"Prince of Persia" 2008 Review (PS3)

I loved the last-gen trilogy of "Prince of Persia" games, and have quite fond memories of the original game as well. But the annoyingly titled just "Prince of Persia" (somebody couldn't think of a damn subtitle or what?!) circa 2008 should take its place beside 1999's "Prince of Persia 3D" as one of the series' biggest disappointments. It seems that both Hollywood and the game's publisher are now in agreement, as the 2010 movie version is based on "The Sands of Time," more or less, and gaming turned its back on 2008's Prince and went crawling back to the one who came before him in the aforementioned trilogy, begging for "just one more chance" like a regretful ex-flame until he finally relented and okayed a fourth.

Again I differ from the gaming press in my opinion, but normally I differ in the other direction, as is the case most popularly (according to Youtube hits) with games like the original "Kane & Lynch" or "Dark Messiah of Might & Magic." Not because I'm a contrarian just to be a contrarian -- generally speaking video game reviewers and myself aren't divided by that huge of a gulf of opinion. But I expected more from a "Prince of Persia" game. This one just felt like the devs went off the deep end. My single greatest complaint with "Bioshock 2" was that it felt too much like a watered down "Bioshock" one. 2008's "PoP" went the other way by changing far too much and completely alienating me as a longtime fan.

But let's talk turkey. In "PoP," neither a remake or a sequel, you play as a new, claw-handed Prince who really, really wants to come off like a likable rogue but instead just lacks in personality. His quest allies him with Elika, who also plays a major role in the gameplay itself, as the two seek to imprison an evil god released into the world and bent on its destruction... You know the drill, which is fine. But don't expect anything as good as what the now-dubbed "Sands of Time Trilogy" offered in terms of story. This one may be more charming than "The Warrior Within," the first trilogy's only slight stumble with its lack of a tonally incoherent Godsmack tune, but that's not high praise.

But none of this is the problem. The problem is that the game literally almost feels like it doesn't need a gamer to actually play it. It goes beyond easy -- a lot of the time it feels like it plays itself! This would be a slight problem if this were a brand new I.P. called "Arabian Nights" or some such, but it wouldn't be unenjoyable per se as it sometimes recalls the "Sonic the Hedgehog" days of olde. But as a "PoP" game, it just doesn't feel right. The original game was known for its devious difficulty, while the "Sands of Time Trilogy" required your reflexes to be at their keenest, and were it not for a certain dagger that rewinds time, it too would have been merciless on the player. Not so with 2008's entry. Without said dagger, it's up to Elika to drop in for a convenient save if you miss your step and fall toward your demise -- which she does, as often as you like, the only penalty being you have to start a pre-ordained point a few seconds away at worst from where you made your last mistake. In essence, you'll never die. Ever.

The emphasis is, as always, on platforming and parkour-like moves that will take you from Point A to Point B. That was true of all the games in the series, but here combat plays an even smaller role than ever before -- and thank the gaming gods for that. Squaring off with opponents in this game is boring and sometimes frustrating. It almost feels like a mini-game where you pound buttons and hope to break through your enemy's defenses, but not a very good one. Even though the rest of the game is too forgiving and sometimes feels like it's running on rails, these action moments, moments which should provide a nice change of pace, are tedious and annoying.

The graphics and the level desgins, at least, all show off some quality. And it really isn't a bad game. The problem is that the designers thought they should fix something that was never actually broken to begin with. It quite simply doesn't feel like a "Prince of Persia" game, hence my disappointment. Others may feel differently if they are joining the series for the first time, but the game's overall lack of challenge should suit the casual gamer best.

Final Score: 6.9 (Fair)