Prince of Persia:Warriors Within
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Anyone started playing yet.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is the sequel to last year's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which was Ubisoft's snazzy update of the classic PC game. The follow-up is being developed by Ubisoft's Montreal studio, which handled the development chores on last year's game as well. But rather than serving up a by-the-numbers sequel, the team has opted to evolve the fledgling series' vision to offer players a decidedly different game. We recently had the chance to get our hands on previewable versions of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox offerings of the game to see how the ambitious follow-up is coming together.
One thing to note, right off the bat, is that the game's story is not only richer but also considerably darker than its predecessor. Now, those who finished The Sands of Time may be a bit confused, because the end of that game certainly seemed to set the prince on a course toward living happily ever after. Unfortunately, it appears that fate is not amused and decides to send some of its more unpleasant minions to hunt down our prince to tie up loose ends. The major beef goes something like this: Regardless of the fact that the prince set things right at the end of the first game, he should have died--plain and simple. His heroic acts, though nifty, just amounted to cheating death while also messing with the natural order of time. The price for such shenanigans? Death. No exceptions. Obviously, there's a problem to be solved by the powers that be if our boy is still alive and kicking. The prince, who is adamantly opposed to dying, comes up with a plan worthy of a Star Trek episode by deciding to set out to stop the sands from ever being created, thus making it practically impossible for him to screw things up as he did so spectacularly in the first game. Of course, this is all easier said than done, and, actually, it's not as straightforward as it sounds. While this basic premise serves as the kickoff point for Warrior Within's story, there's a great deal more to it. In many respects, it's as much a mystery to be solved as it is an action game, and it's a good deal more engaging than the first game, which was saddled with the burden of introducing players to the prince's world. However, before visions of the prince and his magnifying glass start dancing in your head, know that there's still plenty of killing--mixed in with a liberal dose of time travel--in this upcoming offering.
The core gameplay in Warrior Within doesn't stray too far from what was in The Sands of Time, which is a good thing. Ubi Montreal has just gone ahead and built out elements that were a little thin, most notably with regard to the game's combat. We've had the chance to try out different demos of the game over the past few months and have been pleased to see the system come together. At the core of Warrior Within's combat system is player choice. The mechanics are a miniature sandbox for you to play in, and they now include the ability to dual-wield weapons you pick up so you can do what you will. Players looking for a more structured fighting system can rely on the hefty amount of combos and finishing moves at your disposal, while anyone looking for more freedom can lean more toward using the environment and/or creating unique combos. You'll have ample opportunity to use these new moves against a broad spectrum of enemies, each with its own unique fighting style. The days of hopping over a foe and stabbing him or her a few times in the back are over. You'll still be able to do that to a few of the less swift baddies, but Warrior Within's adversaries are a savvy bunch who'll defend against your attacks. The key to not dying is figuring out your enemies' vulnerabilities so you can then hammer away at them. This is, of course, much easier than it sounds, because you'll now fight in new and hazardous places. You'll probably find that you'll be playing pretty conservatively when you get to the Island of Time, where you'll fight amid its ruins. The new moves and leaping the prince does are handy in group settings, but once you've heroically leaped over an enemy and have stabbed him or her only to plummet to your death a few times, you'll be a little traumatized. However, once you get used to how the system works, in addition to the range of the prince's leaps, you'll be fine. Of course, the fact that you have to fight while walking along thin beams brings a new bit of pain to the experience and is sure to yield some profanity from players when they are trapped between two foes that are advancing from either side of a beam. While you'll eventually get comfortable enough with the fighting system to know that it represents a manageable approach to combat, the first time you enter some melee action, your life will likely flash before your eyes.
*remove the pics coz its causing the page to go kuku -
The other big upgrade to the gameplay in Warrior Within comes in the form of puzzles. The basics haven't changed, so you'll still need to hop, skip, jump, and run on walls to figure out how to progress through the game. You're still in a castle setting, although this time, some of the puzzles have new and mind-bending time travel components, in addition to what you'd expect. What is sure to spike players' stress levels is the new multitasking element that's been added to puzzles. While we got a taste of this element in the latter levels of Sands of Time, Warrior Within piles on the tasks in its puzzles. For example, slowing time and then running along a wall (while evading moving blades) to hit a switch represents just one of the many "fun" things you can plan on doing in the game, and by "fun," we mean "stressful." However, that said, the sense of accomplishment you'll get when solving puzzles is much greater. The balance we've encountered so far involves a good mix of mellow challenges, like running along walls to clear a gap and engaging in the aforementioned multitasking.
The game's graphics reveal a sharp evolution of the techniques and art style seen in the first game. The prince has gotten a makeover and looks appealing in that unkempt, "I'm running for my life" kind of way. The refined graphics engine lets his character model show the wear and tear of recent events, which is demonstrated by both the prince's detailed clothing and his scraggly hair. The rogue's gallery of foes he squares off against comes in the form of an eerie assortment of undead creatures and possessed representatives from the animal kingdom that are constantly on the lookout for blood. While we've seen many of the game's special effects before, such as the dreamy haze over the action and the heavy use of particle effects, they're used with more flare this time out and dress up the impressive locales you'll be venturing through. Speaking of the locales you'll explore... Warrior Within does a good job of giving you an expansive environment to go through while keeping you in one main area. In this case, it's an island and the massive castle on it. As with the first game, you'll find that the massive castle is like a world unto itself, with its various microclimates. The twist of time travel actually gets even more mileage from the area, because when you're in the castle in the present, it's not in the best shape. However, when you pop into the past, it's pretty swank. The only rough spots in the presentation involve a few frame rate hitches, which are apparent across both platforms, and a twitchy camera. Hopefully these issues can be sorted before the game ships.
The audio in the game is shaping up very nicely, for the most part. While our versions of the game were still works in progress, the bulk of the audio elements were in place. The one standout element at the moment is the game's musical score. No, we're not talking about the questionable rock music that has polarized gamers who have heard it, since, as you can imagine, we're not huge fans of that element of the game's soundtrack. What we are big on is the game's musical score, which is pretty outstanding. The tunes that will accompany your experience in the game are an inventive collection of musical pieces that match the action and tone of the game to a T, based on what we've seen and heard so far. As you'd expect, Warrior Within features a decidedly different tone from its predecessor. In many respects, it's a more somber game (no doubt because of its story), and the music conveys that quite ably. At the same time, there are some really strong tracks that still manage to convey some swashbuckling wonder amid the gloom, which helps balance things out. The only music bit we're not totally sold on is the rock music that, while sounding perfectly fine, comes across as a heavy-handed reminder that the prince is darker and edgier. The voice in the game is well done, and the prince definitely sounds like he's got a lot on his mind during the cinematic sequences, although there are some obvious reminders of the game's tone to be heard as well. Besides his tendency to dispense quips and puns during battle, the prince does his fair share of growling and grunting, calling to mind a Persian spin on the X-Men's Wolverine. The rest of the cast in the game fairs pretty well, with solid performances from the supporting cast. The Xbox's 5.1 support edges out the PlayStation 2's Dolby Pro Logic II sound package by a bit, but both games sound great.
Based on what we've played, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is looking like a worthy follow-up to last year's excellent offering. The game seems to be improving on its predecessor in just the right places, while retaining its core appeal. All Ubi needs to do is tighten a few things up in the graphics and control department, and it will have an excellent sequel that will be well worth your time. Xbox owners get the added treat of Xbox Live support so they can be informed as to when their buddies come online. Additionally, there are even some gameplay modes that Ubi isn't talking about just yet; however, we'll keep you informed of these. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is slated to ship this November for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. -
actually the game is call Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. not Warriors.
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opps...Originally posted by Gordonator:actually the game is call Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. not Warriors.
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out?
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argh!!!
i am so stuck at this place...
argh!!! -
Hey! Any Idea where I can get PoP:WW ? I've been searching from Sim Lim to challenger since 30th of November and still no sign of it. Where did u guys buy it from ? Thx
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X Box version is out. PC version should be out soon.
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I'l dl from netOriginally posted by Gordonator:X Box version is out. PC version should be out soon.
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try this website www.tothesoft.com
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it's out in stores now. comes in 3 CDs.Originally posted by Acrux:Hey! Any Idea where I can get PoP:WW ? I've been searching from Sim Lim to challenger since 30th of November and still no sign of it. Where did u guys buy it from ? Thx