Nintendo Okie

If you’ve talked to me before you know one thing that I hate is using gimmick control schemes where they’re not needed. Sometimes using the Wii Remote to simulate an action fits into a game or the touch screen on the DS can be used to create unique inputs like selecting units or options on a menu. Sometimes, like in the case of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, the touch screen is best left unused.

It’s Portable Prince of Persia

The game, despite the big glaring flaw with the control scheme feels like Prince of Persia. There will be many times you think after pulling off some insane combo that you are playing Prince of Persia. The story starts off with a beautifully animated comic book style cut scene that sets the story. A group of cultists release an ancient evil and it’s up to the Prince with the aid of the spirit Razia to rid the world of said evil. From there you’ll be off to restore the Prince’s lost memories and Razia’s powers. You’ll be jumping gaps, running along walls and avoiding deadly spike traps through more than 20 levels. Hitting many of the games platforming sections feels very satisfying and you feel like you’ve done something when you accomplish the feat.

Puzzles Are a Plus

There are a lot of puzzles in the Forgotten Sands. They’re everywhere. Many times they’re timing based, and those are very hit or miss. The ones that actually involve moving parts of the environment around or controlling enemies feel very good. They’ll challenge your brain a bit, as well as your reflexes. There’s nothing better than feeling like you’ve accomplished something and the game’s many brain teasers are the one shining spot in this game. There’s a maze closer to the game’s end that is a very clever mix of action and environmental puzzle that I really enjoyed. It’s a good way to close out an utterly forgettable adventure.

Poor Controls

The Prince of Persia franchise has always been about pinpoint controls that when they work really make you feel like the baddest man on the planet. You’ll seamlessly jump over one gap and immediately run across a wall covered by spikes. The problem with this release is that the game does everything for you. The stylus is used to tell the Prince which direction to go in. Outside of that there is little else for you to do. He’ll jump over any gaps, wall run along any walls and wall jump between to close objects. One other glaring issue with this control scheme is that it’s just not accurate enough, even for the simplicity of this game. There are many times where timing is a huge part of a level and missing one little command will mean the difference between life and death. Too many times I found myself sawn in half by giant blades because the DS interpreted by command as something else. It’s ultimately frustrating and not a lot of fun.

Ugly, Blocky Mess

3D has been one glaring issue with the Nintendo DS. Any games that have attempted to do 3D models have ended up looking like something out of the Nintendo 64 and that’s just not acceptable in this day and age.  The Forgotten Sands looks like something out of an early Nintendo 64 game. The models have lots of sharp edges, little detail and it’s just a mess to look at. There is little appealing visually in the game. It’s a shame too because the game starts out with a beautifully animated cartoon intro. The character drawings during the cut scenes are also very beautiful to look at. Outside of those instances though, be prepared to be transported back in time 15 years visually.

No Sense of Danger

The Prince of Persia franchise has toyed with different formulas for everything from the combat to the platforming through the years and this game is no different. The problem is that outside of clunky controls I never once felt like I was in danger of dieing. The enemies are all very generic and all combat takes place in very small controlled environments. Even the bosses in the game didn’t pose much of a challenge. They just require figuring out their one attack and it’s slight variations, dodging them and frantically slashing them with the stylus until they’re dead. The combats in The Forgotten Sands felt, very forgettable unfortunately. They were nothing more than a chance to replenish any health that I might have lost along the way. There is never a sense that any one move would cause you to be impaled on a sword or fall to your death and that’s a shame.

Conclusion:

When I saw the credits roll I simply said, “Huh! That’s it?” I turned my DS off and went back to playing the far superior console version of the game. Prince of Persia on the DS hasn’t been a very successful venture. Ubisoft recently released a flash version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands that felt like Canabalt clone. The controls for that were a bit unwieldy, but functioned well and served their purpose. I think that the DS would have been better served by a game like that. It looked better, controlled better and felt more like Prince of Persia. If Ubisoft attempts another game on a handheld I think they need to seriously take a look at this game as an example of what not to do. We need to be able to be in complete control of the Prince and to be able to look at a game that feels like it was developed in 2010, not 1995. A new side scrolling adventure would be a great direction for the franchise in the future.

Final Score: 2/5 Below Average

Played through the game in its entirety.
Total play time: 6-7 hours
Copy of the game provided by Ubisoft.