From the moment the intro kicks in and climaxes with your character being hurtled into the thick of battle, you just know that this is going to be something special.

And thankfully the premise (which is to solve puzzles, fight, and evade traps through the use of elaborately flamboyant gymnastics) has changed very little to that of its 8 bit predecessor.

So where shall I begin? It's all too easy to spin a review around the poor qualities of a game - because, lets face it, slagging something off just comes naturally - but this game has very few poor qualities. So I can either keep this review rather short, or illuminate what works. I think I'll go with the latter.

So let us roll with the obvious - the aesthetics of Prince of Persia are something to be marveled. From the sheer size and exuberance of the Sultan's gradually deteriorating palace to the troubled reflections that splash light and detail upon the truly remarkable architecture, this game just oozes quality.

Not only does the heroic Prince have an impressive arsenal of stylish and effective moves - somersaults, the infamous cartwheel, back flips, diving attacks, the ability to run up and along walls, to name just a few - that are needed if you are to shield Farah (the daughter of conquered Indian Maharajah) from attacks, battle the rage ridden dead, escape the clutches of the palace, and to (generally) defy the laws of physics, the prince also possess the extraordinary power to bend and control the fabric of time itself, through the use of his (aptly named) Dagger of Time. (Now breath)

Prince Of Persia is the latest offering from Ubisoft.

The Dagger of Time allows for the seamless ability to rewind and freeze time, allowing for experimentation. There's no more frustration in trying to puzzle out where to go and how to go there only to find that your poorly timed leap of faith ends in death.

And it is exactly this element of fluidity to the gameplay that is responsible for lifting this title head and shoulders above the competition. Prince of Persia is able to oscillate pleasure through the repetition of time, creating yet another dimension to the way we see and experience games.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of minor flaws. For starters there's the difficulty level. Hardcore gamers will relish in its challenge, but casual gamers are likely to throw in the towel only half way through their adventure.

Then there's the issue regarding the erratically jumpy camera -having such a beautiful structure comes at a price. However, this occurs rarely, and if it does you can either switch to the first person perspective, or you can just rewind time and try again.

Prince of Persia is a showpiece which further cements the exceptional talents Ubisoft Montreal Studios' possesses when it comes to interlacing stunning visuals with great gameplay.

Every PS2 owner (if they haven't done so already) needs to update their games library with this title. And no, I'm not on mind-bending drugs.

9/10

Clarkestar

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