Prince of Persia review
Last year Ubisoft Montreal introduced a new IP which raised the bar for future action/platformers in terms of scope and visual finesse. This year they have returned to a more familiar franchise and, on the whole, the Canadian team have delivered the goods again with a well crafted title that oozes visual quality.
 |
Despite the rich history of Prince of Persia, the latest chapter is a standalone tale. It’s a low-commitment adventure that takes place in the same universe as its predecessors but its characters and plot are entirely new. Initially the anonymous new hero appears shallow and an unworthy heir to the Prince of Persia throne, but he eventually grows into a somewhat likeable character. Of far more interest however, is your AI companion, Elika. She’s the Princess of a dying empire that has been tainted with ‘corruption’ by a malevolent spirit known as Ahriman and together the Prince and Elika set out to imprison him and reverse the damage his evil has done to the land. Elika’s story and voice-acting are consistently strong and she is the maypole around which the narrative revolves. Her interaction with the Prince adds depth and texture to the journey and is a clear highlight of this title.
Pleasingly, Elika is a genuinely useful AI companion and her magic powers augment the Prince’s abilities and enhance the available moveset. (She will also save the Prince from death both in and out of combat.) Despite these corporal benefits, it is the dialogue between the two that is most of interest. The banter between the Rogue and the Lady is a little hoary at first, but steadily improves to a point where it is almost entirely free of cliché and genuinely funny. There is very little repetition and the sporadic flirty undercurrent is handled skilfully and adds some further flavour. Creating chemistry between game characters is a nebulous pursuit, yet it is admirably achieved here and that’s mainly due to Elika. (Would the title “Princess of Persia” have been too revolutionary?)
Together, the acrobatic pair traverse the world with a fluid and simple brand of extremely forgiving platforming/parkour. Initially this suggests that the challenge to come will be too easy, but over time it morphs into a surprisingly agreeable experience and difficulty becomes less of issue. Navigating your way through the sumptuous and colourful environments rarely places any stress on the player and at times is almost relaxing. It can feel repetitious and some further puzzle elements would definitely have been welcome, but overall it makes a refreshing change to some of the demanding and visceral action we’ve seen recently.
This is due in part to the beautifully intricate art style. The visual aesthetic is ostensibly a gentle one, but it holds the attention and continues to impress into the latter stages. It’s of huge credit to the design team that an art style so steeped in fantasy caricature still manages to appear fresh and unique. Assassin’s Creed was always going to be a difficult act to follow in this regard, but Prince of Persia proves a more than worthy successor.
To the passer-by Prince of Persia appears to be a free-roaming open world adventure and though it is possible to select the level you will tackle next, it is dependent upon you having unlocked certain abilities for Elika beforehand. The duo must negotiate their way through the four themed zones that branch away from the Tree of Life, which serves as a central hub. Progress is shrewdly weighted and each new zone feels welcome when you arrive. Each zone has four levels, with a boss battle at the end of each and for good measure, each boss needs beating for a fifth and final time before they are finally vanquished and Elika can finish Healing the Earth in that zone. This healing rids the level of Ahriman’s corruption and releases lightseeds which need to be collected. These shimmering orbs are the currency with which Elika can purchase new abilities and thus access new levels. Elika can trigger these new abilities from colour-coded plates scattered throughout each level. (These new abilities initiate brief transitions of play that enjoy varying degrees of success.) Despite being presented with panache, it’s a fairly traditional framework and one which works well. Again, there is some repetition and backtracking but revisiting a newly healed land is always a pleasure and the ‘pick-and-mix’ approach to level selection seems appropriate for the bite-sized chunks of action each area serves up.
Combat is the second key element of this adventure and sadly it is inconsistently implemented, oscillating wildly between satisfying combotastic swordplay and moments of clumsy and unfair frustration. By accurately executing QTE’s it is possible to avoid damage, but victory hinges upon successfully chaining attacks together into combos.
There are several combo trees and some are more effective against certain opponents than others - knowing when to use which one is vital for speedy progress. Nailing a chain of combos is rewarding and the combat can provide a welcome change of pace occasionally. But these moments are fleeting and ultimately the combat sections are the Achilles’ heel of Prince of Persia. Enemies need to be tackled differently depending on their strengths/weaknesses of course, but they can also “change state” at any given moment, negating one whole branch of your attacking moves. Similarly, should you attack an opponent at the wrong moment -or while they are in the ‘wrong’ state- Elika will be tossed to the ground, injured and unavailable for a minute or so. (Taking another branch of your attacking moves with her.) Lastly, the position of your opponent within the fighting arena needs to be carefully considered before beginning an attack because, maddeningly, a combo can be broken by a wall or ledge etc.
In isolation these issues can be countered without too much fuss, but aggregately they create too many barriers for fluid and enjoyable play. At any one moment there can be several variables that all need to be considered prior to your next attack. Misjudge it and Elika will be wounded again whilst your enemy inexplicably receives a health boost! Understandably, boss fights regularly become long drawn out affairs fraught with anger and a sense of injustice. The combat system is clearly unbalanced and communicates poorly with the player. (As a side issue, it seems an incredible oversight that a game as approachable as this doesn’t feature an in-depth combat tutorial…)
Aside from the frustrating combat there are some other minor niggles. The short flying sections triggered by the yellow plates can be truly awful and although the content of the dialogue between the Prince and Elika is successful there are occasionally problems with how it is delivered. (Nearly every line of dialogue can be skipped, but occasionally you must halt your progress and physically stand still to engage in conversation. The platforming is so undemanding that surely these exchanges could continue as play progresses? Forcing the player to stop if they want to learn more of the broader lore and background/story seems ill-advised.)
Your impression of Prince of Persia will depend upon your initial expectations. With that in mind, let’s make it clear: This is no Tomb Raider or Sands of Time. Despite the frustrating combat and some pacing issues early on, Prince of Persia is a pleasurable experience that delivers far more than the extremely average platformer it initially appears to be. It doesn’t do anything revolutionary and at times it can feel too passive an experience, but not every game has to reinvent the wheel or demand 60 hours of focussed play.
This is a well polished and enjoyable video game and it is a welcome addition to the franchise. It never hits the heights of some other recent releases, but it has plenty to offer nonetheless. With DLC on the way and Ubisoft Montreal refining their craft ahead of Assassin’s Creed 2, the future looks bright.