Review- Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Now with 100% Less Crappy Music
(Xbox, PS2, Gamecube; $49.99; Rated M for Blood/Gore/Violence/Nudity)

(four stars)

Concluding the “Sands of Time” trilogy, the developers of “Two Thrones” thankfully return the Prince to his royal home of Babylon and take us away from the remote island setting of the second game, “Warrior Within.”

And good riddance too! “Warrior Within” was a surprisingly disappointing follow-up to the series’ debut- a game which I still say is one of the best adventure games ever made (“Prince of Persia: Sands of Time”- go pick it up for dirt cheap.). The advances of “Warrior Within’s” fighting system has made its way to the current “Two Thrones,” but thankfully the Godsmack-strummed heavy metal soundtrack has not. Instead, musically, “Two Thrones” returns to a Middle-Eastern orchestral score that is more appropriate and soothing for this adventure.

The game picks up as The Prince returns to Babylon and finds it in ruins. To make matters worse, his hot girlfriend is kidnapped, and if that ain’t a kick in the pants, The Prince is infected with a curse that transforms him into a sand monster- ironically, the very same creatures he’s been destroying for the past two games.

Suddenly, your life doesn’t look so bad, huh?

In between bouts of being overtaken by his evil split personality, The Prince has to battle through palaces, over rooftops, in chariots, and on top of some pretty nasty creatures in order to restore his kingdom.

“Two Thrones” successfully combines the superb acrobatic puzzle exploration of “Sands of Time” with the action and sword-play of “Warrior Within” and notches it up with the addition of the “Speed Kill” technique- allowing the Prince to sneak up and dispatch a foe instantly with the correct button combination. The Speed Kill is the fist-pumping, exclamation point to a perfectly executed set of acrobatic maneuvers that gets The Prince across great danger while killing a foe on the other side who never saw it coming.

The Dark Prince adds another dynamic onto the aerial exploration and action as his “daggertail” weapon, effectively a serrated chain-whip built into his right arm, and heavily aggressive fighting style make him much more of a brawler than the finesse of The Prince.

“The Two Thrones” closes this chapter of the Prince’s saga and does so in a way that brings the character and the narrative full-circle, making it an overall great trilogy. Thankfully though, fans don’t have to say goodbye to the Prince for good- the developers have already said that although the “Sands of Time” storyline has concluded, the Prince may return again in a whole new adventure.