Game review of Prince of Persia: Two Thrones

Prince of Persia: Two Thrones crowns the trilogy begun with Sands of Time and continued in Soul of a Warrior. The game seeks to reconcile the disparate visions of its predecessors, combining fairy-tale lightness with a dark tone.

Audiovisual aspect

Graphically, the game offers solid 2005 graphics, with detailed Babylon locations and smooth animations. The fairy-tale-like atmosphere combines warm colors with darker tones, although textures are sometimes blurry and the dominance of browns and grays can be tedious. .

Sound layer does not live up to its predecessor. The soundtrack, while competent, lacks the distinctive quality offered by the rock sounds of Godsmack in Soul of a Warrior. The music is correct, but not memorable. Sound effects, such as the clanking of weapons and the sounds of acrobatics, are solid, and the character voices - especially those of the Dark Prince - add depth to the narrative. Unfortunately, the dialogues are sometimes uneven, oscillating between Disney-like lightness and an attempt at seriousness, which doesn't always resonate with the tone of the game.

Characters

Two Thrones introduces one significant new addition: the Dark Prince, the protagonist's alter ego. This is by far the game's brightest point in terms of narrative. The Dark Prince, with his cynical commentary and different fighting style, brings a breath of fresh air, and his internal dialogues with the protagonist build an interesting psychological conflict.

Other than that, the cast is disappointingly modest. Familiar characters like Farah and Vizier return, but the lack of new and interesting side characters makes the game world seem empty. Compared to Soul of a Warrior, where Kaileena and Dahaka added color to the plot, Two Thrones pales in comparison, limiting itself to a minimum in building interpersonal relationships.

Plot and narrative

The idea of linking events to Soul of a Warrior - where changes in the past affect the present - is intriguing, but underutilized. The story quickly reduces to a linear journey from fight to fight, with no deeper themes or surprising twists. It's a simple tale of revenge and redemption that doesn't match the narrative complexity of Soul of a Warrior.

The Prince's inner monologues and his conversations with his Dark self are the strongest element of the narrative, offering insights into his psyche. Beyond that, however, the story fails to engage - it lacks emotional stakes or a larger goal beyond defeating the next boss.

Gameplay

The combat system is more expansive than in Sands of Time, but Soul of a Warrior offers a more brutal, dynamic and free-flowing combat system. The introduction of stealth kills adds stealth elements, which are an interesting variety, but significantly lower the difficulty level - many clashes can be bypassed by eliminating enemies silently. The Dark Prince mode boils down to monotonous “spamming” with chains, and fights with bosses are often quick-time events in the middle. The game loses its dynamism through repetitive enemies.

Unfortunately, the game suffers from a lack of character progression. Unlike previous installments, where new weapons or abilities gave a sense of development, in Two Thrones the dagger remains the main tool throughout the game, and the weapons you pick up don't vary significantly (if at all) in terms of damage. The only exception is the prince's father's sword, which introduces an absurd power surge, allowing you to eliminate enemies with a single blow. This upsets the balance and makes the final clashes lose their satisfaction.

The platforming sections are varied with new mechanics, such as grappling with a dagger, bouncing off windows and using a chain. These additions are welcome, but most of the challenges are easier than in Warrior's Soul, and only a few moments require precision.

The game world in Two Thrones is linear, just like in Sands of Time. The streets, palaces and canals of Babylon are visually different, but lack architectural or color variety. The locations merge into one monotonous whole.

Technical problems

Technically, Two Thrones is unfortunately a disaster. The camera is one of the biggest problems - it works slowly, struggles with the player and requires modifications to be bearable. The game regularly crashes, and graphical bugs like overexposure spoil the visual perception. Turning off special effects and lowering the quality of shadows improves the situation. Collision errors in platform sections further add to the frustration.

Summary

Compared to Soul of a Warrior, which impressed with its narrative depth and polished gameplay, Two Thrones pales in comparison. For fans of the trilogy, it may be an enjoyable ending, but it falls short of expectations as the finale of one of the most important action-adventure series in gaming history. It's a title that had potential, but was overwhelmed by compromises and technical shortcomings.

buggy piece of ♥♥♥♥, everything what touches that corporation becomes garbage