Prince of Persia 4: Why do you do this to me? [A Review, Bittersweet] | Posted at 11:07 PM
Warning: This post will spoil the ending, so don't read it unless you've beaten it (or don't care).
Title: Prince of Persia 4 (2008)
Platform: PC
Grade: B+
Rent or Buy?: Rent
Time Taken: 3 days, maybe 15 hours
First, let me say that I mostly enjoyed my time beating the newest Prince of Persia. There were parts that really ticked me off (camera angles, repetitiveness, etc.) Now let me follow that up with this: it was all going great until the end. The end was… frustrating. It was frustrating because I can see why it had to be done, but why couldn't it have been something that didn't totally undo EVERYTHING I DID IN THE GAME.
I did not want Elika to die. I was in the same boat as the prince… but I also didn't want to free that slow, half-retarded God Ahriman (seriously, he isn't smart enough to punch ahead of where you're going). It was like the whole game was about getting me to like the characters and I really did, then they drop the bomb even though I knew it was going to happen. I kept hoping they wouldn't ruin it, hoping that they would find another way to keep her alive without unleashing the God. THANKS GOD OF LIGHT, lots of good you did!
I wrote this post after talking with some people about it and standing back and thinking about why they did this. It is obvious that they are doing a sequel, otherwise it would have been the happy ending. Is it a testament to their narrative abilities that they pissed me off? Doesn't that mean it was a good story? Maybe. One thing is for sure, they can redeem themselves with the next game. If they leave Elika to die in the next game, then I'm really going to be disappointed. It's like those authors that have these epic trilogies and then at the end, kill a character you were really attached to. I hate it, I don't care if it's supposed to be a "tragedy" or whatever, I like happy endings!
Enough of the story, I don't want to think about it. What of the actual gameplay? I'm sorry to say that it suffered from the same problems Assassin's Creed did. Fun but repetitive. Sometimes it felt like they just put stuff in between things that really didn't need to be there. Like, for example, jumping and whizzing about the Temple at the end. Or that whole "boss fight" with Ahriman. He seemed pretty dumb to me.
Still, I have to say that it couldn't be all bad because I beat it in the span of 3 days. What kept me going? The characters, mostly… waiting for those two to get together, but also the environments were very well done. The fact that you couldn't die also kept me playing, knowing I could do whatever I wanted and suffer no consequences. During fights I really did not enjoy the "push the button quick or else the dude will regenerate half his health!" moments. I was playing on PC, and the icons were in the Xbox 360's colors for ABXY. That didn't translate well and I found myself pressing the wrong buttons all too often. This was mostly alright except that the worst part of the whole game was trying to maneuver The Warrior into those stupid wooden columns. I was almost going to just turn the game off because it took like 15 minutes to try and do it.
Understand that I am not someone who enjoys failing at the same thing 20 times ala Ninja Gaiden, God of War, etc. After 3 times I usually quit. That's just how I am. At the same time, I felt PoP was too easy… which is a paradox, I know. I think it was because of the almost fully automated platform mechanics. Just press the right button and the Prince will do his thing, without your control. Assassin's Creed at least let me do whatever I want, and I felt like it was me who was doing everything. In PoP, it feels like you're telling the Prince what to do and he goes and does it. Don't ask how it should have been, I have no idea. I feel like these complaints are just because of how the gameplay mechanic works and perhaps there's no real solution. My constructive feedback to Ubisoft Montreal is to add better puzzles, or just more of them. I did like how it broke up the monotony to take some time and solve a puzzle.
I also think that you should hold our hands less. We are smart people, us gamers, we don't need to be told what to do every second. Look at Portal. No hand holding there. Even if it used visual indicators, it still left it up to you to figure out how to get there. In this, scratch marks on the walls tell you where to go. Why are there scratch marks there? It is a sad fact that platforming games will never fully explain why everything is there for the player to succeed. How come that platform there is there? What use did it have before I came along? I can't hold it against the game, as I wouldn't hold it against the myriad of previous platforming games.
I've also heard about other reviewers complain about the voice acting and its lack of… ethnicity. This was a "problem" in Assassin's Creed too but if you asked around, the assistant tells you its because the Animus can't translate everything or whatever. Then again, why do the rest of the cast have good voice acting or ethnic voices? Like AC, PoP has Californians do the main characters. The small difference is that I actually liked PoP's voice actors… I actually didn't mind the lack of ethnicity to be honest, it was like Aladdin. I don't think it takes away any from the narrative. I don't know if the humor the Prince used would be lost on some other actor. I, for one, enjoyed the banter back and forth between the Prince and Elika. Maybe it was cheesy, but I thought it better than a lot of games.
Elika: Haven't you heard that good things come to those who wait?
Prince: Good things are good things, why wait?
I really do feel like the actors did a good job portraying their character's personalities. This makes sense for Elika, being voiced by Kari Wahlgren, a great actress that you've probably heard in other games (Soul Calibur IV, Tales of Symphonia, Ninja Gaiden 2, FF12, etc.). Matt Mullins, the guy who does the Prince has a great voice and he actually does put comedic inflection into his acting, which really helped portray the Prince's character well. The two of them go together very well, their voices complement each other.
My final score? I'd give the game a B+. It was good enough to want to beat but frustrating and lacking in some parts that dragged it down.
Comments
Hi
First I didn't read the entire page because I dont want to spoil the ending. This POP could have been much better. first I think that the cartoon style is a failure, second the controls are very simple to be challenging, and the Prince's personality sucks.
I also agree that they shouldn't under estimate the player by remiding him with what to do over and over.
I have a page on my blog with my opinion you can check it out http://angrybyte.com/games/prince-of-persia-dumber-than-ever/
Posted by: Psman
On January 2, 2009 10:09 AM
It's story is nothing compared with the sands of time story.
I hated it, it's so easy and short and the fighting is too bad
in the previous prince i enjoyed every fight and liked the two swords rather than flying princess and repeating the same thing -heal the grounds!-.
Posted by: ahmed
On January 9, 2009 7:39 AM
It's story is nothing compared with the sands of time story.
I hated it, it's so easy and short and the fighting is too bad
in the previous prince i enjoyed every fight and liked the two swords rather than flying princess and repeating the same thing -heal the grounds!-.
Posted by: ahmed
On January 9, 2009 7:42 AM
In Warrior within, the fight sequences were extremely good..... jump from behind, kicking, dual blade combat....... but POP4 is not up to the mark..... any way it is not a bad game......
Posted by: Bhai
On January 9, 2009 11:31 AM
I just finished the game tonight. This was more of an interactive movie than a game. I enjoyed the story very much which is what allowed me to finish the game. However, the game play was very simplistic and repetitive. I wish that the game play was more diversified. It was so repetitive that almost gave up.
Posted by: Chris
On January 16, 2009 12:16 AM
well, nice job ubisoft. just finished the game. lousy story (perdictable). lousy gameplay (felt like i didnt do anything in fights cuz they didnt want me to ruin the prince's style). too easy (WHY CANT I DIE?!), and pathetic in comparison to the previous pops. and since it's obvious there's going to be a sequel, ubisoft destroyed this awesome title for another 3-4 years. i WILL NOT buy the next one.
Posted by: aloen
On January 18, 2009 1:27 PM
This game is amazing!The story line is a little lame but that's my only complaint.
Posted by: best xbox games
On March 29, 2009 5:00 PM
Actually I agree with that point made by 'aloen' which is about the 'not dying' buisness...I did notice that I have never died in the game (around half way through...). Also, I looked at that ending in youtube and thinking "wtf?" its like...yeah u noe what...
Posted by: Patrick
On April 29, 2009 12:07 PM
While playing the game, I enjoyed it. Once I beat it, I got real MAAAAAD.
the gameplay is easy, but that'e ok because it's more of an interactive stroy that a challanging game; and that's fine by me.
But an interactive story is all about the storyline, and it's bad and lame. there is no much action in the story and details are vague; in that sense I still have couple of questions
1- Who's this prince and from where did he come?
2- is the story related to the older versions "Sands of Time"?
3- Who's this Farah? is it a real donkey or is he just claiming to be a donkey to score with the new chick? Because in Sands of Time, Farah is the Pricess he meets and mate in the first part and the third part.
4- At some point of the game, Elika Asks the Prince if he has any girlfreinds and he responded generally about two girls, did he mean Farah -the Princess in the first and third part- and the Queen of Time in the second part? Because he fill in love with both of them.
5- Elika keeps talking about her people in the city, when I trap Arhuman at the end of the game and before releasing him again, where are these people? shouldn't they appear in the city again? and if there's no one, then it's ok to release Arhuman again and get together with Elika.
6- where's this God of Light at the end of the game?
Posted by: N_M_S
On May 13, 2009 4:39 AM
omg do you people NOT see what there doing? they made you emotionally attached to the characters for a freaking reason,they WANTED you to feel the same emotions that prince did at the end of the game, they WANTED to make your inner morality conflict with your want to bring Elika back, they werent makeing a GAME they were makeing a STORY
Posted by: helluwen
On May 28, 2009 9:05 AM
yeah, i agree with u, most of all...
keep on reviewing game dude,,,
Posted by: Ruben
On June 4, 2009 10:08 AM
This game adds a new graphics definition in the game industry. The game also has good story lineup & puzzles. I also like the previous versions of the POP.
Posted by: Foam Puzzle
On July 27, 2009 8:10 PM
Oh yes I love this kind of games they are much more fun than adventures games in general.
Posted by: iulia02121
On July 31, 2009 2:35 AM
First off i would like to say I did NOT enjoy POP 4 AT ALL! The storyline made NO SENSE WHAT SO EVER and had nothing to do with the sands of time trilogy, wich upset me because ubisoft could have thoght of at least 100 different sands of time story's to continue the two thrones, and I was waiting for that for a long time and did not get it. I liked the new clothes the prince was wareing now but it was spoild by cheesy graffics and dodgy camera angles. Now my biggest issue with the game... THE ENDING! The ending was AWFUL! I think that Eliki's death was pointless to be there, but wuy on earth did the prince unleash the darkness? I know the prince would feel bad that Eliki was dead, but bringing her back to life destroyed all the progress I made on the game, all GONE! And just to top it off the game in general was FAR too easy, (WHY CAN'T I DIE?) My point is that I preferd the sands of time trilogy mutch more than this stupid pathetic excuse of the prince of persia, and if ubisoft make a follow-on from this game, (which they probably will) I will NOT be happu!
Posted by: john reaney
On September 4, 2009 11:05 AM
this amazing games
Posted by: noeqiah
On September 28, 2009 1:25 AM
Well the game had some bad parts. The game was too repetitive and too simple. I mean I had to visit each region at least 2-3 times 2 get those retarded light seeds. A fast travel sistem wholdve been nice. And compared to prince of persia 3 the control was too easey. All u had to do is press a button and he will do everythink. I felt like I was watching a movie.
But I liked the characters a lot. I just love theyre characters and how the relation between them evolvs. The game is also a lot more spectacular than the sands of time saga. I really enjoyed flying, running on walls and making amazing combos.
Though the moust I like the ending. I dont know, in my opinion its... brilliant... I mean I espected to be one of those retarded happy endings where everybody live happy and the bad boys are dead... and I was kinda sick of those stupid endings.
Though Id say we should be able to chose the end.. I mean let Elika dead or let the retarded god free. Thats how it feels like when Im destorying the trees. Like I should make a choice. But I cant and that was kinda frustrating for me.
Posted by: Dreamer
On November 24, 2009 11:58 AM