Prince of Persia®: The Sands of Time

What a nostalgia hit... Totally worth it even 20+ years later.

I had completely forgotten the end of the story. But the beginning was so invigorating... Most likely because I had replayed it so many times. And I stayed because it was mostly great throughout.

Beautifully written story, good level design, smooth mechanics. A lot to praise.

Biggest gripe still is the end-zone Tower of Dawn. Too difficult to find the right path without using first-person view at every corner.

And man, what a soundtrack! I'll be listening to it.

Still holds up and is just as fun as it was when I played it on the ps2. some minor bugs here and there, but nothing that cant be fixed by setting the max frame rate to 60 (which fixes most of the bugs people have been running into), turning off fog, or just restarting the game. A childhood favorite of mine that I was able to replay after over 10 years. It runs surprisingly better than I remember, and still has all the charm from games of its era.

Masterpiece

This game is very special to me. I remember how my jaw dropped when I first saw a wall run as a kid and that awe is still very much there. I know a remake is in development but quite frankly I do not believe this game needs one because it is just so well crafted.

I love the story that is told here. I have always been curious as to why there is such a lack of South Asia and West Asia(Middle East) fantasy in pop culture given the deep repository of myths and stories that exist in this geopolitical/cultural sphere. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is one of the few pieces of art that fills this gap. I love the art style and atmosphere created here. From the paintings and wall reliefs steeped in South Asian and Persian paintings and art to the wonderful music, specifically the track "Time Only Knows", that makes of instruments from this region. Together they make the Palace of Azad a wonderland of South Asian & Persian art & culture. I also love how this game uses the fantasy to embrace some horror elements through the use of the life upgrades & the destiny visions.

I adore the story that has been told here. The themes of love, the cost of honor & glory, identity and destiny resonate with me dearly, however the theme that is most dominant is Redemption. I feel almost every day of my life I am chasing after Redemption as well. Forever afraid of making mistakes, never at peace. This story of the Prince making perhaps the gravest mistake of all and redeeming himself makes this story as one of my favorites. I love how destiny features in the story here. As you progress through the game, the visions the player sees at the save points turn into visions of the Prince's death. They don't guide you, they show your definite death. It seems destiny is telling us it is not our fate to save the world. Yet the Prince, the Player carries on and finishes the game.

I also bought into the love story of the game, and the apparently sudden development of this love between the Prince & Farah is actually acknowledged by the Prince himself in one of his many internal monologues that help a lot in developing his character. The main selling point of this love story though is definitely the tragedy of it all. He might have saved his loved ones, his father, his soldiers, the sultans of Azad and Farah, however none of them especially Farah will remember the ordeal he went through. It prompted me to think that is Redemption enough if those you have wronged don't remember you doing the wrong? If you do not have their forgiveness? It probably leaves a strange hole in your heart which I feel the game also acknowledges in the Prince. In a cool moment of ludo narrative consonance, after doing everything you possibly can in the game, your save file only gets a 98% completion since the last save point is before the Great Rewind, symbolizing the Prince's lived experience, like a lost ship in the chaotic ocean that is Time.

Coming to the gameplay. The Parkour and Combat mechanics are incredibly fun. The Prince if fun to control and moves well. While the combat mechanics are seemingly basic, the game adds surprising amount of variation in its enemies. While people might be inclined to use the vaults that move will not work on everyone. Many enemies cannot be vaulted over and some can only be knocked down. This prompts the use of other moves like the swords and dagger counters to efficiently dispatch enemies. However I did feel the combat to be a little bit of a nuisance or inconvenience. I was more interested in the Parkour and Puzzle Solving and the accompanying banter between the Prince & Farah. However it did not detract from my enjoyment of the game too much at all.

I absolutely adore this game and it is one of my favorites of all time.

Cant even get the controls to work on the game with the controller or the keyboard - sadly disappointing

After 300 hours of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, playing a prince of Persia game is like eating a chocolate cake on the body of a good-looking woman.

Sands of Time feels like the videogame adaptation of a lost animated Disney movie from the 90s. The story isn't deep or clever, and it doesn't have any pretensions of such, but it is pleasant and charming. I replayed this last year and still mostly loved it. It was a favorite of mine, replayed it trading off with my wife’s boyfriend.

The platforming is some of the best I’ve ever played. The animations are so smooth and I’ve always compared the controls to Tony Hawk—they’re so intuitive they become second nature almost immediately. It's not especially complex or challenging, but then it's not supposed to be. The designers want you to stop and think, but they don't want you to get stuck for a long time. There was only one puzzle where I thought the solution was unnecessarily oblique, and led to a rather tedious bout of trial and error. Usually, the game maintains an engaging pace and you always feel like you're making progress.

The story was pretty good. The prince and Farah had really great chemistry and dialogue together. The prince had a great character arc, and was humanly flawed. His monologues are pretty endearing. Farah is a great character as well.

I always loved that instead of a complex plot they put their focus on Farrah and the Prince’s relationship as they move from hostility to feuding friendship to something more, the banter was the best of the experience for me. The characters are by a wide margin the best part of the game, and I think are why it's remembered so fondly.

Sands had the best character of any game I’ve ever played. And I don’t mean character as a person, but as the personality of the game. All the well spoken dialogue, the elegant movement, the picturesque backdrops of a huge castle under a starry sky. I particularly loved the music: my current strong love for Eastern music probably has roots in how much Sands of Time musics impacted on me as a kid.

And what about combat mechanics? True, there aren't button combos, but animations were way better than the sequels. There are special animations that trigger only near enemies. This helped combat to feel like a fluid dance. Enemies are clearly distincted by strengths and weaknesses and you needed to use different approaches. You can do 2 different kinds of parry and counterattack with a super satisfying animation.

And the most important thing is that you NEEDED TO USE THE DAGGER in order to really finish an enemy. It was so perfect because you also had to think if you can open your guard for absorbing the enemy or it was better to keep fighting with the risk of reviving an already dead enemy. Also, daggers animations were incredible especially when you try to absorb an enemy positioned a couple steps of distance back from you.

I don't know. I loved all the series but this little game had some sort of magic that wasn't present in the others.

Sands of Time is in the heart of players not just for a crazy ton of new mechanics or an incredible soundtrack, but also for the little details, like the animations, or the fact that you see the prince clothes go in pieces and get ruined, one piece by one, through the entire adventure, making you really connect with the hero and the struggle he faces in order to save the world. Little touches that were completely forgotten in the sequels.

I don't think that this is really just nostalgia. What the heck are you waiting for?!

9/10

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, developed by Ubisoft, is a beloved classic that redefined action-adventure gaming in the early 2000s. Its blend of acrobatic platforming, exhilarating combat, and an enchanting tale make it a journey that stands the test of time.

The story follows the titular Prince, a cocky yet charming royal who inadvertently unleashes the Sands of Time, plunging the kingdom into chaos. With the help of the mysterious Princess Farah, he must navigate treacherous environments and undo the catastrophe he caused. The narrative, narrated by the Prince himself, is both captivating and personal, filled with moments of humor, romance, and introspection.

The standout feature of The Sands of Time is its innovative platforming. The Prince’s fluid parkour abilities allow him to run on walls, leap across vast chasms, and swing from poles with effortless grace. The level design complements these mechanics, creating puzzles and traversal sequences that challenge your reflexes and spatial awareness. Each new environment feels like a masterfully crafted playground, rewarding ingenuity and timing.

Combat, while slightly repetitive compared to modern standards, is dynamic and satisfying. Armed with a sword and the Dagger of Time, the Prince battles enemies spawned from the Sands. The real magic lies in the Dagger’s time-rewinding ability, allowing players to undo mistakes or relive moments of peril, a mechanic that was groundbreaking at the time and remains delightful to this day.

Visually, The Sands of Time was stunning for its era, with its Middle Eastern-inspired architecture, glowing sands, and ethereal lighting creating a mystical atmosphere. The soundtrack, composed by Stuart Chatwood, perfectly complements the game’s tone, blending traditional instruments with modern melodies to enhance the sense of wonder and adventure.

The relationship between the Prince and Farah is another highlight. Their banter evolves into a genuine bond, adding emotional depth to the story. Their interplay feels natural, and it humanizes the Prince, making his growth from arrogance to humility all the more impactful.

While the game’s linear structure and limited combat variety might feel dated to some players, its core mechanics and storytelling remain as engaging as ever. The tight pacing ensures that there’s never a dull moment, with each area introducing new challenges or narrative twists.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is more than just a game, it’s an enduring masterpiece that paved the way for modern action-adventure titles. Its combination of fluid gameplay, memorable storytelling, and innovative mechanics has cemented its place in gaming history.

Whether you’re revisiting the past or experiencing it for the first time, The Sands of Time offers an unforgettable adventure that deserves to be cherished. Prepare to defy gravity, bend time, and lose yourself in a tale as timeless as the sands themselves.

Okay puzzles, but the game hasn't aged well. Combat is horrible, camera/controls are also janky AF. Also the difficulty spikes of combat, jeez. But still fun environment and nostalgia

Absolute hood classic. The combat is somehow better than AC Mirage.

Man....

If you've been gaming in the early days and remember when this came out on PS2 and the Original Xbox, you already know this game was absolute FIRE! Not only was it difficult, but the game play was amazing and you can see where Assassin's Creed got it's DNA from. In 2025, I have this game running on Windows 11 with an Intel i9 13900K and a AMD 7900 XTX at 4K using a community steam layout with Steam Input.

You'll have to check the community for the mods to fix the display resolution and also add in the gameplay. Don't make the resolution too big because it will cut out the hour glasses (sand) and tutorial prompts. This game at the time was only 720P so even though it looks amazing in 4K, i'll drop it down to atleast 1080p.

Happy Gaming for $2 and NO Ubisoft App!

Oldie but a goodie. Great start to a trilogy that still holds up to this day

Its awsome game, good story and the controls are really good (on keyboard). Its buggy sometimes, but its still awsome! Fun puzzles, combat and parkour challenges. 8,5/10

Controller sucks to use. Doesn't have 1080 resolution. Combat mechanics are pretty meh. Still fun, but barely. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who didn't play iut as a kid.

"I remember enjoying this one." *Plays for about 2 hours* "Yep, still fun."

From re-experiencing the first 2 hours. The platforming challenges are really good. I've struggled a little when fighting large groups of enemies but you're given plenty great of moves to deal with them (I may need more practise). The ability to rewind time is cool. A wee word of warning, if you boot up the game for the first time and the main menu background is really foggy with only a light visible I recommend going to the options and turning fog effects off or you'll be essentially blind when you start up the game.

P.S. I'm not sure why but that guard shouting you on in the puzzle room I find funny

Do yourself a favor and avoid this port like the plague.
This is NOT a game; it's a full-fledged chore that will make you wonder if the developers genuinely hate players that much.

Nothing works in this game.

The mechanics are broken: You press jump, and the prince rolls; you press roll, and the prince jumps. You aim straight, and the prince jumps left or right, etc. It’s a mess.

The graphics are broken: You need to download fan-made patches just to start the game or to fix the fog glitch that covers the screen, rendering everything impossible to see.

The combat is frustrating: Wall jumps, enemy stomps, and even rolling/dodging barely work. The game throws enemies at you nonstop, and most of the time, they body-block your movements, trapping you. They keep spawning, preventing you from finishing downed enemies—who, by the way, need to be killed quickly before they revive. To make matters worse, enemies stun-lock you while you're on the ground, leaving you with no choice but to guard or get hit since they won’t let you get up. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a list of issues long enough to fill pages.

And last but definitely not least, the most broken part of the game:
The camera. The game relies on it so heavily, yet it’s all over the place, never where you need it to be. Whether you're in combat or wall-jumping, I can't even count how many times I've fallen off platforms or died because enemies hit me from behind while the camera was somewhere else.

As I write this, I’m about 80% through the game, and I’ve had to push myself relentlessly to get here. Even now, I’m on the verge of quitting and leaving this game unfinished.

Whether you’re here for nostalgia or you’re a new player, save yourself the frustration and pain this game brings.

After 20 years this is still a very good game that almost holds up today. The platforming animations and visual style are top notch. Unfortunately the combat is not that great. I get that this was a time when devs where still getting the hang of how to do 3rd person combat. But sometimes the game just spawns wave after wave of the same 2-3 enemies and the fact that you have to finish each one when they are down gets boring and repetitive.

Thank god my childhood started by playing warrior within and not this piece of donkey dung.

The bad

1. This game has the most dreadful combat I have ever witnessed, ever
2. Environments are the freakin same. There is little to no variation.
3. Enemies stupid, slow and feel like toys, They throw enemies at you all the time so that you can get even more bored
4. Compared to warrior within and two thrones this game's story is dumb and rushed.
5. The game flashes white screen every now and then which makes your eye hurt
6. Too many cutscenes which show you where exactly to go

The good

Parkour, movement, ledge grabs and swings similar to WW great stuff
Music Ambience and Sounds are awesome
Environment design and textures are awesome even to this day

Não joguei esse jogo quando era mais novo portanto minha análise não será uma análise baseada em nostalgia mas em o máximo de objetividade que eu puder. Não sou um jornalista de jogos, por exemplo, mas tentei entregar uma análise que fosse justa e completa sem entregar spoilers sobre a história. Obs.: Apesar de ter autoria, coloquei o texto no ChatGPT para melhoria da produção. As ideias centrais são de minha autoria - como referências a McGuffins e a quebra de imersão -, enriquecidas (dependendo do ponto de vista) pela funcionalidade do ChatGPT.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Análise

Plataforma e Puzzles: 8/10 (9,5 sem considerar as conveniências narrativas)

O sistema de plataforma é o maior destaque do jogo, oferecendo uma experiência cinematográfica graças à integração fluida dos elementos de parkour com os cenários. Correr por paredes, saltar entre pilares e ativar mecanismos é envolvente e visualmente deslumbrante, evocando a estética das "Mil e Uma Noites". No entanto, a imersão é comprometida por conveniências narrativas, como plataformas e botões posicionados de forma quase "sobrenatural". A descida na prisão é um exemplo claro, onde o cenário parece montado exclusivamente para o progresso do protagonista. Apesar dessas falhas, o design visual e a ambientação continuam impressionantes, mantendo o jogador cativado.

Combate: 7/10

O combate é funcional, mas carece de fluidez. A agilidade do Príncipe, brilhante nas seções de plataforma, não é plenamente aproveitada nos confrontos. As batalhas são interrompidas pela mecânica de bloqueios constantes dos inimigos e a lentidão ao se recuperar de quedas, tornando os encontros muitas vezes frustrantes. Inimigos como os soldados azuis de lança dupla e os guardas de escudo se destacam negativamente por serem mais trabalhosos que desafiadores. Apesar disso, há um "cool factor" em algumas técnicas, como usar a Adaga do Tempo nas piruetas, mas essas habilidades não são bem explicadas, tornando seu uso pouco intuitivo. A falta de variedade nos inimigos contribui para a sensação de repetitividade, mesmo que individualmente eles sejam criativos e temáticos, vide os soldados e as odaliscas. A Farah, embora excelente no contexto narrativo das plataformas e quebra-cabeças, adiciona frustração nas batalhas devido ao fogo amigo, evidenciando as falhas do sistema de combate, tornando-a uma punição, ao invés de inconveniência.

Gameplay: 6/10

A estrutura linear do jogo funciona bem, mas a falta de exploração e de desvios significativos na rota principal diminui o impacto das mecânicas de jogo. Muitos colecionáveis, como melhorias de vida, são colocados diretamente no caminho do jogador, reduzindo o senso de descoberta. Torna-se, portanto, uma experiência única, em que não há incentivos para jogar novamente, além de limites auto-impostos (não coletar melhorias de vidas ou nunca usar as habilidades de tempo, por exemplo). Além disso, as visões do futuro, embora tematicamente alinhadas às Areias do Tempo, acabam atuando como spoilers de quebra-cabeças, reduzindo a satisfação de resolver desafios por conta própria. A manipulação do tempo, que deveria ser um dos pontos altos, é reduzida a uma ferramenta de "tente novamente", carecendo de impacto narrativo ou mecânico. Soluções alternativas, como ligar as visões do futuro do enredo exclusivamente a savepoints e usar os ampliadores de tanque de areia para revelar dicas dos puzzles, poderiam agregar mais significado temático às mecânicas. Embora a progressão seja bem ajustada, com ritmo consistente, o jogo peca por não oferecer mais desafios ou recompensas fora do caminho principal.

História: 8,5/10

A trama é envolvente e simples, mas eficaz. A narrativa se destaca pela evolução orgânica da relação entre o Príncipe e Farah, que, embora não seja marcante, é bem construída e entrega um impacto emocional significativo, especialmente nos momentos finais antes da batalha final (Sem spoilers). A Adaga e a Ampulheta do Tempo, apesar de serem McGuffins temáticos bem integrados ao cenário, não são o verdadeiro cerne da história. O foco está mais na interação dos personagens e no confronto com o Vizir. Apesar de falhar em explorar todo o potencial das Areias do Tempo, o jogo compensa com um excelente pay-off final, fechando a história de forma satisfatória tanto em termos emocionais quanto narrativos.

Notas Finais

Plataforma e Puzzles: 8/10 (9,5 sem considerar as conveniências narrativas)
Combate: 7/10
Gameplay: 6/10
História: 8/10

Média Final: 7,25/10

Apesar de suas falhas, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time é uma experiência memorável, com momentos que brilham tanto pelo design visual quanto pela narrativa, mesmo que o potencial de suas mecânicas não tenha sido completamente explorado. Verei agora o que The Warrior Within trará.

I've beaten this game 4 times over the years on various platforms and I still come back to it. The combat is tedious but the platforming and atmosphere is great. If you can enjoy old games then I recommend it.

Don't get me wrong. The parkour, the puzzles, the characters, there's a whole lot to love about this game.

Unfortunately, the combat is like pulling teeth. The game seems to believe 4v1 is the ideal ratio, with the next enemy of the (arbitrarily numbered and not-broadcasted) group spawning in after every kill. Actually getting said kills is a chore when nearly every enemy will resurrect itself unless you perform a (rather lengthy) finishing move, that of course leaves you vulnerable to the other 3 enemies. Having tried Batman: Arkum Asylum just before this is probably making for some unfair comparisons, but there's such a thing as a game showing its age.

The game clearly expects you to make use of the time rewinding mechanic to undo mistakes and damage, but in any other game, expecting someone to be a time-traveler in order to win is usually asking a bit much. I'm sure the rest of the game is great, but the combat is just too frustrating for me to want to wade through it to see. Maybe I'll toss another $2 at it in the future.

Such a great game, way ahead of it's time, It's a must play for all classic games enjoyers.

A classic and still runs smooth on today's PCs. Maybe add some texture and graphics mod and enjoy.

I would not recommend this game as it has extremely bad controls and the camera panning around makes it even worse. i have only played warrior within during my childhood and wanted to experience the whole story. if only this game was not so frustrating . the puzzles are still cool but the combat is very bad

For people who want to get this game thinking it will be an easy platformer, it isn't. The puzzles in this game are confusing at times. The confusing platforming, and camera angles when doing platforming and fighting. The enemies in this game are so brutal on you since they gang up on you. The enemies can take most of your health away. Your female-friendly companion uses a bow that's pretty much useless since she barely does anything with it and she can even damage you If you're in front of her. Also, she has her live bar meaning If enemies kill her you have to restart to the last checkpoint. There are times when the enemies surround you and they can take a chunk of your health before you can think of which button to use to defend yourself. You get a tutorial on how to do the controls and game mechanics but I can barely remember them since other things are happening in the game to keep my mind on them most of the time. After so many hours of playing, I'm glad made it to the end because this was a hard game to beat. This is the first Prince of Persia game I ever finished so that's something to feel good about. If you're going to play this game you might have to configure the game so it runs well or you won't have a good time with it. It's a great game but be prepared to die a lot in this game because the game will make you regret playing it eats you out of your sanity. If you're stuck on a section don't feel ashamed to use a walkthrough because I did for my playthrough for the game. I give this game an 8 out of 10.

The camera and controls in this game are atrocious. It's a shame, because there's a lot to like here, even years later.

A classic game that needs to be played. I replayed this recently and this game is a masterpiece of well designed puzzles. The combat is a bit frustrating but thankfully there is not too much of it.
Playing on a desktop with Nvidia cards means you will need to have V-Sync disabled in some sections when you are doing multiple wall to wall jumps.
Even with those issues, I enjoyed playing it and recommend it wholeheartedly.

Best time-travel theory game in existence next to Soul Reaver 2.

God damn this game was great. But it aged not so much great, to be fair. A great story with good gameplay fades a bit because of

- simple fighting system. The vault is just too OP, and has no alternatives, which makes many fights too boring sections between puzzles and platforming
- scarce models. Like really, enemies of a group have literally the same model
- models themselves. The game is kinda low poly for today, and it could be a serious disadvantage for modern players who want to try the classics

Otherwise you get:

+ great story (with eastern-esqe motives)
+ Pharah - great companion that really helps (while not shooting arrows in your arse)
+ STARING MECHANIC (dialogs lol)
+ great soundtrack (tho i more like the 2nd game with hard rock motives)
+ good puzzles and platforming with action sequences (but my god they are easy, well maybe because this game is for children after all)

Returned by nostalgia, I enjoyed the game, but I probably too old for it now. (Warrior Within was my favorite, even backthen i was an edgelord XD). Still recommended.
It teases a lot with the puzzles but afraid to create long acrobatic sequenses that would benefit greatly from rewinding time mechanic, creating memorable moments. (probably the only good thing that was improved in later games).

10 Kakkolucias/10

Still amazing after all these years. Played it once out of nostalgia, then played it again just cause it was so much fun. I don't know how it manages to hold up after so long. The low poly look actually gives it a sense of dream-like wonder, and becomes an asset. In the end you might ask if you played it or only dreamed it. I wish I could double-recommend it.

Also the elevator is annoying.

O jogo é excelente, nostálgico, divertido e completo, até para os dias de hoje.
Jogabilidade, história, puzzles, e a mecânica de batalha são muito boas.
O único contra são os bugs, pqp, o port para a Steam está muito mal feito. Infelizmente, tem muitos bugs, maaasss dá para zerar, e é satisfatório.

Great game for its time. really recommend if you like platformers and aren't turned off by out of date graphics

No, I don't recommend this game due to the fact during a roping swinging segment of the game it literally prevents you from completing it because the game is so buggy.

This game is fun and at some point challenging, I enjoyed the parkour, some of the puzzles were challenging.

I absolutely love this game, I remember playing it as a kid and being obsessed

When Ubisoft used to make bangers!

Such a mythical tale everything is top notch compared to current releases Ubisoft is making
Voice acting, soundtracks, atmosphere, storyline, though game is outdated but it's definitely playable with Widescreen Resolution Fix.
(Completing this game feels like achievement has been accomplished, cause I never completed it in my childhood days)

Highly recommended and definitely looking forward to Remake :)

Great nostalgia from a better time. Platforming is still good fun, but the combat lets it down. Still worth it if you can be bothered to get it working.

The hardest and the most difficult foe that you will face in this game is the fixed cameras and clunky controls, 95% of me failing parkour sections and deaths were because of these 2 factors other than that great game

I have (a) never experienced so much joy in a platformer and (b) never experienced so much anxiety when having to jump from beams, ropes and poles in my life.

great game

One of my childhood games, I played this game many times but being too small I don't think I ever managed to finish it. So after 21 years I finally did it.
8/10 Good Game

Buggy and constantly got the player stuck

The combat and camera controls have not aged very well, especially the camera. But the platforming, story and soundtrack are great. Worth playing if you don't mind installing a patch to fix widescreen and some annoying bugs.

Es un juego muy bueno, pero tiene sus bugs en algunas graficas, controles o algunos escenarios. 4.2/5

I was in love with how the Prince of Persia games looked back when I was 12 and had no PS2 to play them on myself, but playing it for the first time in 2024 it just feels aged. Fixing the visual bugs and setting the controls up on PC is a pain already, and despite spending so much time on the controls it still ends up feeling clunky. Maybe it's something you could get into if you invest some more time or if you already have some affinity with the games from playing them in the 2000s, but not for me sadly. Even if I really like the flair.

Unique, revolutionary game, plagued with a terrible camera. Also, if you press the little controller icon to the far right of the "play" button, you can download layouts for your controller, because I've seen a couple people say that this game has no controller support, but there is. Enjoy!

8/10
The game is very good, the atmosphere and the level designs are honestly amazing and the character design too, the "puzzle" platforming is honestly very fun but then why isn't it a 10/10? the camera.

The camera is god awful and makes everything a chore and a pain in the ass... not only but the camera basically ruins the combat COMPLETELY, often due to the camera i found myself trapped by the enemies in a constant bodyblock because i couldn't see certain enemies that were actually behind my view, but for the rest i raccomend the game.

If you ever played an Assassin's Creed game and thought to yourself "I wish they'd just make a game focusing on the platforming and parkour" then have I got a game for you!
The combat didn't really age all that well, though, so keep that in mind.

In terms of third-person games, Prince of Persia is like a gentle massage set to the peeling tones of a 72-virgin orchestra. It's spectacular and soothing to play.

In fact, it almost seems unfair to call it a third-person action-adventure, because it's wonderfully inventive yet intuitive, logically designed and consistently rewarding without ever feeling contrived. I can't think of a single third-person game that better fits the above description. As somebody who regularly has to suffer through and remain objective about the sort of cripplingly lame, soul-destroying misconstruction that runs throughout the genre, the beauty, simplicity and logic behind Prince of Persia is enough to bring a tear one's eye.

Quite simply, right from the start, almost everything about it feels right. The tone of the Prince's voice, the way he moves around the game's palatial labyrinth, the way he reacts to common gameplay scenarios (grasping a ledge at an angle, shimmying round corners, moving a box in any direction just by holding one side and using the analogue stick rather than having to run round it every time to push, etc), the way the combat fits in with the rest of the game, the way the puzzles are introduced, considered and solved, the placement of save points and foreshadowing of key game events through occasional 'visions' (it does work, trust me), and especially the Sands of Time angle, of which more shortly.

No previous experience with the Prince of Persia series is required to enjoy Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. In fact, virtually nothing will bar you from being impressed by this extremely well-put-together action adventure game. Prince of Persia is surprisingly easy, despite the incredible acts of skill and daring that the game's main character will routinely perform during the course of the game. As a result, this original, visually stunning game can be highly recommended to just about anyone.

PoP takes place in a mystical Middle Eastern setting, all bathed in soft, warm light and looking like something straight out of a storybook. You play as a young prince who possesses exceptional athletic and acrobatic skill. Early on in the game, the prince steals the dagger of time, a treasure from a rival nation, as a token for his father the king. When his nation's traitorous vizier compels the prince to use the dagger to unlock another treasure, a huge hourglass, everything goes wrong. The sands from the hourglass blow forth, enveloping the kingdom and turning its guardsmen and citizens into, for lack of a better way to describe it, "sand zombies." The prince, the vizier, and a young woman named Farah are among the only survivors. In the prince's efforts to undo his mistake, he'll join forces with Farah, seek out the hourglass, and confront the vizier. The game's story takes a backseat during most of the game, but it is book-ended nicely and is framed as the prince's own retrospection. So, for instance, should the prince fall and die at a certain point during the game, you'll hear him say, as narrator, something like, "No, that's not how it happened." Not only is this an interesting technique, but it compels you to keep pressing on. You'll want to know exactly how his complicated ordeal will unravel.

A highly responsive, very forgiving control scheme further ensures that at no point during Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will you get particularly stuck, if at all. Though other action adventure games involving a lot of death-defying leaps and other such bravery tend to force the player to perfectly time his or her maneuvers and often force him or her to wrestle with issues concerning the controls or camera perspective, Prince of Persia is set up in such a way that it's remarkably simple to pull off all of the prince's spectacular moves. Also, despite the convincing look of the game's huge environments, the game is completely linear, and the prince's course tends to be very clear. Doors will slam shut behind him, forcing him to press onward, and each time you enter a new area, you'll see a quick fly-through showing where it is you're trying to go and what it is that stands between you and that goal. Additionally, at each of the game's frequent save points, you'll see a "vision" of what lies ahead--a quick sepia-toned montage of the trials and tribulations to come in the next area.

The gameplay in Prince of Persia largely consists of three types of actions: navigation (the most common and best type), combat, and puzzle-solving. The puzzle-solving is straightforward and typical of what you'd find in other action adventure games. You'll push some boxes onto pressure plates, figure out how to use some mysterious machines, pull some switches and levers, and that sort of thing. What makes the puzzles here, at least, seem more interesting is the presence of Farah, the prince's female counterpart, who will automatically assist with some of the puzzles and make them seem like more of a cooperative affair. Farah, who's even skinnier than the prince, can slip through cracks in the wall to reach places the prince cannot. The pair will frequently have to find ways of opening up passages for one another. This pseudo-two-player dynamic, and, in fact, the whole look of the game, is reminiscent of the artistic 2001 PlayStation 2 title, ICO.

Excellent audio rounds out this altogether impressive game. The actor who provides the prince's voice fits the role perfectly, creating a likable yet brash personality for the character that's the perfect foil to Farah's cool-headed determination. The banter exchanged between the two characters can be very amusing, and though the two really don't have time for their relationship to develop, it's still plausible that one does. The ambient sounds in Prince of Persia, from the sound of the prince's footsteps on various surfaces to the rush of wind when he's outdoors, are also completely believable. One fairly clever puzzle late in the game completely depends on your ability to hear the game's clear, realistic audio. An excellent musical score, which combines traditional Middle Eastern sounds and instrumentation with a hard rock edge and some nice chorus vocals, also fits the game extremely well. There's just one problem: For the most part, you only hear the music during battle. It's possible that the fast-paced themes would have been conducive to recklessness during the game's running and jumping sequences, but it's a bit of a shame that such a good soundtrack is only heard on relatively rare occasion during the game.

Prince of Persia offers some bonuses, in addition to the main adventure, most notably with the presence of an unlockable port of the original version of the game that started it all. The original Prince of Persia influenced games like Tomb Raider--and pretty much every other game in which you can grab on to ledges--and presents a stark contrast with the new installment in the series in just how punishing it is. On the other hand, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a game that can be recommended wholeheartedly. It looks fantastic and features responsive controls, some original play mechanics, a good story, and plenty of thrilling adventure. In the simplest terms: Do not miss out on this game.

Verdict: 10/10

I should make it clear from the start that this isn't as much a review of the game as a review of the experience playing it on Steam. If you're gonna mald over that, you can read another review; there's no shortage of 'my childhood nostalgia' posts for these games on Steam. If I were to rate the game itself, it would probably be 6 out of 10; the game is decent. The graphics are good for the time, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the lack of story focus or cinematic sequences in favour of raw gameplay is actually welcome. On the other hand, the camera was designed by a gay rattlesnake named Fabio Enchilada, and the combat is pretty repetitive and flawed. Overall, Sands of Time feels like playing the old Jordan Mechner Prince of Persia games but in 3D, and that's good.

What is bad - and the reason for the 'Not Recommended' - is the experience of playing this game on Steam, and the wider problem these games have on Steam at large. This download is essentially Ubisoft charging you money for the abandonware version of this game, thrown onto Steam with NO fixes whatsoever. To get it working you'll need to play around with patches and configuration files yourself, and you will never get proper controller support regardless (the game natively supports any controller, but very poorly).

This is part of a larger problem on Steam and I say it needs to be fixed. If you pay for a game it should be a good experience that requires no jury-rigging to enjoy. Unfortunately, because gamers are masochists and even now some nerd is probably getting ready to comment, "Bro it's only $10 bro, publishing games is hard bro, I don't respect myself enough to expect good service bro, I want Yves Guillemot to piss in my mouth bro," it has gotten to this point and companies like Ubisoft have learned to take full advantage of that. Why WOULDN'T they charge you for the same file you can find on MyAbandonware and probably have an easier time configuring? Now they can even sell you a remake of this game, because their dumb audience never thought to demand that old games be properly curated and fixed to work well on modern systems and the remake will ostensibly 'fix' those issues and 'introduce Prince of Persia to a new generation of fans' and all that PR drivel.

Gaben needs to step in personally; Steam shouldn't allow companies to publish broken, out-of-date games on Steam and leave the fans to fix them.

In the first boss battle, I was on very low health. This is when Farah hit me the arrow instead of the enemy. I died. 10/10 realism!!