| Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones review |
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In concluding an epic trilogy, Ubisoft has returned to the roots of its rejuvenated franchise. The Prince has come home to Babylon with Kaileena, the Empress of Time and all is well... until they reach the city’s harbour and see the Prince’s kingdom in flames and invaded by hordes of unknown warriors.
When Kaileena is ritually killed and the sands inside her released, the Prince is infected and something awakes within him, a darkness that had been growing ever since the first game. At the same time, all the Prince’s hard work is undone and he becomes hell-bent on defeating his greatest enemy.
Ubisoft have tried to create a blend of what made Sands of Time such a success and redeem themselves for Warrior Within, which favoured a darker perspective and was much more combat intensive than the original. It does this by returning to one of the elements that made the first game so effective - a compelling plot - and once again provides the Prince with a nemesis worthy of his hate. However the game also introduces bosses and chariot races which, while not exactly taxing, are a welcome change.
Yet the basic idea is the same as the original; to restore order to the world by collecting the sands of time and sealing them. However the sands are not simply present in the bodies of minions, they now hide in boxes and jars and are required to sustain the Prince during his darker moments. The fact that sand is almost freely available seems to cheapen the game slightly, especially when you realise it can then be used to purchase promotional materials from the main menu.
At its heart, The Two Thrones is still a platformer but unlike Sands of Time which was set in the castle of Assad or Warrior Within where the Prince had to make his way through Kaileena's fortress on the Island of Time, The Two Thrones has a huge variety of locations to explore from a sprawling palace to a ruined city and each location is both visually stunning and a challenge to navigate. From the darkness of the sewers where light-hating nasties dwell to the rooftops of Babylon to the heights of a rather famous tower, The Two Thrones has it all location-wise and it is worth taking a moment just to stop and savour the visuals.
The Two Thrones returns to the gameplay which made the original such a belated success whilst retaining some of the more useful additions from Warrior Within. As well as running along walls, jumping across rooftops and acrobatically killing bad guys, the Prince can slide down curtains and carry a second weapon. Since rescuing Kaileena he's also picked up new skills and can now launch himself diagonally from wooden platforms in the walls; another new feature is locks in the wall that allow the Prince to get a daggerhold and propel himself in various directions.
But this final instalment also features some interesting new additions when it comes to combat, such as the concept of speed kills. Essentially you must sneak up behind enemies when their backs are turned and dispatch them quickly with some well-chosen thrusts. The problem is, you have to time it to the millisecond to pull them off. Despite visual and audio cues, a moment too late and the speed kill fails every single time.
The Dagger of Time is now his primary weapon but the Prince also has the option to pick up swords and other weapons, which was one of the better innovations of Warrior Within. However there is a limit on the number of thrusts before the weapon is automatically discarded and this is annoying, especially when trying to down a demonic archer but swords are freely available as long as you kill the right minion.
The Prince must also fight various bosses scattered throughout the game, an idea pioneered in Warrior Within. While this gives the gamer a sense of achievement, defeating these bosses doesn’t do much for the game itself, in a substantive sense; they are simply obstacles in the Prince’s path.
Another new edition is the chariot races. Despite not really being a race, more a way of getting from A to B quickly, these provide an entertaining interlude between the usual running and jumping. There’s not much skill involved though, it’s essentially a case of watching where you’re driving while trying to stop other chariots derailing you and running bad guys over.
Most of the time, you play as the Prince (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal who played him in Sands of Time) but at specific points during the game, the sands take over and the Prince transforms into his darker alter ego. This Prince is more sadistic and reckless than the one we have grown to know and love. He also comes equipped with the Daggertail, a lethal barbed whip which – in true God of War style – is attached to his left arm.
The major difference between the two is that the Dark Prince must kill others and absorb their sand to stay alive, his life gauge continually drops and if it becomes empty he won’t simply revert but will instead fall down dead. Also, unlike his lighter incarnation, the Dark Prince can only rely on his Daggertail and the Dagger of Time and cannot pick up any weapons discarded by vanquished minions. However he can initiate speed kills using the Daggertail, although these are slower and more brutal, more sadistic, than those performed by the Prince.
Throughout the game, the two Princes communicate in an interesting internal dialogue. His darker form (played by Canadian actor Rick Miller) is more like the demon sitting on our Prince’s shoulder, whispering evil nothings in his ear and trying to persuade him to succumb to his darker impulses. Yet, at the same time, he also serves to snap the Prince out of his occasional reveries when he really should be paying attention.
As the Prince once again has the Dagger of Time in his possession, all the time attacks make a welcome return and are gained by closing sand gates located across Babylon. Another new feature for this final chapter is the ability to collect sand credits and then buy videos and artwork from the main menu. This is an unoriginal idea but considering artwork from all three games is up for grabs, it’s a nice bonus.
The life-upgrades are also back although it’s no longer a case of following billowing curtains and ethereal music or powering up an amulet. First the Prince has to find a save fountain with a silver cup rotating above and then he must survive a short assault course to claim the upgrade by walking into white light. The problem is, these are often tucked away and well off the beaten track so require some hunting down.
The Two Thrones also marks the return of narration, this time not by the Prince but by Kaileena. The dialogue is similar to that in the original game, with Kaileena in an omniscient role, although her comments when you pause and save the game are rather wooden and repetitive.
The Two Thrones is a true sequel to the original game – aside from Kaileena’s presence it’s as if Warrior Within never happened – and it provides a fitting conclusion to the series. Fans will be satisfied with the good, even mix of challenging combat and the platforming which made the original game so successful. Yet those select few who enjoyed the darker tone of Warrior Within will find the Prince’s darker side and black humour a welcome addition to the game.
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System: Sony PlayStation 2
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal and Casablanc
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1
Version: European
Reviewed: Dec 2005
Writer: Lesley Smith
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Pros:
- Engaging plot, return of familiar faces and beautiful visuals
- Entertaining internal monologue between the two Princes
- Ambient and fitting soundtrack
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Cons:
- Speed kills are sometimes hard to pull off
- Dark Prince feels like a minor character in terms of gameplay
- Picked-up weapons can only be used a limited number of times
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Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Video: 7.0MB
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