Prince of Persia 3D

The beginning of 3D in the world of Persia!

One of the most highly anticipated sequels ever to hit the PC industry fails to disappoint no one. The original Prince of Persia titles appeared back in the late 80s, as a 2d scroll adventure game. Now reappearing better then ever, the prince is back in an all new 3d action/adventure sword-fighting, puzzle-solving game that’s considered one of the best games in the PC industry up to the present time! As the first cutscene begins, you are invited to a really pretty banquet with some nice entertainment. 

The Sultan requested your presence there, along with his daughter (your newly acquitted bride), and his brother, to attend this magnificent party. But, things are not as they seem. The beautiful dancer, or assassin I should say, immediately kills the Sultan's bodyguards, and 2 more assassins rush in and capture the prince. You look over to the Sultan’s brother with an evil grin on his face, and you are immediately thrown into prison. You start the game off from there, with only 3 things one your mind: escape your prison, stop the plans of the evil vizier, and reunite yourself with your new bride.

GRAPHICS: One of the things really impressive about Prince of Persia 3D, is the graphics. As you jump into the game, you’ll notice that the game’s textures are incredible and that the machines and booby traps in the game are also very well conceived. The frame rate, which is known to drop below 40fps with multiple enemies in the area, but nevertheless, does its job at staying above 60 most of the time. Another thing you’ll notice in the game is the amazingly smooth animation sequences as the Prince is in action. Like the original Prince of Persia, the animation is excellent, sure to grab any hardcore gamer’s eye.

SOUND: The game’s soundtrack is also equally impressive of that of the graphics as well. The soundtrack includes themes such as Drum, Bass, and String meet Middle Eastern themes, with a little guitar - Middle Eastern style - in the middle of a battle. Although, the sound was beautiful for the game, the actors’ voices surely weren’t. In the middle of a cutscene, the prince would be talking to someone, but his lips weren’t moving. What is the deal with that, Red Orb? And where’s also that feeling in the actors’ voices? It needs to be smooth, but fails to entertain me in this area. To sum it up, fantastic middle eastern soundtracks, but no real solid voice acting.

CONTROLS: Well, the first thing you’ll notice is that your stuck with a keyboard (It is a PC game)! Instead, you have the options of using the keyboard or a controller bought separately with the game. I admit, I have not had the chance of trying the game controller for this game, but I found the keyboard controls really easy to learn and master. With a learning curve of about 10-15 minutes, you should just about be a master at these controls, the first day or so. 

You’ll have 3 main buttons to work with. The arrow buttons, which is used to move the price forward, backward, left or right. You could also use the keyboard numbers, and while holding enter on the keyboard, you should be able to move the camera around as well. The button Ctrl, is the action button which is used to flip a switch, open a door, or drink a potion. And lastly, the Alt button, which is the jump button. If you need more detailed help with the controls, consult the guide that comes with the game (of course, that is what its there).

GAMEPLAY: The number one thing that’s really impressive is that how Red Orb brought the gameplay over from the original Prince of Persia titles made back in the late 80s, to Prince of Persia 3D, and how they didn’t leave one single detail out. To start it off, you’re a very skilled swordsman, the prince, in third person mode. Your job is to rescue to the princess, your newly acquitted bride, and reclaim the thrown, for the sultan, of course. Prince of Persia 3D is a classic action/adventure platform game that has you jumping over pits and spikes, grabbing onto ledges and dodging insidious hidden traps through over 20 incredibly long, and hard levels.

The first thing I’d like to talk about, in the gameplay, is the battle combat. As you meet your first enemy through the game, you draw your sword to enter on heck of a fight. As you draw your sword, your movable options are limited. You can move up and back, sidestep left or right, and face a different enemy once you’ve ended your first. 

But anyways, one thing that takes an extremely long time to master is the sword. After you’ve selected the enemy you want to fight, you can strike with the sword to the left, right, or overhead. You could also block your opponent’s sword, adding much more strategy to the game. Even though that this is a great option, your enemies, however, have the option of doing the same – blocking your attacks. So basically, if you’re on a hard difficulty mode, it could take a good 10 to 15 minutes in a single fight if you want to come out on top.

Finally, we get to the puzzles of Prince of Persia. Right after starting the game, you'll have to push and pull crates revealing secret items, stepping on levers which open up a secret door, unlock treasure chests which gives you potions, and weapons, and avoiding traps which mostly let you keep your life. 

If your extremely good in problem solving subjects such as math, or science, then Prince of Persia’s puzzles should be a walk in the park for you. However, if you’re not familiar with the original Prince of Persia games, then your going to be in for one long of a night. Some puzzles might take hours, maybe even a good day or two, for you solve, making you get very pissed off, but remember, it’s just a game. And, it’s an incredible game in that of following the original Prince of Persia formulas.

OVERALL: If you’re an action/adventure gamer, or an enormous fan of the originals, then this is a must buy for anyone. If you dislike action/adventure games, then maybe you should check out the demo, which includes a one level, and should give you a basic understanding in what the game should be like. 

The game demos, although not so hard to find, could be found somewhere on the Internet for a free download, or maybe in a 99s PC demo discs located somewhere at Best Buy. Really, the only thing that’s a downside to this game is the lack of a multiplayer, which shouldn’t hold you back. Prince of Persia 3D could be found in any electronic store such as Best Buy, Circuit City, or the mall. 

If that fails, there’s always the Internet where you could get this game for at least 20 bones. If you think about it, 20 bones are worth it for an exciting game as this. I got the game for 50 bones (all worth it), back in 1999, seeing as I’m a fan of the originals, and just last week, I started replaying this game for the 3rd time, still playing it with excitement. And I strongly advise each and every one of you who read this review to do the same as well.

NAME: PRINCE OF PERSIA 3D

SYSTEM: PC, Dreamcast