Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame

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.

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
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).