It's hard to believe that the Prince of Persia (PoP) franchise is actually sixteen years old this year. Originally a platform game for the Apple II the series the Prince has gone through a few sequels and has seen a reinvention of sorts. Ubisoft Montreal really hammered home the franchise's transition to the 3-D realm with the Sands of Time and crafted a game that was fresh yet familiar in some way. The combat had been tweaked and the ability to control time was handled masterfully but the same effort to survive many traps and pitfalls was still the main attraction. The game was considered by many to be a little on the short side though I for one thought it was perfectly balanced with a great story and nonstop action.

A year later the Warrior Within was released and while it was a direct sequel with returning characters it was undoubtedly darker in tone. The game offered a revamped combat system and a change in overall presentation. The same acrobatic stunts awaited gamers though a few tweaks to the gameplay such as the ability to dual wield weapons and steal blades from opponents certainly added to the action.

Yet again exactly one year later another PoP game has been released and just like the Warrior Within, it improves upon the previous concepts. The Two Thrones takes place shortly after the events of the last game and quickly the Prince is cast into a tumultuous siege upon his kingdom. He has to face the consequences of his actions from the prior two games and due to the events of the past his personality has essentially split.

This basically leaves the last game in the trilogy feeling like an amalgamation of the previous two. On one hand you have the nimble prince who's trying to do the right thing, yet on the other you have a black-hearted killing machine that has lost his sense of morality. Adding to the atmosphere is a wonderful narrative that really fleshes out the arc and adds to the Prince's development. Just like UbiSoft's Splinter Cell series, PoP seems to just keep better with every installment. After playing this one I sincerely hope that it's not much longer than a year until we can visit the Arabian nights again.

Gameplay:

As I mentioned much of the same gameplay concepts from the last two games make their return with the third installment. The first stage serves as a reminder of just how nimble the good Prince is as you're given a tutorial-like obstacle course that refreshes your acrobatic skill. You'll be running along walls, leaping from ledge to ledge, shimmying down narrow walls and climbing columns in no time. The Prince's burning kingdom is a perfect place to get warmed up (no pun intended) and it also introduces some new concepts.

You still have the ability to borrow weapons from enemies, throw them and use them in combat. Each blade has a damage meter that depletes the more you use it, but fortunately there are plenty of armed bad guys around. The new concept introduced here is something called a "Speed Kill" that really adds an interesting element to the game. It basically gives the combat a stealthy feel and adds a reward to taking out a foe before they realize you're there. That reward is basically the fact that you don't have to fight them, but that's helpful in its own right.

Larger environments become amusement parks where you figure out the best way to not only get from point A to B, but to also discover the best way to get the drop on an enemy. You'll know when you can pull of a Speed Kill when the screen gets all distorted and from there it basically is as simple as timed button presses. My only beef with this system is that there is a lot of trial and error involved. Then again that's how a lot of the series has been from the Sands of Time, so don't be too surprised if you goof and have to restart from a checkpoint. The kicker is that apart from having to do it all over again, there really is no downside to just dying and starting over. Then again as you are fed time control powers you can just rewind the sands and try to do it all over the right way.

Apart from the new Speed Kills, playing as the Dark Prince is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoyed God of War. The Prince totes around a lengthy blade called daggertail that literally rips an opponent to shreds from a distance. This inclusion combined with the new stealth portions offer a fine line between straight out fighting and tactical thinking. For the most part though, you'll also find that the combat is balanced along side of the acrobatics and such. In that regard The Two Thrones feels arguably more fluid than the previous two games.

Another thing that was missing from the last installments of the series was the inclusion of a great boss fight. Sands of Time didn't have anything to offer in that regard and Warrior Within didn't really bring much that was good to the table. There are a few such battles in The Two Thrones that will put not only your feel for combat to the test, but also your brain power. You'll often have to think on your feet in this game and it's something that feels like a great addition to the series.

All in all the gameplay in the third "new" Prince game is a fine balance between the last two games. It feels familiar, yet fresh and really hits home some of the new ideas like Speed Kills and the control of the Dark Prince. If you've played the last two games then you should know what to expect, but if you haven't checked out the adventures of the Prince yet, you owe it to yourself to start with the Sands of Time and work your way through.

Graphics:

Apart from the aerial antics and flashy combat, the Prince's series has also been known to be a visual tour de force. The lighting is one of the most dramatic elements to the style of the graphics but it's the fluid animation that always caught my attention. The acrobatic maneuvers, flow of combat and environmental detail are such quality that the game comes alive. Subtle things like the flow of the Prince's hair to the way fabric moves are all lifelike and add personality to an already rich series. The design for the game is just as strong as ever and it shows that the gang over at UbiSoft Montreal had a real passion for the project.

Audio:

The Two Thrones also brings a marvelous soundtrack into the mix with music that is closer to the Sands of Time in terms of style. Sweeping tunes and atmospheric sounds flow in and out of the game at various points and the voice acting is second to none. Though the game doesn't have the jovial sense of humor that the first one had, the narrative still carries a prominent impact. Many of the sound effects are well pronounced and you have to pay attention to how loud you're moving around if you want to do things the sneaky way.

Conclusion:

The Two Thrones also brings a marvelous soundtrack into the mix with music that is closer to the Sands of Time in terms of style. Sweeping tunes and atmospheric sounds flow in and out of the game at various points and the voice acting is second to none. Though the game doesn't have the jovial sense of humor that the first one had, the narrative still carries a prominent impact. Many of the sound effects are well pronounced and you have to pay attention to how loud you're moving around if you want to do things the sneaky way.