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Prince is back again in a challenging, entertaining and ultimately satisfying adventure. Our full GameCube review.
December 8, 2005 | 6:11 PM PSTby: Phillip Levin
Back in 2003, Ubisoft wowed gamers with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It marked the rebirth of the famed franchise as a 3D next-generation action-adventure. Combining polished gameplay, memorable level design and excellent story-telling, Sands of Time walked away with many awards, glowing reviews and the respect of critics and gamers alike. Ubisoft had revived a franchise that it would go on to spotlight over the next two years.
Unfortunately, when the company followed up to the masterpiece with Warrior Within, it didn’t quite meet the high expectations of the gaming world. Some would say Warrior Within was close to being as great as its predecessors, while others would be more inclined to agree the game was absolutely disappointing. In general, though, we think it’s fair to say that the general opinion of the game rests somewhere in the middle, and for sure, it isn’t as impressive as Sands of Time.
Two years later, we have the third and final entry in the 3D Prince of Persia trilogy, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. However, after Warrior Within, we admit we were a bit skeptical of Prince’s latest adventure. To our surprise, The Two Thrones has turned out exceptionally well, and it in fact rivals Sands of Time in many ways. Ubisoft has created a satisfying ending to the trilogy. A number of new features, smart level design and perhaps the best story of the three games wrap together beautifully, creating one of our favorite games of the year.
But how great are things, really? The franchise has been notorious for its overuse of combat and sometimes repetitive level design. Are these things still a problem? Truth be told, yes, but everything else about Two Thrones is totally enjoyable – period – thus players will find dealing with some small shortcomings no huge problem.
Some Facts
A Prince Returns
Ubisoft Montreal has done something we like quite a bit with Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. The Canadian developer has tied all three next-generation Prince of Persias together by having the entire story of Two Thrones narrated by none other than the Empress of Time. Ultimately, the story unfolds smoothly and keeps players intrigued the whole way through.
As with any threequel, Two Thrones opens up right after the events of its precursor, Warrior Within. Prince has finally killed the Dahaka – a powerful force that is set with the duty to ensure no one escapes their fate – and returns to his city of Babylon, with the love-of-his-life, Empress Kaileena alongside him. The scene is brought to life via full motion video (FMV) in traditional Prince of Persia style. This video style looks very similar to any of the rendered cinematics in the other two 3D translations of the series. Likewise, it shares many of its family member’s flaws. The GameCube version is plagued by some nasty compression issues, which makes the often-used FMV a little ugly. Otherwise, these scenes look nice, considering they are FMV.
Once in Babylon, Prince is greeted by something he never expected. His city is on the verge of war. The Prince’s home is burned and his city in flames. The scene shows Prince’s vessel attacked, causing it to eventually sink, leading to the capture of Kaileena. As events unfold, he learns that the vizier responsible for all of the conflict in Sands of Time is also at the helm of the chaos currently engulfing his city. Initially, gamers play as Prince as he traverses his way through the wrecked city. However, he quickly stumbles upon the vizier and his love, only to watch as she is brutally murdered before his very own eyes. By doing so, to everybody’s surprise, the evil vizier unleashes the deadly Sands of Time. Again.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
As in the first 3D installment in the Prince of Persia series, the lethal monstrosities of the sands plague the city of Babylon. However, this time around, there’s more for Prince to deal with: himself. When the vizier unleashes the sands, they infect the Prince, creating an alter ego and personality, called Dark Prince, who throughout the journey Prince will spontaneously transform into. As gamers adventure through the ravaged city of Babylon, they’ll be exposed to dialogue exchanged between both Prince and Dark Prince, pushing the trilogy’s fascinating storyline forward. The dialogue is totally believable and is some of the best we’ve seen in any video game. It’s realistic, gripping and emotional – just the way we like it.
Later in the adventure, Prince also meets up with a familiar character from the first game, who we won’t name because we hate spoilers and want you to play the game to find out. The mix of dialogue between Prince and this character, Prince and Dark Prince, and the added narrative from the Empress of Time is first-rate. Gamers will no doubt enjoy as they sink their teeth into this richly compelling storyline.
Unfortunately, when the company followed up to the masterpiece with Warrior Within, it didn’t quite meet the high expectations of the gaming world. Some would say Warrior Within was close to being as great as its predecessors, while others would be more inclined to agree the game was absolutely disappointing. In general, though, we think it’s fair to say that the general opinion of the game rests somewhere in the middle, and for sure, it isn’t as impressive as Sands of Time.
Two years later, we have the third and final entry in the 3D Prince of Persia trilogy, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. However, after Warrior Within, we admit we were a bit skeptical of Prince’s latest adventure. To our surprise, The Two Thrones has turned out exceptionally well, and it in fact rivals Sands of Time in many ways. Ubisoft has created a satisfying ending to the trilogy. A number of new features, smart level design and perhaps the best story of the three games wrap together beautifully, creating one of our favorite games of the year.
But how great are things, really? The franchise has been notorious for its overuse of combat and sometimes repetitive level design. Are these things still a problem? Truth be told, yes, but everything else about Two Thrones is totally enjoyable – period – thus players will find dealing with some small shortcomings no huge problem.
Some Facts
- The third next-generation iteration of the famed Prince of Persia series arrives
- Play as Prince, once again, as he tries to undo time and find a livable fate
- Employ time-manipulative powers that can rewind time, freeze time and more
- Over 10 hours of platforming, fighting and story to enjoy
- Dolby Pro Logic II output
- Progressive Scan mode
- Rated T for Teen
A Prince Returns
Ubisoft Montreal has done something we like quite a bit with Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. The Canadian developer has tied all three next-generation Prince of Persias together by having the entire story of Two Thrones narrated by none other than the Empress of Time. Ultimately, the story unfolds smoothly and keeps players intrigued the whole way through.
As with any threequel, Two Thrones opens up right after the events of its precursor, Warrior Within. Prince has finally killed the Dahaka – a powerful force that is set with the duty to ensure no one escapes their fate – and returns to his city of Babylon, with the love-of-his-life, Empress Kaileena alongside him. The scene is brought to life via full motion video (FMV) in traditional Prince of Persia style. This video style looks very similar to any of the rendered cinematics in the other two 3D translations of the series. Likewise, it shares many of its family member’s flaws. The GameCube version is plagued by some nasty compression issues, which makes the often-used FMV a little ugly. Otherwise, these scenes look nice, considering they are FMV.
Once in Babylon, Prince is greeted by something he never expected. His city is on the verge of war. The Prince’s home is burned and his city in flames. The scene shows Prince’s vessel attacked, causing it to eventually sink, leading to the capture of Kaileena. As events unfold, he learns that the vizier responsible for all of the conflict in Sands of Time is also at the helm of the chaos currently engulfing his city. Initially, gamers play as Prince as he traverses his way through the wrecked city. However, he quickly stumbles upon the vizier and his love, only to watch as she is brutally murdered before his very own eyes. By doing so, to everybody’s surprise, the evil vizier unleashes the deadly Sands of Time. Again.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
As in the first 3D installment in the Prince of Persia series, the lethal monstrosities of the sands plague the city of Babylon. However, this time around, there’s more for Prince to deal with: himself. When the vizier unleashes the sands, they infect the Prince, creating an alter ego and personality, called Dark Prince, who throughout the journey Prince will spontaneously transform into. As gamers adventure through the ravaged city of Babylon, they’ll be exposed to dialogue exchanged between both Prince and Dark Prince, pushing the trilogy’s fascinating storyline forward. The dialogue is totally believable and is some of the best we’ve seen in any video game. It’s realistic, gripping and emotional – just the way we like it.
Later in the adventure, Prince also meets up with a familiar character from the first game, who we won’t name because we hate spoilers and want you to play the game to find out. The mix of dialogue between Prince and this character, Prince and Dark Prince, and the added narrative from the Empress of Time is first-rate. Gamers will no doubt enjoy as they sink their teeth into this richly compelling storyline.
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February 8, 2010
