Summary
Restoring the monarchy in Iran
The Good
"Sands of Time" is the fourth
Prince of Persia game, but it is also the first one made by French Canadian developers. The French have a particularly solid reputation in the development of platform games.
Another World,
Heart of Darkness, to a certain extent also the more recent
Beyond Good & Evil have become classics thanks to their superbly crafted gameplay and artistic value.
"Sands of Time" proudly joins this legendary list. In many ways, it is a "hardcore" platformer just like its predecessors, with clear emphasis on acrobatic action rather than puzzle-solving and combat. In fact, there are hardly a few real puzzles in the game; most of the time, figuring out what to do is much less challenging than the actual execution of the task (physically manoeuvring the prince to the goal). In this way, "Sands of Time" is a worthy successor to the previous games of the serious, providing plenty of nerve-tickling moments (will I make this jump? will I make it??..) and good old frustration (noooooo! The prince fell into the abyss again! I have to replay the whoooole room all over again!..).
But "Sands of Time" has also updated itself to contemporary sensibilities. Despite the occasional frustration, the game is
much, much easier than the first Prince of Persia (I haven't played the other two). The reason for that is perhaps the typically French elegance that manifests itself in its gameplay. Every movement the prince performs is not only gracefully animated and a joy to watch - it is also easy to execute, at the same time requiring precision that prevents the game from being
too easy. For example, the off-wall-bouncing doesn't require anything but the press of a single button, but its
timing is crucial. If you press it too early or too late, the prince will fail to execute the move. However, achieving precise timing has nothing to do with painfully staring at the prince's hands, trying to guess the right moment. It is performed
rhythmically: feeling the right "tempo" is the key to success, and if you get the hang of it, you can bounce of walls successfully without even looking at the screen.
For me this rhythmical elegance was the most appealing aspect of the gameplay. It also applies to combat. The combat of "Sands of Time" is never button-mashing; if you only press the attack button, you'll fail. Once again, it's all about timing. Feeling the opponent's movements; attacking the right foe at the right time; blocking when necessary; intelligent usage of the two different attack methods (paralyzing or finishing move with the dagger or normal attack with the sword), jumping over enemies' heads, striking them from behind - these are the ways to defeating the enemies in the game.
The overall feeling of lightness and grace is achieved by implementing some very impressive acrobatic moves, the coolest of which is the famous ability to run on walls for a short time. This ability, coupled with some others, turns the gameplay into a veritable never-ending dance. The prince is always in motion. The animation of his movements is simply superb, with none of the clumsiness seen even in some of the best platform games.
Another interesting gimmick is the ability to rewind time by depleting a special "sand bar", which can be filled by defeating enemies and finding "sand clouds". This is not at all the same as having "lives", because with the time-rewinding, the player is able to go back to any previous moment of the gameplay (provided there is enough sand to do that), not just try again from the same place or a set checkpoint. The effect of watching the gameplay "go backwards" - just like rewinding a VCR - is absolutely cool and original.
During most of the game, the prince will be assisted by a princess. Much like Yorda in
ICO, she does things the hero is unable to do, namely go through cracks in walls, inaccessible to the bulky prince. She can then access switches and open doors to our royal protagonist. She can also shoot from a bow in combat, which is supposed to help you, but in reality you'll have to protect her during battles, like the perfect gentleman you are. I found all this very charming. The princess is one determined lady, and during the course of the game she'll display a lot of energy, being anything but a "damsel in distress". The way she gracefully goes through cracks, shoots her bow and quickly pulls switches is strangely attractive.
The main story of "Sands of Time" is really uninteresting, but it's also not important. The "true" story of the game - once again, similarly to "ICO" - is the bond you gradually develop with the princess. The two of you overcome dangers together and help each other at the time of peril. This alone makes the player feel deep sympathy to the two; but this feeling is reinforced by some really charming and witty conversations. The two heroes will exchange remarks, and the prince will often comment on his feelings in amusing monologues. The story of the game is very simple, but it is created with the same ease and elegance as the rest of the game. And the ending is fantastic, introducing a cool plot twist and shedding a whole new light on the story.
Finally, the Persia setting, while being little more than a typical Arabian Nights-style "exotic" dressing, is reflected very nicely in the graphics, and provides a rather unique atmosphere. Just like in the story, there is no darkness in this atmosphere; it creates pleasant emotions and is artistically appealing.
The Bad
My initial reaction to all those nifty camera-adjusting options was pure joy (I played this game right after
God of War which stubbornly refused to allow me to move the camera around). Then the joy turned into a moderate pain, as I tried in vain to zoom in on the tiny prince miserably hanging on a ledge somewhere over an abyss, without being able to distinguish between accessible platforms and lethal spots, contemplating suicide. Then, after a prolonged and challenging fight against the camera - which ended in its total victory - I blindly forced the prince to jump to his death several times, wasting valuable sand to bring him back to life and eventually having to replay the whole segment.
The game can get repetitive. Many puzzles in "Sands of Time" are variants over the same "perform acrobatic stunts and press the colored switch" kind of thing. It is especially evident during the first half of the game; things improve significantly later. There is a certain pattern that is used nearly all the time: the prince enters a huge room. A cut-scene showing the location follows. The prince searches around for hangable bars and walkable walls. He finds them. He monkeys around until he reaches the top and presses an orange button. The princess crawls into a crack. Both enter a new room, which has to be cleared of multiple waves of enemies. The prince kills everyone, collecting precious sand and trying to protect the princess. He then proceeds into a save point which shows him that his future will consist of those very same activities.
And there are no sub-titles for the voices! Come on.
The Bottom Line
"Sands of Time" is one of the great games (together with
ICO,
Psychonauts,
God of War, and others) that contributed to the wonderful revival of the platform genre in the 2000s. Elegant, fresh gameplay, enchanting atmosphere, and sweet story make "Sands of Time" a highly enjoyable experience and an essential landmark in the history of the genre.
