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Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - Hands On Preview

Chris Leyton

27/10/2003

Find out why Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is shaping up to be the finest thing to happen to the action/adventure genre...

The original âPrince of Persiaâ was released to a barrage of critical acclaim way back in 1989, itâs use of stunningly smooth rotoscope animation and frustratingly addictive trial-and-error gameplay quickly saw the game become a landmark in videogames history and subsequent ports to every format known to man.

Unfortunately subsequent sequels and a disastrous foray into 3D with âPrince of Persia 3Dâ in 1999 virtually killed the franchise off; that was until UbiSoft Montreal picked the franchise up and wisely enlisted the help of Jordan Mechner â“ the creator of âPrince of Persiaâ.

Iâll admit right now that âPrince of Persia: Sands of Timeâ has to be one of the biggest surprises of the year, from what weâve played itâs no exaggeration to say that this is the finest thing to happen to the action/adventure genre in years and certainly catapults it forward leaps and bounds above its competitors â“ quite frankly thereâs no way you could ever go back to the likes of âTomb Raiderâ ever again.

However letâs back up for a moment and explain the scenario presented to players. Set as a prequel to the original game, players assume the role of the titular Prince who having kidnapped Farah, the daughter of an Indian Maharajah, unwittingly unleashes a dark and evil force upon the world when he discovers a mysterious dagger and hourglass. The Sands of Time spread through the palace, transforming everyone it touches into sand creatures. Farah, the Prince and the Vizir are the only survivors; her goal is to get the dagger away from the Prince so that she can undo his terrible mistake.

This set-up works similarly to one of the games main influences, SCEi stunning âICOâ, with players taking control of the Prince and the computer controlled Farah helping out with various puzzles and the ability to access areas the Prince canât get to. Progress in the game strengthens the relationship between the two characters, until in the end she may have to make a terrible choice, maybe the ultimate sacrifice.

Whilst itâs nice to see the developers bring the age-old cliché of rescuing a princess back up to date, itâs the variety of features and stunning gameplay that have impressed us the most. Weâve grown tired of 3D action/adventure titles, if weâre being honest the problems with controls and camera issues has left us wandering whether a developer will ever get it right. It took only five minutes with âPrince of Persia: Sands of Timeâ to completely change our minds and give hope for the genre.

One of the most notable aspects and certainly one of the main strengths is the fluid control system, the Prince will automatically jump over small obstacles and leap over walls simply by holding in the forward direction. Compared to the likes of âTomb Raider: The Angel of Darknessâ where precision movements are needed and create a very stop-start dynamic, too much time is spent trying to orientate the character and camera that the thrill of split-second timing from 2D titles is completely lost. Part of âPrince of Persia: Sands of Timeâ main allure is that it successfully brings the excitement of 2D titles into a 3D world, probably more so then any other game series we can think of at present.

To ensure that fluidity is kept high throughout the game, the Prince is an agile chap with feline movements, simply by holding onto the R1 shoulder button the Prince can run across walls and leap between trees, posts and across huge chasms. However when youâve just about mastered these aspect, you realise that you combine movements with the agility of a gymnast; for example, say youâre wall-running to cross a deadly pit and then just as youâre about to reach the other side, deadly spikes spring out in front of you. Simply by pressing X to jump away from the wall, the Prince will push away evading the spikes and saving himself by grabbing hold of a nearby column.

Thereâs only so much that words can describe, we thoroughly recommend checking the game out in action by watching the accompanying video footage â“ this game simply needs to be seen just to realise how good it is.

Whilst the fact that we finally have a fluid action/adventure title that retains many of the virtues of 2D titles is enough to warrant an immediate purchase, UbiSoft have been hard at work at a number of other innovative ideas that should ensure âPrince of Persia: Sands of Timeâ is top of the wish-list of every PS2 owner this Christmas.

In particular the dagger that the Prince wields grants his powers over time in a very impressive feature that subtlety eradicates the frustration of previous âPrince of Persiaâ titles. Wisely realising that the trial-and-error dynamic of previous titles wouldnât be so tolerated by todayâs gamers, UbiSoft Montreal have implemented a rewind time function that allows you to rewind time and avoid dying after youâve just missed a leap or taken a nasty blow from a Sand Creature. This feature works absolutely brilliantly as the game retains the trademark leaps of faith and deadly traps that made the series what it is; if you find yourself missing a jump by mere millimetres simply hold onto the L1 shoulder button and time will rewind right before your eyes and allow you to try it out again or come up with another strategy. This entire aspect is very cinematic in its implementation, the sound comes to an entire halt as a filter washes out the screen and slowly begins to rewind time; itâs just so damn cool, but youâll have to use it with caution as youâll only have a limited amount of times you can use it per level.

In addition itâs claimed that the Prince will also be allowed to stop time, slow it down and see visions of the future, although none of these aspects were in the build that we received; rest assured if itâs as impressive as the rewind function this wonât turn out to be another âBlinxâ.

Once again the game continues to amaze with itâs combat system; relying on a simple method of allowing players to wield a sword and the dagger, players can unleash a variety of attacks and also evasive manoeuvres that see him run up and down the backs of enemies to deliver a crushing blow from behind. Whenever you do this the camera pulls in close and allows you to perform a finishing move, which is crucial to destroying the Sand Creatures instead of just weakening them. Combat throughout has a very cinematic feel thanks to the camera tricks and fluid movements; weâve been asking for something similar to this for years and finally it looks as if all our dreams have been answered.

Once youâve become accustomed with the games main strengths, the little details begin to stand out. As you progress through the game, the Princeâs character changes; his voice becomes more gravelled and his clothes literally get ripped off his back in a similar vein to John Mclane in the âDie Hardâ movies. This is also carried out to the games idle animation, when you leave the controller alone towards the beginning of the game the Prince will seem impatient and eager to fight, however later on youâll see he has become more mature and this is reflected in the way he stands, as if heâs conserving energy or meditating before the next challenge.

Elsewhere the story of the dagger and the Sands of Time is told through a series of pictograms on the wall in one of the early levels. Youâll have to study the walls carefully however weâre assured they are based in ancient mythology; to make matters even more alluring this isnât mentioned within the game or manual and is simply left for the player to discover.

Whilst the stunning animation is on a similar level to the first time you discovered the original âPrince of Persiaâ the rest of the games visuals are on an equivalent level. The game has a very similar appearance to âICOâ with a distinctive saturated look that provides an ambient glow to objects. Underneath all of the effects however the game demonstrates some unbelievable detail, particularly amazing considering the format itâs running on. Other touches bring the game to life with all objects animating according to real-life physics, so bushes move when you walk through them, trees sway in the wind and banners get caught up in the wind as you run across them. Throughout the game and particularly during combat the game utilises a variety of camera techniques and positions that combined with the fluid motion lend a very cinematic feel to the proceedings; players can also switch to a fixed position with the shoulder button to gain a better understanding of where they need to be.