Prince of Persia Classic - PS3 Network review

Prince of Persia Classic gives the original 2D adventure an extremely likeable modern twist. Gameloft has done a stunning job of giving the old backgrounds an exotic 3D makeover. Sometimes this kind of thing falls flat on its face, but with such an iconic game, it’s brilliant that the makeover has been so successful. The gameplay and level design are both identical to those of the Amiga classic, but everything else in the game packs a lot more detail.

The visual style ties in with Ubisoft’s Sands of Time trilogy, and this is most notable when it comes to the Prince, now also rendered in 3D. Nevertheless, Prince of Persia Classic is still a fiendishly difficult game. About 20 minutes in and we were wiping sweat from the pad, having stressed our way past spiked floors, undead warriors and a near-fatal brush with the Dark Prince.

Here’s where we hit the game’s biggest bugbear, the combat. There’s a timing-based parry system that allows you to deflect enemy attacks and then strike back. This starts out forgivingly, but soon becomes extremely fiddly, with enemies parrying all your attacks. It’s slightly irritating.

Prince of Persia Classic is fairly short and lacks any multiplayer modes, but it’s hugely refreshing to see the amount of effort that’s gone into updating it, and the game should be held up as a shining example of what can be achieved. If you are a fan of the original, you’re going to love this.

Dec 2, 2008