Prince Of Persia: Two Thrones

8.8
Great

Gameplay	9.0	"Fans of the series should have already picked this game up."
Graphics	8.5
Sound	9.0
Value	9.0

By Shaun Hunter

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We were impressed with The Sands of Time, Warrior Within gave us a dark insight into the series, and now The Two Thrones has arrived to round out ‘The Sands of Time’ trilogy. The back-story for the trilogy is full of twists and turns, not to mention various timelines which the Prince explores.

As the Prince of Persia returns to Babylon, he is propelled into an adventure where he is chasing down a captured Kaileena. As the story quickly progresses, Kaileena’s life is taken, but not without having an adverse side effect on the Prince. The Sands of Time, which were unleashed with Kaileena’s death, corrupted the Prince, and give rise to the Dark Prince.

The Dark Prince makes his appearance increasingly as the game progresses, taking over the Prince’s body and bringing about extra power and his unique chain weapon, complete with a set chain-swinging combo attacks. The darker Prince’s life will slowly deteriorate unless you collect Sand Credits, which are gained by killing enemies, or more commonly found in the scattered breakables on the levels.

The actual gameplay is similar to the other two games in the trilogy, as you’d expect. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop and swinging on planks in between is what the game is all about. The Two Thrones features some innovative ways to get from point to point. Even a third of the way into the game you’ll still be learning new ways and different techniques to get from one platform to the other. Early in the game you’ll be jumping from rooftop to rooftop, but as the game progresses you’ll find yourself running along walls, using chains to grapple onto faraway ledges and sliding headfirst down chains.

As well as the on-foot action, the combat is even better. You begin the game with one sword, but as you kill enemies you are able to wield their weapons as your secondary weapon, at least until they wear out. It’s a cool feature which keeps the combat fresh, as particular weapons you pick up will feature weapon-specific combo moves. Coupled with all the combos you can perform are the speed kills. Taking place before you have been seen by the enemy, speed kills are a quick way to dispose of your foe by simply tapping the square button when your sword lights up. Although it is a cool feature, it feels slightly empty, and there is potential for a better system to be used rather than tapping a button at a specific time for every enemy.

As was explored in the previous games, the Sands of Time will allow you to travel back in time. However, for the purposes of the gameplay, you can only go back around 10 seconds into the past. Each time you do this it’ll use a Sand Tank, which you can have six of in total. Rewinding time comes in use if you fall off a ledge, or incorrectly time a jump and plummet to your death. However, if you leave it too long you won’t be able to rewind far enough, as you need to wait a few moments for the meter to fill again before you can rewind the next time.

The story is one which will have you thinking for a few moments if you haven’t been paying attention. The Prince of Persia games are very storyline intensive, and it’s advisable to play The Sands of Time and Warrior Within before playing The Two Thrones if you intend on keeping up with the full story. With that said, the FMV’s do provide a great theatrical experience which will keep you enthralled with the game.

As the game advances, you’ll notice the distinct difference in the in-game atmospheres. The dark, gloomy sewers will feel completely different to playing out similar puzzles and action on the rooftops of the cities, as will jumping from wall to wall inside palaces and buildings. The Two Thrones has to be highly commended on this aspect of the game, and it’s one which will keep you playing and bring you back for more.

Enhancing the atmosphere is the sound of the game. The great use of Dolby Pro Logic II sound shows, as moving the camera around the Prince while he is talking will cause the sound to be rotated around the speakers. The music sounds impressive through a good stereo system, as do the voiceovers, bringing you right into the Prince’s shoes. The music will build up to battles, giving you an extra warning that hostility is just around the corner.

Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones is a great addition to the already famed Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time trilogy. Anybody in need of a good action adventure game should consider this game; meanwhile, fans of the previous two games should have already picked this game up.

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