Solid platforming and a quality production make this a must try
The fluid controls and animations of the original Prince of Persia are unlike anything from that era. That level of fidelity translated to a true three dimensional world without a hitch in The Sands of Time. One of the more significant aspects of this game is how well the Prince controls. He has a very impressive catalog of acrobatics including wall running, pole swinging, tightrope balancing, ledge scaling, and rope climbing. All of his moves are easy to perform due to a control scheme that effectively utilizes the controllers buttons and triggers. Furthermore, the prince's moves look and feel very natural, with numerous animations smoothly connecting his jumps from one technique to another while physics and momentum determine how he interacts with the environment.
The Prince's acrobatic abilities are put to the test in well designed levels that continue to provide their own unique set of obstacles to overcome throughout the game. Frankly, this game includes some of the most rock solid platforming sequences the genre has ever seen.
The two other aspects to the gameplay are puzzles and combat. The puzzles spread throughout the game provide breaks between the action. They are the usual fare of block pushing and switch hitting activities that are generic, but rather harmless.
Combat segments also occur throughout the game, and are noticeably weak compared to the other portions. You'll use your sword and sand dagger against weapon wielding zombie-like foes who attack in groups of four or five and continue to respawn for a certain amount of cycles. The combat system is very thin and not very fun. You have a few tricks up your arsenal like stabbing them with your dagger and then instant killing their frozen in time sand carcasses, or simply bouncing off walls to quick slash the enemies. The fighting is very clumsy and frustrating though, as enemies continually respawn and attack while you fidget around with time reversal to desperately keep your health up. Simply put, the combat quickly becomes a chore.
That's the only thing holding this game down though. The presentation wraps up the game in a top notch package. From the way the Prince narrates the story, to his interactions with Farah, to the great environmental set pieces and background music that back them up; The Sands of Time is an unforgettable experience.
