The artist known as Prince

Ah…the holidays. The best part about this time of year is that we can lose ourselves in pure entertainment for hours, whether it’s music, movies, books or games and everyone else just looks on and smiles. Nobody tells you there’s better things to do.

My whole world is currently coloured by Prince of Persia. Its magic has me totally enthralled. If I could write a poem about it I would (okay I did, but my girlfriend said it was awful and threatened to use it as blackmail). What I’m trying to say is Prince of Persia is a game you just love without caring much about why. It’s a real gift of an experience – always a challenge but never beating you up about making mistakes. In subtle ways Ubisoft has forged a game that remains true to the best traditions, giving us plenty that’s familiar, while producing a very modern game that’s destined to become a classic. Irresistible great looks, fine-honed control, sumptuous music.

One of the stand-out features is the new combat system, which feels like you’re directing the action with measured steps as opposed to mashing at buttons. This is especially enjoyable against larger foes that require putting some thought into each move. Few enemies succumb to repetitive basic attacks. You’ll enjoy mixing up combinations that include tossing monsters into the air, somersaulting into a kick, then inviting your new accomplice Elika to throw in some magic. Sounds tricky but honestly it’s dead simple if you remain patient and looks fantastic.

I’m a huge fan of Elika, of course, and especially that she prevents the prince from dying whenever he takes a fall. Makes you realise that not all games need to punish you for making mistakes if the quest itself remains so compelling.

Okay let me get back to my adventures. I’ll see you next week.

Out This Week

Prince of Persia

Graeme Boyd, Xbox.com Community Manager, Gamertag: AceyBongos