If there are any diehard Sands of Time fans reading this, now would a good time to go and get some man-sized tissues. Kleenex at the ready? Then read it and weep: Prince of Persia Revelations is based on the alright-but-could-have-been-better sequel Warrior Within and not the enchanting first revival of the pantalooned prancer.
Okay, so this isn't earth-shattering news, and it's certainly not depressing enough to warrant soaking your keyboard with bitter tears, but it is a bit of a shame that all the golden glowiness of the 2003 title won't be gracing the PSP's screen. Instead we get angry Prince, looking every inch the US punk wannabe - all teenage angst, black get-up and a dirty great chip on his shoulder. At least he's grown out of all that nu-metal cack, for the most part.
MISERY GUTS He could still do with lightening up, though. And we mean that literally: early parts of the game are so dark that it's hard to pick out ledges and openings in the gloom, while his general stroppiness is in sharp contrast to the more happy-go-lucky chap we used to know. It's all so serious here - even new PS2 game The Two Thrones has relaxed a little. When you think 'Prince of Persia', you think sand, baggy trousers and foxy Farah, not a snarling anti-hero grr-ing constantly to a soundtrack of crunching guitars played with pound coins, yet that's what we've got.
The Prince's shortened temper fits in with the game's new emphasis on combat over platforming, something else which is not all that welcome. Perhaps the developer felt a more action-heavy title would be better suited to the PSP, on account of its single analogue stick - and certainly as far as camera control goes, it's done a decent job (the digital pad is used to zoom out and engage first-person mode). However, this focus on fighting means the real strengths of the series - exploration combined with outrageous gymnastics - are shoved into Revelations' considerable shadows.
Swordplay is generally the order of the day here, but it's almost unchanged from that of Warrior Within (meaning it's a little bit rubbish). There are only really two moves you'll need from the fairly lengthy list to see you through the game: (1) slashing manically with the Square button, and (2) jumping, then slashing manically on the way down. There doesn't seem to be any incentive to experiment and try something new, with the result being that it starts to get rather tedious.
NOT ENOUGH BOING FOR YOUR BUCK Consequently, when you do get the chance to leap around like a mental grasshopper, the experience is all the more entertaining. In fact, it's very nearly as pleasurable on PSP as it is on PS2. It's a real pity there's not more of it. Despite all the movement coming from the one stick, gameplay feels just as fluid and the Prince bounds about with all the style and grace he's renowned for. The game is very much at its best when it's making you use your bonce to figure stuff out, such as how to get from the ground to a teeny-tiny outcrop of crumbly rock 100 feet above you, with nothing but suspiciously placed paving slabs between you and it. Watching the Prince darting around the screen is practically enough on its own to make this an enjoyable game.
There are a couple of blemishes that undermine the overall polish - things such as loading times rearing their ugly and very large heads every time a cut scene is about to kick in or you enter a new area. Very occasionally the events stutter to a complete standstill, but rarely does this happen in precarious situations, so it won't trouble you that much. The camera can be a little bloody-minded as well, but again, it's not a constant problem.
No, there's not a lot wrong with the game at all. Our main cause for feeling a distinct twinge of disappointment is the simple fact that developer Ubisoft has gone down the angsty route and robbed a little of the fun from the experience as a result.
Prince of Persia Revelations is generally a good game and a solid PSP reprise. The thing is, it could have been a great one if only the developer hadn't assumed we'd all like lots more mindless hacking and slashing at the expense of some of the joyful exploring and leaping. As it stands, though, you'll still find enough of the old princely magic to make this an enjoyable addition to your PSP library.
PSW Staff
// Overview
Verdict
Basing PSP's Prince on Warrior Within means more
combat but less charm.
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Disapointed with this game, i expected platform and got hack and slash plus finger cramp. overall 5/10.
