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Beautiful

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is probably the most solid and beautiful game I have ever played. Incredibly well done! The length of the game was perfect, in my opinion. And the ending is great!! I actually found myself just looking around at times. I would forget about playing and just admire the scenery. Its that pretty!

Short but sweet.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: September 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Prince of Persia is a great game. The puzzles are challenging and the traps are hard to get by without damage but being in control of his amazing athletic ability plus the ability to control time is what makes this game special. Don't like how you just died? Just rewind time and try again. Too many enemies? Freeze a couple of them in time or do a mega freeze and slow all of them down. Unfortunately, the game is kind of short. I once finished the game in 7 hours. Even though this game is short it is very intense. This is an amazing game.

the game is realy boring

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 13
Date: October 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Lets be honest here. All you do in this game is jump, grab poles, swing from them and step on switches oh and climb poles. thas it. Yea they are puzzles but you can just use a stragedy guide to get past them from gamefaqs if they are too hard. All of the puzzles are pretty tedius if u ask me. The story sucks, there is very little dialogue. There is really no music at all and the sound level is the most annoying part of the game. You cant hear anything the prince of the girl says but the action sequences sound is so loud your ear drum will pop. The graphics are not that good realy. Your always in some big dark room that has lots of poles in it. thas about it for the graphics. The fighting really is boring beacuse its sooo sloww. i mean it goes into slow motion at when u give the final death blow to the enemy. so it takes soo long and dragged out that you wil jus turn off the tv and keep hitting the A button and turn it on hoping their all dead. ok but there is ONE good thing about the game and thats maybee its replayability. once you beat the game and you know how to beat the enemies and you know the puzzles and where to jump and stuff then its fun to play it again just for the fun of jumping and swinging on the poles and platforms because its very high up in the air so its like a roller coaster ride. so go ahead and buy the game just for the fun of swinging 400 ft in the air.

Prince of Persia

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: April 21, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First of all, at the time of writing this, POP has an average score of 2 and a half stars. Is this because it's merely an average game? Is it because many people love it but many people hate it too? It's neither. It's mainly because people who profess to love this game (and have even expressed surprise that this game has only reached 2 and a half stars) have gone ahead and repeated the same mistake by giving it 0 stars again!!

Anyway, I don't mind giving this game 5 stars to increase the average because, while it's really a 4 star game, it's still one of the best games of this console generation. In fact, it's difficult to say which is better- this or another Ubisoft game, Beyond Good and Evil. They both put emphasis on creating grand adventures with likeable characters, mean enemies and a sense of humour.

Some people have compared this to Ico and, while I haven't played Ico, I have seen and read enough about it to get the sense of its similarities- set in a beautiful, sun-lit isolated castle and being concentrated on puzzles and character relationships.(The game benefits from the touching and humourous realtionship between the Prince and Farah.) The moody blue colour of the Arabian night in the opening screen may remind you of Disney's Aladdin. In fairness, the original game was released before Disney's film. There is a richness to much of the colour and detail, especially on the enemies. The designers have said that they were influenced by Middle Eastern and Arabian art and it shows. Probably the closest you will have experienced to this same sort of dizzying height is if you accessed Noki Bay on Super Mario Sunshine. You will take in towers, cliffs, waterfalls, a bath house, a zoo, a library and a dungeon among other locations. The graphics have a dreamy, fluid quality in keeping with the fluidity of time that you can control. (Of course you can't control your destiny by the fact that the course of action you will take is shown in the opposite of flashbacks- this highlights the linearity of the game but linearity is no bad thing to me.) Being a PS2 exclusive to start with, you know that the Cube is capable of more solid graphics but it's still very good for the time. There's a lot of mist used in places but we'll just say that creating the suitable dusty, mystical atmosphere is a good excuse against the charge of not being bothered to draw a full landscape.

The camera is generally well done and thankfully gives you hints as to which way to go (especially needed on some rope swinging/ flag-pole jumping sections.) The girl, Farah, did get in my way a few times though. (By the way - not that I would do such a thing- but if you attack her yourself it will drain her health, she will tell you off and probably fire an arrow from her bow at you. In fact, even when you are both fighting enemies her arrows cause damage to you and are sometimes unavoidable which can even made the Sands of Time useless- annoying.)

In the course of the first stage you are shown how to use the basic moves (attacking with your sword, blocking moves, jumping, running up and along walls, clambering up and moving along ledges)
Then you aquire the ability to rewind or slow time by extracting 'Sands of Time' with your sword (which gets periodically upgraded through the game) from the enemies that you have killed. This acts both as a second chance and a chance to get the upper hand on your enemies. In practise, I only used it as a second chance because once you time when to use the block move (and when to get out of the way when one of the bigger enemies attacks) you're ok. I've never seen the attraction in slowing down the action. Like Max Payne, though, you can choose to ignore the Matrix-style feature. The Sands of Time is a good feature but not without its flaws. Why is it, for example, that occasionally, you are not able to use it at all after being killed by an enemy despite having 3 bags of sand left? And even when you are able to use all the bags, some of the bags run out quicker than others leaving you at exactly the same point where you were stabbed/ fell to your death in the first place! Luckily, you always continue not too far away.
I actually found the sword fighting scenes very challenging to start with (I couldn't believe how many enemies you had to finish off which is quite lot in some sections- thankfully, once you've done that you can usually relax on the puzzle part.)

So, as you may have already guessed, the time control feature itself was not the selling point of this game for me. (Although the sword fighting was great.) No, I loved the easy and elegant acrobatics that you can perform- running up a wall, jumping off on to a flagpole, spinning round and jumping face on to a wall and jumping off onto a ladder- which could all be performed in about 10 seconds! And I liked the puzzles in general, which were sometimes fiendish but sometimes could have been made harder. For instance, they could have re-used the moving staircases idea in negotiating a big area so that they could each be moved into various positions requiring further puzzles to be solved rather than a set path. Towards the end, the game becomes too easy since you have the most powerful sword. The final boss was very easy.

It is the smooth, easy to control acrobatics, the exotic locations and the thoughtful puzzles that makes this game great but the flirtations and jokes between the Prince and Farah should not be overlooked either. I especially liked those sections where the Prince is questioning why he is doing certain things- not only is it about the meaning of life but the meaning of videogames too!

Honor and glory. . .

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

"Time is an ocean in a storm."

In 2003, Ubisoft, developers of the Rayman series and the recent smash hit Splinter Cell franchise, reinvented what had been one of the seminal platformers of the late 80's and early 90's. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a reinvention of the classic series, full of hallmarks of the series; combat, beautiful animation, cunning traps, and daring acrobatics, but with a new set of characters, new story, and brilliant new gameplay mechanics that changed the way platforming could be approached in games.

With the help of Jordan Mechner, the original creator of the Prince of Persia series, Ubisoft spins a tale of a young prince and his first conquest. Eager for honor glory, he accompanies his father to India, where, seeking treasure, they use a traitorous Vizier to infiltrate and decimate a Maharajah's palace. During the raid, the entire palace is ransacked, and the prince and his father sieze the Sands of Time, contained in a bejeweled hourglass, and the Dagger of Time, a weapon of unknown power.

However, the treacherous Vizier, seeking immortality, tricks the Prince into using the Dagger to open the hourglass, setting the Sands of Time loose as a plague upon the palace of Hazad, a once-welcoming place now turned into a death trap full of twisted Sand Creatures, spike pits, whirling blades, and bottomless chasms. With only the Dagger (giving him control over time) and Farah, the daughter of the conquered Maharajah, the Prince must make his way through the sultan's palace and undo what he has done.

The meat and potatoes of Sands of Time is its brilliantly cinematic and acrobatic platforming and puzzle solving, featuring the use of ropes, poles, beams, narrow ledges, and walls that the prince must run along to avoid danger and traverse his environment. Both the level design and the ease of control (even for pulling off the most incredible looking stunts) is leages ahead of other platforming games, and the addition of the sand powers (allowing you to rewind time, slow time, and speed it up) adds a whole new layer to the puzzles. This is enhanced by the game's visuals, which set a bechmark for animation and artistic design, drawing gorgeous vistas and gruesome enemies while never stuttering.

The sand powers are also crucial during the combat portions of the game. During the game, more and stronger enemies will stand between the Prince and redemtion, and he must use the dagger to destroy these monsters, which, in turn, grants him superhuman powers; he can freeze his enemies and slice them to ribbons, slow them to a crawl as he dances around them, and stop time completely to cut a swath through them with ease and grace. The game gives the player a larger number of options in dispatching enemies, though you'll find yourself sticking with a couple strategies for most of the game.

During combat, as well as during the exploration of the sultan's palace, there is a steady stream of banter from the characters. Whether it's simply the prince talking to himself (or to the player, as he tells his story) or the snarky comments he and Farah fire back at each other, it gives the game a great sense of personality. Both of these characters end up having to work together for survival, with Farah slipping through cracks to open doors the prince can't reach, or fire at enemies from a distance as he battles them with sword, and it's great fun to watch their attitudes toward each other gradually change.

The story that unfolds for the player, which uses both of these characters to great effect, is also a treat; it goes a step further than most video game stories, with some great twists along the way, and just the right sense of closure while still leaving room for more. And with the brilliant music and fantastic voice work, it geniunely draws the player into this world of ancient Persia, and makes sure they'll want to hear the story again and again.

With gorgeous visuals, a capturing tale, and plenty of charm, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, is a brilliant action platformer that allows players to do things previously impossible in games, and draws them into a digital world like few other titles can. So come and hear a tale like none you have heard before.

Prince of Persia - Sands of Time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is a classical revival of the classic PC platforming game where you started in the dungeon and had to escape upwards to the highest tower to save the princess from the evil vazier.

This 3D version has exactly that type of classic platforming where you essentially go higher and higher up to the top of the tower but the focus is not saving the princess but rather returning the sands of time to the hourglass. The platforming in this game in incredible. It has a great story and presentation. The combat is not that good but you don't have to fight much in the game... and you have the use of the sands of time powers to make the combat easier.

This game is the first of a trilogy in terms of the story. This one is rated T for teen but the others are M for mature.

Definitely get and play this game... and then if your old enough for M rated game than get Warrior Within and Two Towers as well where the combat, platforming, graphics, etc continue to improve and the story of the trilogy is completed.

Prince of poo poo

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 18
Date: December 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is way over rated!!!! camera problems, fighting control problems, and hyped up way too much!!! after reading reviews i expected the best game ever and now I feel robbed!! honestly i had more fun, actually WAY MORE FUN on the gameboy advance version!! with this title hope for the best , expect the worst...

Super Fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: January 03, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Price of Perisa: Sands of Time is a beautiful game that is, well, fun. Every dark and musty corner of the once-great palace you explore as a young prince who has unleashed a terrible plague is crafted with utmost detail; from the cracked stones and thin light that peers bleakly through narrow windows in a long hallway to the the sultan's exotic outdoor zoo, the branches of which are lit by the pale moon, this game's visuals certainly front a sense of mystery and danger.

Unfortunately, these striking visuals (and equally striking tribal sounds), are rather dulled with the appearence of an annoying princess that serves no other purpose as far as game play than to crawl through cracks and appear magically on the other side to open various doors for you. She effectively shatters the eerie mood.

You possess both a sword and dagger; the latter weapon possesses the power to slow and to halt time completely, both in combat and outside. Although a little difficult to master (I have always considered the intstruction booklet a sin, but was forced to turn to it in order to discover how to utilize the dagger's special powers properly), the dagger is quite a fun little item that is as useful as it is amusing. The zombie battles are at first exhilerating - you ward of the creatures with a combination of acrobatic flips and spins and the magical ability to warp time. Unfortunately, whenever there are zombies, rest assured there are thousands - literally. After a bit, you begin to dread their appearence instead of look forward to it. Hacking and slashing at every one becomes a bore, even with the dagger to play with. This boredom may have been solved by cutting down on the number of zombies and increasing the amount of skill needed to defeat them.

The story itself (something to do with Zombies and sand and time) is not altogether forgettable, but it is pushed aside in favor of you (as the prince) exploring the depths of the enormous palace left vacant in the wake of the recent disaster. It is great fun to explore all of its twisted chambers, and to leap from pole to pole and ledge to ledge, ocassionally striking down giant birds and killer insects while hanging precariously from either or. The puzzles are entirely forgettable - what ones exist are simple and a drag (such as activating the palace's weapons defense system). The real gem of the game is exploration; that is, finding that door or passage way you overlooked and finding a way to open it. Sometimes, the aforementioned gets rather tedious and painful, as once you find that passage way you tend to smack yourself in the head because of the obviousness of it all. More difficulty arises when you misjudge a distance that you must leap or how far you can run across a wall and fall to an untimely death. Of course, you have the dagger, and can conveniently zoom backwards in time. Of course, you may release the button too early and fall to your death. Again. Wasting the precious sand that fuels it. All along there was a ledge beneath your feet that you neglected to notice.

Despite it's problems, Prince of Persia is a great adventure with awesome graphics and a character who can do the coolest things - run across walls, backflip in slow motions, and all of those other Matrix-esque moves. The palace is haunting and brooding, and the gameplay fast and, usually, action-packed. The replay value is low, as much of the excitement comes from wondering what new landscape you will discover next.

All in all, worth what you pay and sure to bring many hours of mostly enjoyable play.

A very good game in the making

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 21
Date: September 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is shaping up to be a very good game. The prince will be able to do special Matrix-like moves and will fight with a sword and dagger. The "Sands of Time" will enable you to do special moves, such as "rewinding time." This would be useful if you were to fall off a cliff, you could literally rewind the game and prevent your would-be fatal fall. Unless the designers at Ubi Soft seriously screw up, this game will be sure to take its place next to other classics such as Metroid Prime and Super Smash Bros. Melee. This game is no. 1
on my wish list. Pre-order today!

p.s. that 5 stars on the top is my PREDICTED score of the game! As I haven't played it, I can't give it a real score!

One of the best games ive ever played

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 8
Date: January 11, 2004
Author: Amazon User

As of right now, this game has an average of 2 and a half stars. The people here are writing laughable reviews that try to turn the good things into bad. Everything in this game is done perfectly and it would take an idiot not to see that. It even got best game of the year on penny arcade. That is saying alot.

You start out with a cutscene in CGI. One reviewer said it was all in "real-time" but thats not true. A lot of the cutscenes are in CGI and they are done spectacularly. There are a lot of interludes done in the games graphics that look spectacular also. As for the graphics in general, amazing. The areas are vast. You will encounter a lot of colorful scenery with well done badguys. The lighting is pretty well done as it fits the mood most of the time. The way the enemies glow when you hit them or when you hit a wall is perfectly done. Every time you hit something you know it had to hurt.

As for the gameplay, it is extremely well done. This game is a platform game. Your dagger can rewind time. You need sand to do that. You will encounter tons of chances to get sand. Killing an enemy will get you sand. There are many other powers to get as well. Speed up, slow down, and freeze enemies. You also have a sword which helps you fight. When fighting it is also fun to counter enemies or jump off walls. You can block mostly anything and jump around the place to beat your enemies. It is fun. You don't need 500 moves to make the fighting fun in this game. You can also pull off different combos and finally finish off your enemy with your spectacular dagger.

This is a platform game, yea. But the story works extremely well in my opinion. You go throughout the palace, on a linear but fun path, which will take you to your objective. Sometimes you will wind up where you started and go somewhere else from there after a cutscene.

The platforming is done great. You jump, run, and dodge things. It is kind of like something Indiana Jones would do except you jump far, run fast, and dodge quickly. What I mean is, the Prince of Persia is awesome at working with platforms. Lara Croft often had you messing up because you had to hit jump perfectly or you would fall. In this game you can rewind time when you mess up which is rarely. It is so easy to hit the platforms but it looks hard at first. Jumping looks awesome because the Prince LUNGES at the other side and will usually grab onto the ledge. If you are running lets say and you don't see a pit coming up? Prince of Persia doesn't EVER run off of platforms. He will always grab onto the edge. If you hit A you can jump up or X you can fall down. This makes the platforms unfrustrating because it is harder to die. There is nothing frustrating. If you DO mess up by running out of sand which you shouldn't, you can retry from the beggining of the puzzel which doesn't take long at all.

This game was done beautifully. Even the camera doesn't affect this platform game at all. You will never die because of the camera. Not one thing in this game pisses me off. This is the definition of a great game. In a year with so many games, I think this may be the best one ive played.

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