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Forums > Submission Feedback > asherdeus's Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands review

This thread is in response to a review for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands on the PlayStation 3. You are encouraged to view the review in a new window before reading this thread.

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Author: Leroux
Posted: December 29, 2010 (07:33 PM)
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Nice review. I think it was a mistake, but I got a laugh out of tree chunks.

It's a real shame how after such an influential debut with Sands, one of my favorite games, this series hasn't done much of anything to build off of it and instead seems to keep repackaging the same adventure.

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Author: Masters (Mod)
Posted: December 29, 2010 (10:02 PM)
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I dunno if you've played Warrior Within, but I am playing it now and it's not wonderful. Two Thrones just seemed bland and derivative, but Warrior Within is downright boring.


I don't have to prove I'm refined - that's what makes me refined!

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Author: JoeTheDestroyer (Mod)
Posted: December 29, 2010 (10:26 PM)
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I was so psyched to play Warrior Within after finishing the first Sands. Not only did I find the game boring, but glitchy (I have the Gamecube version). I've been trying to force myself to play the other games, but cannot muster want.


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Author: Masters (Mod)
Posted: December 29, 2010 (10:32 PM)
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Although I didn't play them in order (I played Sands, then Thrones, and now, much later--Warrior), I can safely say that Sands is EASILY the best, and then Thrones which feels like a pretty but limp retread and then Warrior at the very bottom. The stealth stuff in Thrones is pretty cool at least. Warrior's story is seriously lame.


I don't have to prove I'm refined - that's what makes me refined!

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Author: JoeTheDestroyer (Mod)
Posted: December 29, 2010 (11:04 PM)
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I also hated the ill-fitting Godsmack song that played at different moments.


The only thing my milkshake brings to the yard is a subpoena.

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Author: Masters (Mod)
Posted: December 29, 2010 (11:07 PM)
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Ha, I don't know that I'd recognize a Godsmack song if I heard one... I'm wondering how the previous PoP game for PS3 was. The cel-shaded looking one.


I don't have to prove I'm refined - that's what makes me refined!

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Author: Leroux
Posted: December 30, 2010 (04:52 AM)
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I never touched Warrior Within -- all the negative reviews scared me away.

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Author: Masters (Mod)
Posted: December 30, 2010 (07:43 AM)
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Yup, that's the general consensus.

Oh, and--great review Matt.


I don't have to prove I'm refined - that's what makes me refined!

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Author: Suskie
Posted: December 30, 2010 (07:50 PM)
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Ubisoft seems frustrated with this series. Whenever they try something new, it gets shot down. When they try to make it up by reverting to formula, they get attacked for being derivative.


You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.

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Author: asherdeus
Posted: December 30, 2010 (10:08 PM)
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LOL, yeah, that was a typo. Tree trunks was what I was supposed to put there. But thanks for the feedback everyone. I enjoyed writing this one.


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Author: JoeTheDestroyer (Mod)
Posted: December 30, 2010 (10:17 PM)
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But I still like "tree chunks". ;)


The only thing my milkshake brings to the yard is a subpoena.

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Author: fleinn
Posted: December 31, 2010 (07:19 AM)
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lol. I don't know.. When Warrior Within came out, it had a lot of unfortunate commentary. Among other things, Mechner himself said he didn't care for it all that much, and disliked the gritty direction. The raw violence was slammed as terrible, the underdressed women was thought to be obscene and inappropriate. Etc, etc.

In truth, the plot in Warrior Within is much deeper than the one in Sands of Time. SoT has a story-telling method that makes it similar to something you could read in 1001 nights. The way the story in the game exists outside the story-telling, etc., is very artful in that way.

But the theme and the story in Warrior Within is no less well written, while the platforming actually is much better paced in that game compared to the first. The increased amount of moves, the difficulty, the interrupts in the fights, things like that - all make Warrior Within a different game that isn't worse in any way.

Still.. one of the first things the Prince does is to stab an oversexed woman through the stomach. And that gave the game an M rating. Best scene in the entire game apart from Kaileena's rant half-way through the game, really. But it's overtly violent, while Sands of Time was more suggestive and family friendly.

But seen outside of that, the way the Prince ends up pursuing his ambition, fighting to undo his mistakes - and then ends up orchestrating his own doom. All of that is actually well written. The same for the sequences in the game. They are short and effective, and the time-travel segments towards the end when things are wrapping up are priceless. Just as the Dahaka escapes, and I really like the way the Prince ends up fighting it.

The PC version also used pixel-shader tech that was entirely new at the time, which does give you very pleasing visual effects. They really went to town on the in-game cinematics in the game as well - even though they are extremely short, and so on.

But stabbing the oversexed woman unceremoniously in the chest, and lines like "Die, you bastard!" ..had the game not exactly meet expectations, I guess.

It still is the Prince of Persia game I like to play the most, though. It's not as polished as Sands of Time, thanks to development deadlines, and release before christmas and so on(ironically). But the things that work in that game really do work extremely well, imo. The way the fighting doesn't actually end up being necessary, or that patience and timing is much more important than just repeating the same moves over and over is great as well.. In Sands of Time, you actually have to defeat all the enemies to continue on. That's not necessary in WW, for example. There's also how the platforming is actually so fun and reasonably non-linear that it's not a defeat to go back to a previous save to unlock the water sword, to get the less gut-wrenching ending..

Anyway. I always had a hard time understanding why a lot of people /hate/ the second game.. :)


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Author: joseph_valencia
Posted: December 31, 2010 (09:27 AM)
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I haven't played "Warrior Within" in years, but I thought it was an excellent action game that suffered mainly from glitches. At the very least, I enjoyed it more than "Devil May Cry" or "God of War," glitches and all. Fleinn's post is spot-on.


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Author: Suskie
Posted: December 31, 2010 (01:21 PM)
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I'm having trouble thinking of a single thing I liked about Warrior Within.


You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.

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Author: fleinn
Posted: January 01, 2011 (07:10 AM)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB2dfFiwiLE

..here you go, Suskie. :p


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Author: bloomer
Posted: January 01, 2011 (09:43 PM)
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> I also hated the ill-fitting Godsmack song
> that played at different moments.

Heh, I love that song, but for me it hails from The Scorpion King game and film, which also feature in the videoclip:

I Stand Alone - Godsmack


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Author: fleinn
Posted: January 03, 2011 (03:38 AM)
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..by the way, asherdeus - it's a /Persian/ prince. Not an Arabian prince. Very important. :p


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Author: JoeTheDestroyer (Mod)
Posted: January 03, 2011 (03:59 AM)
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I don't mind the song, I just don't feel it fits with Prince of Persia. Kind of like a Fallout game with Slipknot in the soundtack.


The only thing my milkshake brings to the yard is a subpoena.

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