Prince of Persia 2 - The Shadow and the Flame

Yet another underrated game in the vast library of DOS/Windows games.

STORY: As many games of the time, stories were not really emphasized or needed to make a good game. They were just there to give a reason why one would have to go through a level. In this game, the story is pretty creative (which is really innovated for the time). I don't want to spoil anything about it, so I won't elaborate any more. The one thing I will spoil though is that the game is about saving yourself, as well as saving a princess, and all of Persia

GRAPHICS: Again, let me acknowledge that this is a game from the early 1990's. Although the game is 2 dimensional, the graphics are rich and there is a good use of colors. The backgrounds are very well done and there are hardly any flaws in the animation. The most unrealistic thing about the graphics is probably the people models.

Even so, their movement look fairly natural, and sword swings aren't 1 frame animations. Going back to backgrounds, the buildings are also very accurate when compared to real Persian architecture. As for the cutscenes, this is the closest to photo realism game animators could get at that time. The lighting of the game also is very well done.

GAMEPLAY: This is a classic slash and hack kind of game. It requires you to jump, fight, and kill numerous types of enemies ranging from Royal Guards to skeletons in caverns. There is also a twist to this, though. The game also makes a person think, and use strategic methods to pass levels. The stages are multi-leveled and also have secret rooms and different routes to take to finish a level. 

Along with that, there is a great deal of traps. The game involves pressure plates, which are tiles on the ground that can be pushed to set off a trap, or can just open a door. Levels can get VERY long and confusing, but there are a lot of enemies to fight to keep the game exciting. There are a few spots, though that one can get stuck on for a pretty long time.

REPLAYABLE: Since this is a single player game, there is not much to do after beating the game, except for beating it again. Although the gameplay of this game is superb, there isn't anything left to do. The game is long though, so it will keep you busy for quite a while.

SOUND: The music sounds very Middle Eastern, and really affects the mood of the game. It makes the atmosphere of Persia feel genuine. As for Sound Effects, swords clanking, gasps, falls and screams, the makers did a very good job.

OVERALL: With a combination of greatly executed animation, awesome sound effects, a decent story, and great gameplay, this game is worth geting it. The only downside is the replayability.

NAME: PRINCE OF PERSIA 2 - THE SHADOW & THE FLAME

SYSTEM: PC, Mac OS, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, XBOX (as a unlock feature in PoP - SoT)