Save the Princess

December 22, 2008 on 4:37 pm | In PS3, Ramblings, XBOX 360 | No Comments

If you haven’t realized yet from the hail of positive reviews, the new “Prince of Persia” release is an awesome game. Ah, but what qualifies it to enter the cannon of great games, you ask (don’t you?) Well, let me expound upon the reasons.

First, the game is revolutionary. More of a quietly significant innovation like the microwave than a bloody upheaval like the French Revolution, but a step forward none the less. The chief source is the way it mixes gameplay and presentation to create an experience that contrasts with its contemporary brethren. Most of today’s blockbuster titles are a succession of violence, gore and over-the-top machismo draped in drab shades of brown, black and gray. Examples include “Gears of War,” “Killzone,” “Call of Duty,” “Resistance,” “Left 4 Dead,” “Fallout 3,” “Grand Theft Auto IV,” etc. Most of these are also shooters, a type of game that has achieved de facto status as the genre du jour. Other hallmarks include hardcore difficulty levels, co-op modes and online play.

The new “Prince” has none of these things. The boldness involved when a large company like Ubisoft steer away from formulaic profit territory to drive into new terrain is what, for me, qualifies it as revolutionary. In an era of grim, online shoot-em ‘ups, the game instead presents beautiful and breathtaking landscapes that emphasize exploration over headshots. I simply can’t say enough about the art style; it’s just stunning. The game seeks to be rewarding, not demanding, with combat that encourages creativity in lieu of frantic button-mashing and hair-trigger reflexes a la “Devil May Cry 4.”

Second, it executes some classic gaming conventions, platforming and adventure, with renewed vigor. As I mentioned before, the FPS and RTS and other acronyms constitute the majority of games produced today; the idea of a platformer or adventure game seems downright antiquated. Even “Uncharted,” poster boy of next-gen adventure games, threw in a “Gears”-style cover mechanic. But, just like in music, movies and art, there’s something to be said for going back to the roots. The thrill of old school games like “Super Mario World” and “Pitfall” came when your plucky avatar finally navigated that tricky succession of traps and baddies to reach the level’s end. “Prince of Persia” proves that this exhilaration is timeless as the Prince slides, leaps, climbs and (with Erika’s help) flies across the world.

Third, it creates a deep immersion that almost all “big” games strive for but often fail to reach. Some games achieve it with atmosphere (”Bioshock”) and some with setting (”Grand Theft Auto IV”), but “Prince of Persia” uses connectivity. With little prologue, you are immediately thrust into the action with no clumsy interface to get in your way. There are no levels and no linearity, it’s you and this chick and an unstoppable evil to defeat. The game takes place in a sprawling city that you save piece-by-piece and can travel across back-and-forth without the aid of loading screens. I think this simple decision, to connect every area of the city so seamless, really helps lift the game from great to unforgettable. It gives the experience that larger-than-life feeling, similar to the way MMOs use vast distances to create an epic scale.

Of course, the game’s not perfect. The combat, as fun as it is to string together cinematic combos, could use a little more variety and mobility. The fairly shallow difficulty helps enhance the cinematic and immersive flow, but it would be nice to have some more challenging options. Yet, I’ll conclude by saying that these flaws are the best part as they prove that as great as this game is, it can be even better. Ubisoft has staked out some new territory, let’s hope they keep pushing the boundary forward.

Jim would be happy to know that “Prince of Persia” employs heavy use of one of his all-time favorite video game moves, the venerable Double Jump. Jim Gibbons, Online News Editor here at WizardUniverse.com, and I both have long admired the fun and utility that having an additional burst of height provides. Sometimes, one jump just isn’t enough.

Just as I feared some real economist had to come along and use fancy things likes “facts” and “mathematical data” to debunk my recent comments on the financial health of the video game industry. Such a public calling out I cannot sustain in good conscience. You have thwarted me for the last time “The Economist” and I will marshal all the power available to me towards your destruction.