Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame

The Good
The graphics are more colorful and detailed than the original, which makes them prettier to look at, but this also ends up being a negative as well.

The Bad
Everything! While the graphics are pretty to look at, they make spotting traps much harder. You will die many times simply because you stepped in a trap you couldn't see.

The game is also full of enemies that are practically impossible to hit, so you will lose much of your health just trying to hit the creatures that are attacking you. I became so frustrated with trying to fight my way through the levels that I eventually resorted to using the cheat that kills all the enemies on the screen instantly, just so that I wouldn't have to replay the same sections 20 times to get by them.

Then there are the timed sections where you must step on a pressure plate and then run/climb/jump through a door before it closes, all of which requires you to do it perfectly, or you'll have to go back and do it again (and again, and again, and again, and again...).

The Bottom Line
I was still an Amiga user when this game came out and I was always disappointed that there was never an Amiga version of it. Now that I'm gotten the chance to play it, I'm glad it never came out for the Amiga because I think I might have thrown my system out the window in frustration!

I did not find this game fun to play at all. The only reason I kept going was to see the ending, then I promptly erased it off my hard drive and breathed a sigh of relieve that I would never have to torture myself by playing this stinker again!

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
He could have been off so well: in the first part of the game, the prince rescues a lovely princess, marries her and enjoys his life. Until he arrives in the throne room one morning to learn that another, identically looking man has taken his place. And is dedicated to kill him. It is an interesting story line for a platform game - much more in depth than the average Commander Keen saga. The animations were incredibly smooth for that time, the scenery diverse and the intro even featured speech.

The Bad
Ever seen a guy that bit his keyboard in frustration? If not, no one played Prince of Persia 2 while you were around. You can only return to certain save points, usually one per level. The traps have become much more diverse than in the first part of the game which makes it really difficult to get through.

The Bottom Line
It is a platform game with beautiful graphics (for its time) and a very intriguing atmosphere. Since the story is rather interesting even adventure players might find Prince of Persia 2 worth checking out. You should take your time, however. It won't be easy to go through. (Unless you get back to cheating, of course).