-The Game is Down Until Further Notice-




     I KNOW people love a BIGTIME challenge in their video games. I do too. It's one of those things that's a hit and miss. A game shouldn't be too hard, and it shouldn't be too easy. Back in the early days of the PC, Broderbund got down and dirty in the realm of challenging games with its iconic masterpiece, Prince of Persia. Everyone knows about the trap avoiding, sheik-behind kicking Prince, and his quest to save the princess. And everyone knows how extremely hard it is to avoid these traps. Mario made it into the realm of 3D successfully, with new challenges, as did Zelda and every other iconic video game hero. Well, in 2003, Ubisoft, the well known French video game company, jumped the gun, and brought the Prince to life in glorious 3D, with his treacherous gameplay restored, and every curse-inducing trap brought to life like never before. Now, for as long as you like, we bring to you the now freeware Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Traverse those deadly dungeons, and watch your step!

     When you begin the game, you are presented with the Prince, looking sheik in his new blue costume. Only thing this game is missing as a matter of fact is a flying rug. Upon entering a curtained doorway, you enter the majestic world. Your first task in the game is to raid a castle during a siege, and this beginning dungeon is just the beginning. There are as many non-cinematic cutscenes as there are cinematic cutscenes in this game. You can watch fireballs rocket over the castle walls, as you fight with the evil guards. Upon beating this first castle, which is a chore, even for a first dungeon, you  will steal the dagger of the Sands of Time. During a ceremony, you present the dagger to your father. An evil vizier tricks the Prince into unlocking a giant hourglass, setting free the Sands of Time, and stopping time in the process. On top of which, a horde of time zombies are now on the loose, and the only thing that can stop them is the Time Dagger. A young princess seems to know more about the dagger than you, but you also have that bad guy to worry about. Get out there, save the princess, and kick vizier butt, all while traversing the deadliest and craziest labyrinths and traps known to man. All in a days work.

     You may have seen good texturing before. You may have seen all the lighting. But all of that doesn’t matter as much, as long as it's used right, along with a good atmosphere and art style. I have to say that the world presented in this game  is breathtaking. Most of it takes place at night, and along with the towering castles, dark tunnels, and dark cliffs that end in a mist, there is also the beauty of the stars and the wonderful job that the designers did at bringing this game to life. You have to wonder how any sheik would build such a castle as the ones you enter, but you never feel like the world is unrealistic when your playing. Everything fits in place like a real setting, which is a good thing. Another thing that impresses me in this game is the stunt work and the fight scenes. It is extremely rare to see parkour put to such good use. You'll be jumping from wall to wall, running along the walls, jumping off bad guys backs, swinging on poles, and climbing to the top of enormous rooms and structures like it was nothing. Well, not exactly true, as pulling off these stunts is, of course, extremely tough. Let's not forget the floor spikes, rotating spiked columns, saws that move along the walls,  and undead zombies. there are different weapons you can pick up along the way, which is a good thing. Upgrades are always nice. The only way to destroy a time zombie is to suck the time sand out of them with the Time Dagger. Water fountains are abundant in the game, and are used to restore your health. Of course, any water will do. Even an animal trough, believe it or not. Once you save the princess, she'll tag along as a fighting partner, and her bow comes in quite handy. There are also many puzzles to solve, but they are completely unique, and all require expert timing with stunts. another thing that you can do, once you have the Time Dagger, is turn back time, a limited number of times. You may think that makes things easier. I'm laughing at you.

     One thing that kind of disappoints me in this game is the lack of general music. I know the game is supposed to have a quiet feel in some spots, but come on. A bit of a score couldn't hurt. The sound effects are expertly done however. They're kind of creepy at times too. The bad guys are definitely creepy enough to have come from Silent Hill. Bad guys mouths glow orange like Jack O Lanterns. Yeh. Oh, and any bad girls you face are naked enough to be in Playboy magazine. Guys. That's your cue to download now. The Prince himself is very charismatic, and my favorite character in the game. He's roughish, and at times a bit of an anti-hero. He doesn't trust you. As many times as you're gonna die in this game, I don't blame him. The relationship between him and the princess is handled expertly. They bicker on and off outside of the occasional cutscene. Big fire fountains of time sand are used for saving the game, and for seeing what’s up ahead, like a psychic vision. Now to mention the one thing, for the last, that I hated about this otherwise amazing game. The extremely difficult, evil, tough, overdone, BOSS battles. You thought Zelda was hard? These guys don't know the meaning of the words, "I'm hit! I'm gonna die! Someone help me, I'm hit!" They take quite a bit to take down, but don't worry, the rest of the game is fun, though hard as rock.

     I can’t believe Ubisoft let this game out for download. I just can't believe it! But it's official, it's great, and you can download it now. If you're feeling like taking on those good old challenges and traps, then go right ahead! Prince of Persia: Sands of Time gets a 4.5 carrots. I enjoyed this game, and you know what. I'm gonna go play it again. Go get it!

NOTE: This game has small ads in the game. They are VERY short, and only during saving and loading. Also, you must be registered at Ubisofts website as a US citizen to install. The registration is free, and shouldn't bug anyone who is used to registering for MMOs.

Review by: Fawfulhasfury