Return of the prince

by ERIK LEIJON

If the entire video game industry explosion in Montreal can be traced back to one particular high water mark, that peak would undoubtedly be the moment Ubisoft Montreal released Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The 2003 reboot of the popular Jordan Mechner side-scroller not only brought the series back to prominence: it revolutionized 3D action gameplay and confirmed Montreal’s arrival as the next major game development hub.

Nearly every other platform game released subsequently has copied at least some of PoP’s ingenious acrobatic, parkour-inspired platform jumping gameplay; so another re-invention of the franchise, the modestly titled Prince of Persia (PS3, X360/Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal), is coming with considerable expectations.

To anyone who experienced the joyous exploration of Sands of Time, one can’t help but feel malaise about some more re-jigging of the franchise. The two previous incarnations paled in comparison to Sands, and the inclusion of more quicktime-style gameplay coupled with the impossibility of dying might have scared some into thinking Ubisoft Montreal was continuing to dull the edges of Sands.

The first hour or so of playing was admittedly awkward. It’s the same root game: a nameless smart-mouthed prince hooks up with a beautiful princess with magical powers, and they get trapped in a massive temple where an evil god is running amok. The prince must explore the four main areas of the temple, battling with the undead and using his acrobatic skills such as wall climbing, pole swinging and grabbing onto ledges. The princess helps by bringing him back to life if he falls, and can also give him an extra jump boost if needed. It’s incredible to watch the Prince making a series of impossible leaps, and the new tricks don’t ruin the tension.

Where this new Prince differs from his forefathers is in the temple itself, which is open for exploration from the get-go as opposed to linear levels. There is quite a bit of downtime as the commute from room to room can become repetitive, but it’s terrific to gain new beams throughout the game that allow the Prince to reach previously inaccessible areas.

The other big difference is more a result of adding a new timing-based button for swinging from strategically placed hooks. If you’re playing the game quickly, essentially all the player needs to do is press one of three buttons at the proper time as the prince does most of the heavy lifting automatically. In a sense, the game has been reduced to a never-ending series of quicktime events with unlimited continues, but Prince of Persia 2008 really has that sense of open exploration down pat.

Once your mind becomes accustomed to being able to walk on ceilings (if only momentarily) and the more open level design, Prince of Persia has a few moments that get pretty close to matching that initial sense of wonder I had playing the original reboot. Ubisoft Montreal has taken its flagship series in a new direction, but as opposed to their previous detours, this Prince is no pauper.

Stocking stuffers

If for whatever reason you haven’t bought your gifts yet (no worries provided Amazon can still deliver your package on time for the big day) consider these Christmas treats for your stocking. Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts (X360/Microsoft, Rare) ends a near decade-long hiatus for Rare’s buddy platformer. In the first Banjo console game since the N64, players get to flex their creative muscles by building their own custom vehicle. Chrono Trigger (DS/SquareEnix, TOSE) is the first-ever portable version of the famed 1995 turn-based Japanese RPG, considered by many to be Square’s best ever title.