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Forums > Submission Feedback > Felix_Arabia's Prince of Persia review

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Author: zippdementia
Posted: December 20, 2008 (07:11 PM)
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Wow, really great review. This is really a no-nonsense piece of writing. Right off the bat you let us know the game is flawed, you then tell us that you're not blind, you see the good, and you spend the rest of the short time attacking the game's weakest (but significant) areas.

It's hard to write such a focused review. I take my non-existent hat off to you, sir.


Note to gamers: when someone shoots you in the face, they aren't "gay." They are "psychopathic."

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Author: Felix_Arabia
Posted: December 21, 2008 (07:53 AM)
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Thanks! As Jason can attest, I pestered him for this game, because I thought it was going to be better than it turned out. It's not a bad game by any means, but the visuals are far and away the best part of the package.


I don't have to boost my review resume because I have a real resume.

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Author: Halon
Posted: December 21, 2008 (10:58 AM)
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Good review that definitely saves me $50. Even though GUTS said it's far worse than the previous three and I didn't care for Sands of Time I was still thinking about purchasing this someday. Now I'm not interested in it at all.


IF YOU WANT MORE BEATS FOR YOUR BUCK THERE'S NO LUCK.

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Author: honestgamer
Posted: December 21, 2008 (12:44 PM)
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I'm pretty interested, myself. It sounds great. That's not a slam on Felix's review, which told me everything I needed to know to come to my own opinion of the game's value. If anything, that's a sign that the review did its job. I'm just not someone who thinks blistering difficulty is necessary to make a game good. I'm taking him at his word and adding 2 points to the score in my mind. ;-)


"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

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Author: Felix_Arabia
Posted: December 21, 2008 (01:29 PM)
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A game doesn't need blistering difficulty for me to enjoy it. I had a good time with with a little-known NES game called Yume Penguin Monogatari, which I described as making Mario look like Contra in terms of challenge. That game, however, doesn't have the ambition that Prince of Persia does in terms of presentation. YPM distinguished itself as a game about a fat penguin trying to lose weight to impress his girlfriend. The premise is unique, but the graphics aren't technically stunning. The game only uses a handful of colors. I can't recall the music, even though I played the game several times. The platforming is straightforward, and the shooting stages are even simpler. Yet in spite of the fact that none of those elements are great by themselves, that game turned out to be pretty neat because everything congealed to form a product that I found worthwhile to play. I expected this game to be easy.

PoP has intricate levels, visually dynamic gameplay, and absolutely stunning graphics. So why did Ubisoft Montreal feel compelled to omit the challenge? There isn't a single moment during the course of this game where you'll feel invested in what's actually happening because you know that you can never screw up. Add to the fact that the characters are totally annoying, I don't see how anyone can say that they would prefer this Prince of Persia to the last three. For example, It was really cool to maneuver through Sands of Time's environments. The time gimmick, while it could save you, was limited. You couldn't depend on it like you can depend on Elika. It was really satisfying in figuring out how to get out of one crazy situation after another. Here, you can just haphazardly jump without reproach. Was this new Prince of Persia designed for people without hands?

I'm sure most people will enjoy this game, because they won't care about the characters' personalities, and they'll find the art style to be intoxicating. These people won't care about traditionally satisfying gameplay, because their satisfaction will stem from the way the gameplay looks, not with the way it plays.


I don't have to boost my review resume because I have a real resume.

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Author: honestgamer
Posted: December 21, 2008 (08:51 PM)
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I guess what I should have said--and what I'll say now--is that the inability to screw up in a game isn't a negative for me if the world is compelling (and no, I don't consider difficulty an inherent part of crafting a compelling world). When I play an action or platformer title, I don't mind challenge. I love the Mega Man games, for instance, and continue to be amazed by how many people find them too challenging. Just the same, I also don't particularly miss difficulty when it's absent. I would love games like Mega Man even if they were much easier.

Certainly, I understand that the Prince of Persia series is one that has always been known for its difficulty. I played a SNES port that was incredibly difficult, for instance. If Ubisoft wants to take the series in this new direction and the other elements are in place, though, I say "Go for it!"

As for annoying characters, I'm not sure what I'll think of that. The annoyance characters provide within a game is one of those things that tends to affect gamers quite differently, especially now that tehre are so many ways a character can annoy a person beyond what there was in the 8-bit days. Now a digital voice or beady eyes can turn off a player, when in the days of sprites and poorly-translated text, those things weren't even factors.

To go with another example here, I've been playing the heck out of The Last Remnant and I know that some people cheer the protagonist for being daring and bold instead of wishy-washy. Me, I don't like the guy at all. He's a moron. So there's a big difference between how I perceive him and how the next gamer might.

Anyway, it's like I said: this review did a great job and I can tell I'd probably like the game a lot more than you did... and I can even put my finger on why. In my opinion, that's the best and most useful sort of review.


"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

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Author: zippdementia
Posted: December 21, 2008 (09:58 PM)
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If you makes you feel any better, Felix, I'd probably end up on your side of the fence. I think I'd end up really liking the game, but continually would feel unfulfilled by lack of challenge. Maybe not, though. Some games, like Kingdom Hearts, just draw me in because of cool moves and good visuals (sorry to compare PoP to KH, I'm writing the Chain of Memories review as I type this... with my other four hands).

In any case, though, HG is right. This really hits the mark as a review.


Note to gamers: when someone shoots you in the face, they aren't "gay." They are "psychopathic."

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Author: Masters (Mod)
Posted: December 22, 2008 (07:03 AM)
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Good review, DW. I particularly liked the bits addressing the humour in the game. Your description of a game wholly devoid of challenge reminds me of my experience with BioShock (my very timely review is on its way). But that game managed to be wonderful. Mostly. So, yup, I totally get your challenge criticism.


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

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Author: Felix_Arabia
Posted: December 22, 2008 (05:05 PM)
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Thanks for all the comments, guys. It's pretty interesting to see how different elements affect games, depending on our perceptions.

I look forward to playing Bioshock, as I expect to find it under my Christmas tree.


I don't have to boost my review resume because I have a real resume.

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Author: ProfesserPants
Posted: January 20, 2009 (12:42 PM)
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Wow. Great review. This is my first time on this site and I searched google for just this type of information on games. Honest reviews. Tired of the hype. I've seen this game with an 8 or 9 on a lot of the other sites that kiss up to the distributors / developers.

I rented this game because I THOUGHT the reviews looked pretty good, but it is a complete bore fest. Graphics are pretty cool, and it's fun for about 20 minutes of game play, but then it is just repetitive with no challenges. The story and voice acting are horrible. I can't believe the good reviews this game got from most of the big magazines out there. You can pretty much beat this game with your eyes closed while mashing the A button. Seriously... try it.


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Author: Lewis
Posted: January 20, 2009 (02:18 PM)
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I've been busy reading David's review of this for Resolution, which none of you have seen yet because, well, you aren't the reviews editor of that 'zine. Nyah.

I am now going to go back and read this, just for kicks.

Isn't it interesting how the scores are a bit different?

(Answer: no, not in the slightest.)

EDIT: Welcome to the site, Mr Pants. I think you'll like it here. We have a nice community that likes to engage in intelligent and honest critique of the medium. Join in!


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Author: Felix_Arabia
Posted: January 20, 2009 (02:20 PM)
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You told me that 50-60% equals average, so I took it to mean that both scores mean the same thing, Lewis. ;-)

Thanks, Prof. Pants. I'm glad my review did something for you.


I don't have to boost my review resume because I have a real resume.

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Author: Lewis
Posted: January 20, 2009 (03:14 PM)
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"You told me that 50-60% equals average, so I took it to mean that both scores mean the same thing, Lewis. ;-)"

Precisely. See also the review scores thread for better irony detection ;)


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