Posted March 29, 2009
One of the best in Ubisoft's catalogue and probably the best in the Prince series, undoubtedly.
The other gripes people here list aren't ones I share, personally. The game is challenging, but not at all excessive in its challenge, if you're up to it. Combat is EXTREMELY fun -- occasionally frustrating, but that's part of the appeal, somehow. The camera isn't perfect, no, but doesn't seem much better or worse than in any other well-made game. I have no idea what the save points complaint is about either -- if anything the game has too many save points, as they come after every section you complete, with a checkpoint in between.
The Sands of Time is essentially comprised of puzzle/platform portions as blended with combat sections, and Ubisoft got the mixture damn near perfect here.
Story-wise, it certainly holds up, and the Prince's internal dialogue/voice-acting really bring you into the experience (personally, I loved the VA). Probably my only real complaint about the game, at least through to about the halfway point, is Farah's story, and her character in general, are virtually non-existent. Especially having played the latest Prince iteration recently, it doesn't come close. But this is nitpicking in light of everything else the game has to offer.
The audio is phenomenal, blending some rocking Western style stuff with beautiful Middle Eastern music. The inclusion of a soundtrack here is easily worth the purchase price alone, as some users have noted already, especially with it being seemingly very rare and expensive elsewhere.
Graphically, the Prince still holds up VERY well, even after more than five years -- granted, the leap in graphics was not as big these last couple of generations, but nevertheless. If you're smart enough to have a monitor capable of a resolution higher than the maximum allowed, be sure to check the forum for how to take advantage of it with this gorgeous title -- I have it running at 1680x1050 on max settings and it's pretty breathtaking.
Bottom line is, if you like or love adventure games and/or platformers, this is a gem to have for your collection. And if you're not keen on these types of games, try out a demo online -- you may surprise yourself and end up loving it.
The other gripes people here list aren't ones I share, personally. The game is challenging, but not at all excessive in its challenge, if you're up to it. Combat is EXTREMELY fun -- occasionally frustrating, but that's part of the appeal, somehow. The camera isn't perfect, no, but doesn't seem much better or worse than in any other well-made game. I have no idea what the save points complaint is about either -- if anything the game has too many save points, as they come after every section you complete, with a checkpoint in between.
The Sands of Time is essentially comprised of puzzle/platform portions as blended with combat sections, and Ubisoft got the mixture damn near perfect here.
Story-wise, it certainly holds up, and the Prince's internal dialogue/voice-acting really bring you into the experience (personally, I loved the VA). Probably my only real complaint about the game, at least through to about the halfway point, is Farah's story, and her character in general, are virtually non-existent. Especially having played the latest Prince iteration recently, it doesn't come close. But this is nitpicking in light of everything else the game has to offer.
The audio is phenomenal, blending some rocking Western style stuff with beautiful Middle Eastern music. The inclusion of a soundtrack here is easily worth the purchase price alone, as some users have noted already, especially with it being seemingly very rare and expensive elsewhere.
Graphically, the Prince still holds up VERY well, even after more than five years -- granted, the leap in graphics was not as big these last couple of generations, but nevertheless. If you're smart enough to have a monitor capable of a resolution higher than the maximum allowed, be sure to check the forum for how to take advantage of it with this gorgeous title -- I have it running at 1680x1050 on max settings and it's pretty breathtaking.
Bottom line is, if you like or love adventure games and/or platformers, this is a gem to have for your collection. And if you're not keen on these types of games, try out a demo online -- you may surprise yourself and end up loving it.