By Shaun Hatton - October 22nd, 2008
The first title we spent some time with upon entering the Sony Holiday Event was Prince of Persia. The game was just to the left of the main entrance and we arrived fairly early and thus avoided having to wait to play. As soon as we looked over at it, Michael was handed the controller and away he went.
All the leaping, bounding, and wall hanging you could ask for is in this game, and more. For the first time we’re presented with a more open world to explore. The hero moves with fluidity and grace, and in the demo we played was accompanied by a sidekick character, Elika, who offered assistance by helping complete jumps across larger chasms as well as saving the player when a jump fails.
When you fall, a brief cinematic is shown where Elika reaches her hand down to grab yours. The game then immediately drops you back to the start of the jumping puzzle you just failed with no load time. While some might see Elika’s assistance as a cop-out, her presence really comes in handy and allows for some more sophisticated jumping puzzles in-game, and by that token problem solving on the player’s part.
Leaping quickly requires precise timing in order to keep your character’s momentum up. Unlike previous games like this, the leaps and landings are not automated. Although novice players will want to take their time hopping about, it’s entirely possible to blaze through areas if you have the right rhythm down. This usage of rhythm is carried into the battles as well. In the one boss fight we engaged in, it wasn’t about mashing senselessly on the buttons. The boss was covered in a protective goo (for lack of a better word) and it was through using Elika’s special abilities in conjunction with the main character’s attacks that we were able to wear the boss down. There are also some quick-time events where you have to execute a correct button combo to keep the enemy at bay.
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