Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame

The Good
This was a really awesome idea, and well done. Good artwork, sound, and motion, as well as story and concept. It was a bit on the edgy side, what with the Mortal-Wombat style deaths and the extreme violence and mysticism of the game, but this only further contributed to the game.

One can't help but think that this game is an esoteric production: were else does your in-game avatar die, then turn into a nigh-invincible flame-jinn? Or abandon his body and run through doors and distract enemies as a shadow? And if you think that's odd, wait till you get to the horse in the desert (actually, that happens before, but is far weirder).

And the game was intelligent, too...

The Bad
But it's too intelligent. The puzzles are prohibitively difficult, and, don't forget, there's a two hour clock. Oh, joy, two hours in which to get from the desert to that bastard's castle and kill him, all the while figuring out some damned tough puzzles, mazes, and traps. Better hotkey that reload button.

The arcade sequences, that is, every single sword-skirmish, are difficult, but only to the challenging-squared degree. Yes, you can fight while on a magic carpet and jump from a three story building landing on a local fishmonger after invoking Nyrlahotep. Well, not that difficult. They can be mastered. Unlike the puzzles, which happen to be on the mensa admission test.

The Bottom Line
This is like the Ayn Rand of computer games, tough, cruel, merciless. Don't worry, it'll beat you. It's mean. But that doesn't mean that it isn't good.

It's something like a sidescrolling Pulp Fiction meeting Twin Peaks.

The Good
The music sounds really good using Sound Blaster Pro.

This Prince of Persia 2 is a much more magical and adventurous game this its predecessor, it contains new traps that are just as fun to avoid as the original traps, the game has faster and more intriguing sword fighting, tougher puzzles, and adventure almost completely replaces the platform genre of Prince of Persia.

The Bad
I think the game is a bit too difficult.

The Bottom Line
A game that is definitely worth buying.

This game will satisfy every player's needs.

This sequel is also a side scroller, so if you are expecting a new angle of gameplay you won't get your wish.

The Good
The graphics are much more varied than the previous game and there are also new traps and enemies. There is now background music (even if its not very good) and a better storyline.

The Bad

This is one of the most difficult games I've ever played. The new puzzles and enemies are much tougher. To rub this in the save points are frequently a long way apart. Add onto this that you frequently have to use trial and error to find out what you are supposed to do and you have a recipe for the most frustrating game since Another World. After spending about 2 hours repeatedly trying to complete a small section in level 10 my keyboard was in severe danger of being thrown against the wall!

When I finally got there I found out that the last level is nearly impossible unless you have collected enough of the greater health potions in the earlier levels. There was no way I was playing through all those levels again so I gave in and cheated.

The Bottom Line
If the difficultly was toned down a bit this would have been an improvement to Prince of Persia. But as it is playing this game is definitely not what I'd call fun. I could only recommend it to either completists or masochists.