Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

I bought this for my son after I took him to see the movie of the sands of Time. I have played it a few times now and I find it rather refreshing that a game developer/publisher has the confidence to return to the side scrolling format. The graphics are excellent and it scores highly on the pick up and play axis. Not many games can boast that these days. As a casual gamer that is really important to me. I don't have the time or the inclination to wade through complicated instruction manuals. My son is far more of a game geek than I am and he likes the game for the same reasons that I do. For those looking for a way to pass a few hours taking time out from a busy work and home life you could do a lot worse than buy this retro playing gem.

I am a core fan of prince-of-persia right from their old DOS version game..

I just started playing this game.... I am very much disappointed with the 2.5D where prince can roll only in two direction & u cannot have a 360degree view... :-(

This review comes from the perspective of someone who didn't really get on with the Rival Swords Prince of Persia game on the PSP and thought it was a step in wrong direction for handheld gaming, at least when the control systems were as unpolished for the psp as in that game. As such, the return to a 2d side scrolling game was a welcome return. I could finally enjoy the PoP games on a handheld device again. However, if you enjoyed the 3d games then take this review with a pinch of salt, as this game may not be to your liking.

Graphics are on par with any other handheld game on the market at this time, the Prince and his enemies are well designed, and motions are smooth. The backgrounds are well thought out, and the themes of the levels are different enough to feel like you're really progressing through a world.

The sound is also pretty decent for a handheld device; the music really puts you into the world of PoP and feels right at home in the deserts. The sound effects too are good enough to not get annoying after constant repetitions, which is always a plus.

Gameplay is where the game really shines though, with the side scrolling helping to give the game structure. The basic gameplay is the same as the previous games, it's a platform game where you can stop, slow or speed up time in order to advance in the game, jumping and completing puzzles as they become apparent. The upgrade system is a nice feature and gives a reason to collect all of the elixir in a level other than for completions sake. Which is another good point also; the game has a lot of replay value if you are after a complete game, as levels need to be completed within a certain amount of time with no deaths and a certain number of elixirs collected in order to get the perfect score. The elemental powers add a new dimension to the game as far as puzzles go, and some variety is always nice to see.

The story itself is the usual fare, you play through levels and unlock powers in order to stop the bad guy and save the world. Though in saying that, the inclusion of a completely original and compelling story isn't necessary for the Prince of Persia games to work. At least for me, the PoP games embody classic gameplay and a feeling that you can pick up and play at any time, and this game certainly fulfils that role admirably.