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"The famed Prince of Persia has his work cut out for him"

The famed Prince of Persia has his work cut out for him -- and not just because he's on a suicide mission to travel back in time and prevent the Sands of Time from even being created. No, his tougher task is following up on last year's phenomenal action game, coincidentally titled, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It wowed critics and just about anyone who caught a glimpse of it. The problem is, sales didn't skyrocket the way you'd expect for a game of this magnitude. What's a Prince to do? Stick with the status quo to keep the adulation of your fans, or reinvent yourself to try to reach a new audience? It turns out the Prince does a little of both.

Princin' ain't Easy

One word describes the new direction of this game: hardcore. Ubisoft has chosen to challenge the loyal gamers who made it through Sands of Time instead of pandering to the uninitiated. It hits hard and fast, though onscreen tutorials and a lack of time limit will allow newbies to get up to speed. All of the platforming perfection has returned, as have sprawling rooms with brain-bending routes. These are the best kinds of puzzles, because you never really think of them as puzzles. You just think, "Damn you, Ubisoft, how am I supposed to get out of here?" Twenty minutes later, you're breathing a satisfied sigh and gearing up for more frenzied action. Is it getting hot in here?

Warrior Within takes on a darker personality. After all, the Prince doesn't have much reason to be happy. His new quest is all but impossible, and even his allies tell him death is certain -- thanks for the vote of confidence, chums! Matters are made tougher by the fact that he gets his royal rear kicked early on and is dumped out in a strange land. Of course, this is an optimal way to start him from scratch and get every player up to speed. Compare this to Metroid or Zelda's strategy of not explaining why the same character starts every game at square one. Contrary to popular belief, gamers appreciate continuity.

"Fortunately, the same time-bending techniques come into play again, giving Prince a leg up on the evil minions and deadly traps"

Fortunately, the same time-bending techniques come into play again, giving Prince a leg up on the evil minions and deadly traps. Save stations and checkpoints abound as well, so your frequent deaths won't be met with lengthy backtracking. However, the levels are designed with just enough linearity that you can (and will) get lost, and even if you aren't a stereotypical male, there's no one around to ask for directions. The built-in map is of little help.

Secondary Stab

The dagger of time is no more. Instead, the Prince has a host of sub-weapons to carry in his off hand. Enemies drop their axes, daggers, and maces, which you can just pick up and use. They're not very durable, though, and will break in short order. However, you can also toss them at distant creatures and just pick up another one. It's refreshing not to be forced to use the dagger to kill foes -- especially when tackling a horde of them -- though that means they're a little tougher to take down.

The choice to just fight with one blade is always an option. When doing this, the alternate-weapon button is used for grappling and evading moves -- building on the clever vaulting technique in Sands of Time. Combat is overall deeper and more enjoyable, which is really saying something since the last game's was so refined.

Sand in the Eyes

Warrior Within varies the art style slightly, with darker hues and toned-down lighting, but the quality is still on par with Sands. It's a truly beautiful game, with the only caveats being real-time cutscene models looking a little rough, and some muddy textures in first-person mode. The heads-up display has been made tighter, but the camera gets in your way a little more often now, as there seems to be more stationary-angle situations. The addition of blood and gory decapitations is the ketchup on a tasty graphical French fry.

Rewarding Loyalty

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within again goes the road less traveled in game design. It doesn't compromise what it is for the almighty dollar, but it also doesn't rehash its old themes to take the easy way out. Anyone who fell in love with the elegant Sands of Time (that being anyone who actually played it) should place Warrior Within at the top of their holiday must-play list. Once again, it exemplifies the very definition of a boundary-pushing video game.