Prince of Persia Game Guide

In many modern games, you rain death upon your enemies; how refreshing, then, that your main task in Prince of Persia is to breathe life into a darkening world. Similarly, the latest iteration in this long-running franchise is a rejuvenation for the series, and it's an ambitious one, offering up a new titular prince and casting certain game traditions aside in favor of player immersion. This re-imagining comes with a few caveats, however, and if you're a longtime series fan, you'll quickly discover--and possibly resent--that Prince of Persia is, far and away, the easiest game in the series. In some ways, Prince of Persia represents a return to Sands of Time's storybook vibe, which had been somewhat lost in that game's two sequels. Storytelling isn't the game's strong suit, and the dismissive, often unlikeable prince is hardly beguiling, a poor fit for the captivating journey ahead. Thankfully, Elika exudes enough charm for the both of them, and the relationship they slowly forge lends plenty of emotional impact to the game's final moments.

This relationship enriches the very core of the experience, given that Elika is not your standard game sidekick. As the prince, you will pull off moves familiar to franchise fans: jumping, climbing, scaling, and wallrunning among them. While in ICO Yorda was totally dependent on her companion, here Elika is far more helpful to the prince than he is to her. Combined with simple platforming controls that require a minimum of key or button presses, these facets make Prince of Persia one of the easiest games you'll play all year. 

As you progress through the game and explore some of the more intricate environments, you'll find some truly impressive level design. As you unlock new explorable areas by collecting glowing orbs called light seeds, you will be able to utilize the various colored plates that dot walls and ceilings. Red and blue plates are functionally the same (though visually unique), propelling you automatically toward the next plate or platform. Unfortunately, the flying initiated by leaping from yellow plates is a clear weakness. There is some combat, and while it's hardly Prince of Persia's focus, it looks mightily spectacular. The prince throws Elika into the air with ease, stringing throws, slices, and magic attacks together as the camera zooms in and out to showcase the slashes and backflips.