VideogameVagabond.com

Can a 45-year-old man maintain a marriage and a videogame habit? Let's find out!

Tag Archives: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Prince Of Persia: Forgotten Sands in-hand!

Last week, I finally got my hands on the follow-up to Prince of Persia on PS3. And I have to say, my first impressions are mixed.

First, I am intrigued at the online play aspects of this title, as well as what seems to be potential for a whole lot more replay value than the first title on this generation of hardware. But not everything about The Forgotten Sands is winning me over on first blush.

For example, I loved the improvements to wall-running and climbing that were part of the first PS3 Prince of Persia title; while not quite as seamless as the system found in Assassin’s Creed, it was certainly something that made the title easy to pick up and play.

This time out, however, Forgotten Sands takes a step backward and employs a “hold down R2″ control scheme that was part-and-parcel of the PS2-era titles in the series, but seemed to have been cast aside on next-gen hardware. Unfortunately, it has made a return and while I can adjust to it because I have played a lot of the PS2-era titles since falling in love with the first PS3 Prince of Persia, I can’t see where going back to that control scheme is an improvement, really. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Furthermore, the game still only supports 720p HD, rather than a full 1080p like Assassin’s Creed 2. That’s also disappointing.

The biggest surprise, however, is that despite an intriguing end to the first PS3 Prince of Persia that hinted at a direct sequel, the hero of this title seems to be a different Prince entirely, and there’s absolutely no sign of Princess Elika, the female co-star last time out. Instead, and perhaps because of the film that debuts this month, this title seems to be a throwback to the PS2 trilogy, rather than a followup to the last title. It even seems to be a different Prince who has spent more time on his ellipticals than roaming the desert sands.

That’s disappointing if for no other reason that I wanted to see what happened next between the Prince and Elika. Guess I’ll have to wait for the next Prince of Persia title for that.

This isn’t an indictment against The Forgotten Sands, mind you. I’m still early enough in the game to appreciate it on its own merits. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in some elements of this sequel, thus far.

First PS3 Prince of Persia still gorgeous

In anticipation of the release of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands on Tuesday, I’ve been replaying the first PS3 Prince of Persia. The first time I played through it, my wife and I did not own an HDTV, so I’m getting the benefit of the game’s 720p glory for the first time.

While it’s perhaps not as glorious as time spent looking over rare Ferrari parts, I find myself once again struck by just how impressive this Prince of Persia title was; and I’ve gone back and played each of the PS2-era Prince of Persia titles just for comparison, and as good as they were for their time, none of them quite compare to the PS3/360 reboot of the franchise.

As much as I’m looking forward to The Forgotten Sands, what this replay experience is reminding me of is just how far the bar has been set. The Forgotten Sands will need to be far more than “more of the same” to measure up. The Prince of Persia on PS3/360 did not play like a first-wave next-gen title; it was smooth and gorgeous and deep; about its only weakness was the game’s limited HD support (to topped out at 720p, and had no 1080p mode).

Adding 1080p support would be a good start; making use of it to enhance the game’s playing experience would make it a worthy successor. I’ll know a lot more in a couple days.

My deposit is down

There’s no acne solution that will cure videogame anticipation frenzy, but placing a deposit on the game is often helpful. Less than a week away from the release of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, the PS3/360 follow-up to 2008′s much-loved Prince of Persia franchise reboot, I have to admit it’s nice to know my copy is reserved.

I haven’t felt this strongly about an Ubisoft title in quite some time, and I can only hope that, much like Assassin’s Creed 2, PoP:Forgotten Sands will finally add 1080p support on PS3, a grossly overlooked feature last time out, and just about the only weakness of the last installment.

I do hope the Elika storyline will pick up in Forgotten Sands, although it appears she may not be as prominently featured as in the last title; a new companion is apparently the order of the day. As apprehensive as that makes me, I know that so long as the gameplay is as addictive as it was last time out, I’ll be enjoying every minute of the new game, just as soon as it’s out and I can drop by Best Buy.

Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands

The next big game release my wife and I are looking forward to that will qualify as a “must have right away” title is Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. The first PS3 Prince of Persia was a revelation for us both, and a game we both played through to the end more than once. We even bought the four-hour expansion from PSN.

But now, the follow up to that title is only about six weeks away and I’m jazzed, though not to the point of needing a pulse oximeter or anything. But excited? You bet.

Really, the big appeal beyond the gorgeousness of the game is the appealing storytelling of the relationship between the prince and the princess. Sure, it’s pure Disney’s Aladdin stuff, but it works for me, OK? And it’s one of a select group of action games that I genuinely enjoy as much as even my favorite RPGs.