[mikhael]

I rented this game this weekend. All I can say is that it rocks my world. It's like Tomb Raider (but with all the design mistakes corrected) and Ico (without the creepiness). The only thing that annoys me is that its got save points. Even so, they're spaced pretty much right where I would expect to save anyway.

Games like Tomb Raider and even Mario64 and Mario Sunshine owe a lot to Prince of Persia's original 2d incarnation. This 3d incarnation of the franchise is about as perfect as someone could want from a the genre: acrobatics, over the top brawling, platform and jumping puzzles, timed craziness and gorgeous visuals and audio. The presentation of the whole game is especially excellent. The designers have let the Prince tell his tale to you. After you save, he'll say things like, "Alright. I'll start my tale from here next time," or when he dies and the game prompts you to reload, "Wait, that's not what happened. I didn't fall off that cliff. Let me start again..." The voice acting is top notch.

The story centers around a young Prince, whose father has been convinced to sack a city and steal its treasure by a traitorous vizier. The Prince decides to make a name for himself by being the first to reach this legendary treasure hoard. He ends up stealing a magical dagger, and is tricked by the vizier into unleashing the Sands of Time. The Sands turn everything into a nightmarish reflection of itself. As the Prince, you must collect all the Sands and return them to the Hourglass from whence they came.

Imagine a Tomb Raider game that actually looks good, and instead of guns you have a sword and a dagger. There's lots of crazy brawling with incredible acrobatics. You can run along or even straight up a wall for a certain distance, and swing off of trapeze bars and stuff. With the dagger you can reverse time (so if you fall off a cliff or something, you just reverse time to right before you fell) or slow it down (think Force Speed). If you stab an enemy with the dagger during combat, it is slowed down, putting you at an advantage.

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by mikhael
...With the dagger you can reverse time (so if you fall off a cliff or something, you just reverse time to right before you fell) or slow it down (think Force Speed).

Did I miss the part where this made sense?

[Rictor]

I so called this one:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,17835.0.html

Can't wait for the PC version. My bro played it on XBox and he says its one of the best games ever. And I think I'll like it even more than everyone else, if thats possible, cause I freaking love the original game, and its one of those childhood memory things.

Can't wait

[Knight Templar]

Christmas is soon. Hurrah!

[mikhael]

Originally posted by mikhael
With the dagger you can reverse time (so if you fall off a cliff or something, you just reverse time to right before you fell)...

So you're playing a game that requires you to make a jump. If you miss the jump, you're dead, or at least seriously wounded. If you miss the jump, you can use the dagger to reverse time, so you UN-fall and you UN-jump and you get to try again. Clearer?

... or slow it down (think Force Speed). If you stab an enemy with the dagger during combat, it is slowed down, putting you at an advantage.

If you've ever played Jedi Outcast or Jedi Academy, you've encountered Force Speed. Instead of you speeding up. Everything else in the game slows down. Suddenly you can run around between badguys and hazards before those things can get a lock on you. Think of it as bulletime before Max Payne utterly ruined the concept.

[Stunaep]

have you played the first three games?

[neo_hermes]

i liked the original prince of persia..."Stop Dying You Damned Prince. YOu've Got to: Stop, Forward, Stop, Forward, Run, Run, RUN!"...umm sorry

[karajorma]

I remember the original too. Got to the final level as well and then ran out of time

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by mikhael

So you're playing a game that requires you to make a jump. If you miss the jump, you're dead, or at least seriously wounded. If you miss the jump, you can use the dagger to reverse time, so you UN-fall and you UN-jump and you get to try again. Clearer?


If you've ever played Jedi Outcast or Jedi Academy, you've encountered Force Speed. Instead of you speeding up. Everything else in the game slows down. Suddenly you can run around between badguys and hazards before those things can get a lock on you. Think of it as bulletime before Max Payne utterly ruined the concept.

I reiterate: Did I miss the part where a time-controlling dagger makes sense?

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Sandwich
I reiterate: Did I miss the part where a time-controlling dagger makes sense?

All of my daggers control time, don't yours?

[TheCelestialOne]

Originally posted by Setekh


All of my daggers control time, don't yours?

Mine do. I guess Sandwich is a bit behind the time

[Sandwich]

Oy.

[Setekh]

Yeah, I know. Personally, I can't see why it makes sense at all either, but I've seen it played - and boy, does it deliver the goods in terms of gameplay. Well, I think so, anyway.

[kode]

I hear the tune for the original prince of persia constantly in my head...

It's out for GC too, iirc. maybe I should check a review or two and then pick it up.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Sandwich


I reiterate: Did I miss the part where a time-controlling dagger makes sense?

Ah, now your question is clearer. The dagger has compartments on the hilt that hold the Sands of Time that you have collected. Its not the dagger but the Sands you have collected that control time.  Jeeze. Didn't you take Applied Temporal Physics?

The whole story is predicated on a giant hourglass full of the Sands of Time, that must be contained in order for Time to work properly. When they are released, horrible things happen. The dagger is the key to the lock on the hourglass, and its the only way to gather the Sands back up.

The important thing is that the gameplay and story are both top notch.

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by mikhael


Ah, now your question is clearer. The dagger has compartments on the hilt that hold the Sands of Time that you have collected. Its not the dagger but the Sands you have collected that control time.  Jeeze. Didn't you take Applied Temporal Physics?

The whole story is predicated on a giant hourglass full of the Sands of Time, that must be contained in order for Time to work properly. When they are released, horrible things happen. The dagger is the key to the lock on the hourglass, and its the only way to gather the Sands back up.

The important thing is that the gameplay and story are both top notch.

Ahh, now that makes much more sense to me. And no, I skipped the Applied Temporay Physics classes for Applied Pressure On Trigger classes.

[Ace]

Originally posted by Sandwich


Ahh, now that makes much more sense to me. And no, I skipped the Applied Temporay Physics classes for Applied Pressure On Trigger classes.

What a shame, since ancient weapons and hokey religions beat a gun any day of the week

Edit- well... except on Tuesday....

[Styxx]

[neo_hermes]

lol

[mikhael]

That Penny Arcade rocks.