by Timothy Hoarwood

Created on: August 31, 2009

When Jordan Mechner released the original Prince of Persia in 1989, it was critically lauded and ported to 16 different gaming platforms. It boasted incredibly smooth 2D animation, exhilarating (for the time!) platforming and enjoyable puzzles. After a well-received sequel, the game faded out of the spotlight, until an ill-advised 3D reboot in 1999 tarnished the memory of the original, with sloppy controls and an abominable camera.

However, in 2003, Ubisoft felt the time was right for another attempt at 3D Prince Of Persia, releasing the Sands of Time to much critical fanfare. It excelled in almost every area of game design, yet undersold, leaving Ubisoft somewhat confused. Unfortunately, a clueless marketing executive put this down to the game not being 'down with the young 'uns ' and Prince Of Persia - Warrior Within arrived, complete with excessive amounts of gore, swearing and heavy rock music. Whilst the gameplay was still excellent, with an improved combat system, the change of mood horrified many SoT fans. The title sold well, but left some critics and players wincing at Ubisoft's new Prince.

Luckily, for the final entry in the Prince of Persia series, The Two Thrones, the rock music was cut and the aesthetic altered, leaving a game which, whilst never quite reaching the heady heights of Sands of Time, was still an excellent example of the platforming/combat genre.

Come 2008, Ubisoft saw fit to reboot the series once again. Whilst almost unrecognisable from all that had come before, the originally named Prince of Persia made some brave design decisions, leaving people exalted and disappointed in equal measure.

Prince of Persia begins with a young, colourfully clad prince staggering out of a desert sandstorm. He meets a young lady by the name of Elika, but is then assaulted by a band of dark-clad soldiers. Sensing that something is wrong, he rushes with Elika to a vast temple, where the God of Darkness, Ahriman, is imprisoned. Unfortunately, Ahriman is set free, casting the world into darkness. Your objective is to return each area to the light, by defeating it's diabolical guardian.

Gameplay begins with only one area accessible, but later you are given a choice as to which sections to tackle first. With a press of a button, you can unleash the aptly named Elika's Compass, a floating orb which drifts in the direction you have to go. However, standing in the way of you and your final destination are an intimidating array of ropes, rings, pillars and platforms,

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