire. In one hand he held the Dagger of Time and in the other, he had a Scimitar to deal primary damage and he could piece together a few combos to deal some effective damage.
In Warrior Within, the combat is truly groundbreaking. Just like Ryu Hayabusa in Ninja Gaiden, the Prince has some amazing combos to showcase his skill. Not only can he dual-wield weapons this time around, but he can also grab his assailant's weapon and counter target his enemy. He can also contextually use his environment to good effect, for instance, latch onto a pole and revolve-slash multiple enemies. The effect, I tell you, is something to be seen. Warrior Within is the first game to introduce 'free-form' combat, meaning, you can create your own combos and latch them together to deal some truly unique and incredible attack manoeuvres. Imagine. Think of all the weapons that he gets his hands on and the combos you can attach them to. The though itself is whetting my appetite.

Sands of Time had a sense of grandness that not many games could even think off, particularly the level design. Even Halo cannot compare itself to it. But Warrior Within is very similar to its predecessor. Though darker story-wise, it has the same sweeping sense of scale the first rendition enjoyed and provides a lot more than that. Ubisoft has been clever not to expose everything just yet but it is safe to say that Warrior Within is much bigger than Sands of Time.

The enemies in Sands of Time were few and all of them were zombies. With some understanding, they could be easily disposed off. Not so in Warrior Within. I believe there are all-together 9 types who range from the fast Executioners who attack in co-ordinate pairs to the massive Brute who can crush you with one swipe. There is another creature called the Griffin that could put even some Ninja Gaiden bosses to shame. All sounds exciting.

Phew !. If I go on, this preview would probably never end. Since this is just a general description of what you can expect in Warrior Within, I'd be hard pressed to discuss its finer details. It is astonishing how Ubisoft has managed to change the game completely in just over a year after the first game. I would be very surprised if you aren't impressed with its technical aspects. They are truly Next-Gen and among the three consoles supporting it, the XBOX version undoubtedly looks and feels better. But it is safe to say that Prince of Persia : Warrior Within will be a must-buy for any console.

PS: Thanx for going through the preview. If you are interested in my review , you can check it out in the Playstation version of the game.
Have a nice day.

Not the best, but still good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: February 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

As I read over the other reviews here, I find mixed reactions over several aspects of the game. I'm here to offer my own opinions if anyone really cares. First off, I stepped into WW understanding the tone was going to be much darker than Sands of Time. I accepted this, realizing the Prince wasn't likely to be the same character we met in SoT. After all, living on the run for several years from a mythical beast one cannot kill has a tendency, I would think, to ruin one's spirit and outlook on life. However, while I accepted the darker tone and understood the reasoning behind it, I found it hampered my ability to really enjoy the game. At times, it just felt downright depressing ... but then again, I think that was the point. And while the storyline was still intriguing, it lacked the coherency of SoT. Some parts just made me go huh, what the heck was that about? In addition, I missed the Prince randomly talking to himself and I missed Farrah, though it's unlikely her presence would've made any sense in WW.

Okay, storyline aside, let's talk about glitches - another big complaint in WW. Honestly, I didn't run across a single one with the exception of the voice audio dropping out on some cut scenes. I don't know if there was something special I did to avoid the game stopping glitches I've read about or what. Bottom line, glitches weren't a problem for me ... thankfully.

Background music was another aspect that seems to have drawn mixed reactions. Though I enjoyed the Middle Eastern compositions of SoT, the metal music in WW didn't bother me. I like Godsmack, and "I Stand Alone" is an appropriate theme for the game despite it being obviously out of place for the time period. So again, the music was not so much of a problem for me.

Okay, let's move onto gameplay and combat. Platforming wise, the puzzles are still great and still an integral part of the game. There is a lot of backtracking, which can make some parts confusing, but, overall, I didn't find the backtracking tedious. In addition, the Dahaka chase scenes add intensity to the game, though some of the longer chase scenes are definitely a lot of trial and error. You don't have room for mistakes when the Dahaka is right behind you, so expect to run through these sequences a few times - at least - before getting it right.

Combat has been significantly upgraded from SoT as many people have already pointed out. The Prince can wield duel weapons, and he has numerous combos at his disposal with which to dispatch enemies. And what's even better, you don't always have to fight the enemies if you don't want to, which is a great thing considering they pop up all over the place and get really annoying. In keeping with the darker/sadistic overtone of the game, Ubisoft decided to have our enemies become rather vocal ... repeating the same few lines such as the sadomasochist women ninjas who continuously say such classic lines as "There's so much pleasure in pain," "Hit me harder Prince," and "Can't we just talk this out?" Gag me. And let's not forget the freaky, doughy looking half naked leather clad men all dressed for some whips and handcuffs fun who bark at the Prince ... yes, they bark. At least, I think that's what they were doing. Aside from that, there's just a lot of yelling and screeching period, so yes, it's nice that combat can just be avoided at many points during the game.

Boss battles have been upgraded significantly, which is a nice addition seeing as how the final battle with the Vizier in SoT was rather anticlimactic in the combat sense. In WW, the boss battles aren't throw-your-controller-across-the-room annoying difficult, but they are a nice touch. If you move around, use the sand tanks wisely, and know when and how to attack the bosses, it's never too difficult.

Lastly, I would just like to address the mature rating for the game. In my opinion, if you're going to make it a mature rating, then give it a real reason to have a mature rating. The aspects that gave the game that rating were forced and could've easily been edited. Edit a few cuss words that served no purpose, throw some more clothes on the women, and eliminate the ridiculous sayings used by some of the enemies.

Overall, WW is a four star game. It's not nearly as enjoyable as SoT or Two Thrones, but it's still a good game despite the darker tone, the annoyance factor of some of the enemies, and some minor flaws. Especially at twenty bucks, the game is worth the price.

A Great Sequel

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: December 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I just bought this game about 4 hours ago, and just now I have gotten up and taken a break. Wow. This game is truly amazing. If you are a fan of Sands of Time, then you will love this game. The combat system is better, you are actaully fighting real people (not all the time), and it is much more difficult.

I bought this game at a Game Stop for 50 bucks, but I see that I could have gotten in for 40. Look around before you buy this game so you can get the lowest price. (Not that it wasn't worth an extra ten bucks.) Also, I would recommend buying the strategy guide with it. This game is very difficult and I have already gotten stuck for a while in several places. Some stores are giving like 20% off the guide when you buy the game, so it might be worth it to you.

Again, this game is terrific. I know I have only been playing it for 3 hours, but for what I have played, this game is great. A 5 star game, no questions.

Awesome.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

It's been a long time since I've played a game for my good ol' Gamecube that has genuinely gotten me really excited while playing, but that has changed with "Prince of Persia: Warrior Within".

The graphics are jaw-dropping. Not since I first played "SSX Tricky" when I first got the Gamecube have I been this impressed by graphics. The dull/dark colors really set the tone of the game. And it's also awesome to see how much the temple changes from past to present.

The game is fairly challenging which is nice. There are plenty of clever puzzles to complete, and even more amazing acrobatics needed to pull off. Fighting can be difficult, but it is still fun (just remember to block!), and the bosses can be fairly daunting (especially early in the game when you aren't too "into" it yet).

My only complaint is the audio in general. As stated in other reviews...The heavy metal music just doesn't work. I'm even a big fan of metal, and it just doesn't feel right. Also, I find the sound effects to be a bit grating once you really get far into the game. You will get extremely sick of the Prince's grunting and "aaaarrrggghh!!!"-ing.

BUT! Overall. I really, really enjoyed this game and HIGHLY recommend it.

Same great game, just a little darker

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a game that got much critical acclaim (not to mention a few Game of the Year Awards), but didn't sell as well as it should have. So in order to gain sales from "casual gamers", Ubisoft decided to add more blood, add some Godsmack to the soundtrack, and take away some clothing from the female leads.

That doesn't make it a bad game though, actually far from it. The controls are smooth and responsive. There is a nice mix of puzzle solving and fighting. Also, the free-form fighting system pretty much lets you take on your foes anyway you want. You can sneek up on them, steal their weapons, block, block, block, and stab, or even just be a button-masher if you want.

Instead of writing long paragaphs, I'll give you a breakdown of the pros and cons.

Pros
*smooth and responsive controls
*detailed graphics
*good storyline (you may be lost unless you played the previous game)
*many moves and combos
*nice blend of puzzles and action

cons
*such a change in tone may be too much for some that liked the last one
*the skanky girls (I miss Farah from the last one)
*some sound glitches here and there
*godsmack's contributons to the soundtrack (not really a problem for me, but maybe for some).

I also recommend the original PoP:SOT if you haven't alerady picked it up!

An excellent game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game impressed me in every way. It was one of only two games I've ever wanted to play over again.

The graphics are stunning. The game developers explictly wanted to make the game dark and oppressive, and they've achieved that. There is a constant sense of danger. Part of what fuels this is that an unstoppable beast called the Dahaka pursues you. You never know when this monster will appear, but when it does, you can expect to have to run, jump, and flip across obstacles, often taking blind leaps, in hopes of escaping. Every game should have a Dahaka.

The fighting system is great. There are far more combos possible in this game than in conventional adventure games. It comes closer to a hand-to-hand game a la Soul Blade than normal hack and slash games. As the developers describe the so-called free form fighting system, every action leads to a new opportunity. While this is not quite true, the number of combinations of attacks makes it so that combat never becomes tiresome. You have a huge range of grapples, throws, projectile tosses, slashes, strangulations, etc., available. You also can use the environment to modify your fighting. For instance, you can run up a wall away from enemies, flip over, land while slashing one enemy, and then spin around and kill others. You can also grab hold of pillars and spin around them while slashing enemies.

Many people have complained that the game tries to be edgy and dark, and that's its downfall. Personally, I'm glad it has this feature, since I'm waiting for Devil May Cry 3 to come out. Enemies taunt you; the women often do so with sado-masochistic overtones.

It is not merely a combat-driven game, or even primarily a combat-driven game. Largely, your job is to explore, solve puzzles, and avoid traps. The puzzles and traps become increasingly difficult as you progress. Toward the later stages, you will become very adept at jumping from pole to pole without hesitation, since the poles give way immediately after landing. You can climb objects, do acrobatic flips, jump back and forth between walls to ascend or descend, and more. Also, you will probably miss plenty of extra areas on your first run through, so in subsequent plays it will be fun to look for places you initially missed. Some of the highlights include jumping around an overgrown hanging garden, leaping between levers, wheels, and cranks in a mechanical tower, and traversing perilous footing while fighting wolves in zero-visibility fog. Traps include buzz-saws, spikes in the floor, various blades that shoot out from walls, rolling bands of spikes, and more.

The enemies are decent, though they could stand some improvement. There are living shadows, who throw daggers at you. "Bladedancers" are acrobatic women who attempt to land on your back and eviscerate you. There are a variety of other soldiers. Halfway through the game, the enemies become quite difficult when encountered in large numbers, though they are easily dispatched early on. My favorite combatants are 20-foot-tall ogres. These monsters wear thick armor. You have to roll between their legs, slash at their calves until they stagger, then climb up their backs. Once on their backs, you must slash at their heads, all the while avoiding being grabbed and tossed to your death, until they finally die. The ogres are quite tough to fight at first, but you'll eventually get the hang of it.

The bosses aren't too difficult. You'll fight some scantily-clad women and a giant griffon. You may, if you are very good at exploring, end up obtaining a sword that allows you to fight the Dahaka (normally, if you try to fight it, it kills you instantly).

This is the best game I've played on the Playstation 2.

Two steps forward, three steps back...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: October 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is awesome if you like hack & slash, button-crunching fight games. However, I remember when the Prince of Persia series used to focus more on puzzle-solving and strategy. Ah, the good ol' days of using your brain while playing video games. Remember?

As far as the audio drop-outs that have been reported, I had this problem until I realized that the television my 'cube was hooked up to was outputting MONO sound. So I moved it to a TV with stereo output, and - voila! No more drop-outs!

Overall, a fun game, but a step down from Sands of Time. and I'm sure the next one will be a step down from this since this one made the big money

Just a quick comment....

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 23 / 53
Date: November 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is a revised review since I now own the game and had a chance to see -- firsthand -- at the choices that Ubisoft made in the game's tone.

Fun. Great puzzles. Annoying battle combos.

As far as family fun -- which was my initial concern -- I was glad to see that the "blood" was an option that could be turned off in the menu. But the whole "M" rating is stupid. Ubisoft could've edited 2 or 3 words, put some clothes on the silly looking women characters and removed the blood altogether and widened their audience. Plus, my kids would be able to play it.

I give it a C+.

Good, even for an experienced Gamer

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is a worthy sequel to Sands Of Time. The fighting system is revamped, the graphics are stunning, and, it's gotten a lot darker, too.

Like I said above, this game has gotten a lot darker and therefore has gotten an "M" rating slapped on it. Don't get me wrong, this game is amazing, but all the blood and gore doesn't seem neccessary. But, don't get me wrong, this game still kicks a**.

Now, for the gameplay. In the game you have new fighting abilities, such as two weapon fighting, and using the environment as a weapon as well. With only one weapon the prince can hurl enemies into the abyss, water (Insta-Kill), or at other enemies. he can also strangle the enemies-taking their weapons in the proccess. With two weapons the prince is now a Death-Dealer. He has amazing combos and can take out enemies easily-in exchange for that left arm of his. And, don't forget, you can also throw your weapons. This is good for: finishers, distraction (A sword in the gut, that WILL distract them), or if you weapon's about to break-get rid of it-or if you want another weapon.

There is one part about this game that I don't like- the map is EXTREMELY unhelpful- it never actually helps you get where you're supposed to- all it does is show an "X" where you should go, and a Prince-Figure where you are. Many times you will get stuck and have no clue where to go until you decide to explore or just goof off and accicdentally find the way your supposed to go.

Overall, though, this game is amazing, and is a worthy sequel. It will take an experienced player on "EASY" to complete the game in about 3 days. I should know, (14yrs. old) I beat it just today. There is a good plot twist to the game, and at the end, you KNOW that there will be a sequel. But, I don't want to ruin the fun, now, would I?

FINAL WORDS: GET IT.

advice for the next Prince: get rid of the heavy metal music

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Great game, if I hadn't played "The Sands of Time" first, I wouldn't have thought that game to be better than "Warrior Within".

Overall it's pretty much the same game; fight, puzzle, swing, walk walls etc.
The mood and color is darker, a red tone where Sands of Time had a blueish tone.
The fighting is easier, the enemies are not all over you and you can even avoid them. Boss battles are finished without having to use the back-in-time feature. With the "Sands of Time" the enemies were everywhere, even at the very beginning of the game and it was at times very frustrating, those creatures smacked the hell out of you.

The "puzzles" in "Warrior Within" aren't that easy as in The Sands of Time", every now and than I got stuck not knowing what to do next (how to reach the second tower took me a while to figure out)

The graphics are great, the surroundings, camera angles...stunning! even better than in "The Sands of Time"
Although I don't like Kaileena's silicone breasts, it makes me laugh rather than thinking "what a beautiful woman", I like the evil woman's butt better ;)

The music sucks! Those cheap heavy metal tunes really got on my nerves, it destroys the game atmosphere a lot, they had to stick with medieval/mid-eastern music.

Overall a great game.

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