Prince of Persia: Sands of Time 16th Nov - 16th Dec [Main Discussion]

[charlesr]

I'll be starting to play this tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Try and avoid major spoilers in this thread, although by the nature of the discussion, there's always going to be a small level of spoilerdom in here.

I've made another thread for spoilerific questions and discussion.

[charlesr]

Please remember to post even if it's just to say "I'm playing".

[Bort]

I'll probably start tonight. Furthest I've got iin the game was ~25% of the way through. I really enjoyed it but the combat completely destroyed the game for me.

I'll do the unthinkable before starting and read the combat section of the manual.

[Welrain]

Well I've cheated slightly and started lastnight as it is unlikely I'll get another chance to play until next week.

I have the gamecube version and I'm about 15% in at the moment. Previously I played until about 25% through and never came back to it. Can't recall why.

Liking the atomsphere etc (The prince's narrative is a wonderfully well executed idea) although the combat engine is just as frustrating as ever. Strangely I'm finding it a heck of a lot easier that my previous play.

The gamecube sound does seem a bit muffled at times and the graphics betray its age somewhat but I will certainly keep going with this.

[bluepuddy]

Just had a quick blast on this and it?s enjoyable so far. I want to stick with this for the rest of the month and finish a game this year. After rummaging around in the loft to dig this game out, hopefully it will be worth the effort. Vague memories of getting quite far into the game last time but there is no previous save on the memory card.

[Mr_Skinny]

Just started replaying the cube version here too. The graphics don't seem as good as I remember, although I know they do get better later on.

Perhaps the 360 and high def have spoiled me

Plays great though!

[stainboy]

Still have it sitting on the desk next to me, maybe I'll give it a quick blast in a minute. I don't remember the combat at all but I know I hated it in the 2nd game a lot more. I remember my flatmates watching me play the GC version and laughing everytime I died and the Prince says "No wait, that's not what happened!"

[goldbricker]

I bought it for the Xbox over the weekend and played the first 2% or something. The enjoyment came flooding back (I've previously completed it on PS2) and I think it's aged beautifully. The cut scenes now look a little dated but everything is still really fresh.

[k0pp0]

Probably start this one in anger this weekend. Although I might be fixing a hard disc prob first.

[Bort]

Knocked off the first 52% last night. It took a while for me to start enjoying it but after it kicked in it became silky smooth. The fighting is still awful but I'm spamming my way through it.

They really should have put more thought into the save system. Instead of spitting you out to a menu system and destroying any suspension of disbelief you might of had going they should have put a button prompt on screen. Even that should be only shown for the first 30 mins of constant play.

->Open Spoiler<-

And **** those mother ****ing birds.

[Greg Moss]

I'll start this one again tonight, going for the PAL Xbox version on my 360. Will be the 5th time I've completed it, but I'll do it again since your forcing me to.

[moonwhistle]

I adored Sands of Time when I played through it a while back. It was the first 3rd person action that really nailed everything design and play wise imo. It's the game that Ninja Gaiden should've been, but that fell so flat.

[Bort]

Welp, just completed it. Will sleep on it and post my final impression in the spoiler thread tomorrow.

[stainboy]

You guys are playing too fast I started this evening and would say I'm about 15% in (previous save said 12%) just done the bit where the cockerney bloke tells you how to use that big cog puzzle.

And that's the only bit I remember so far! It's still fun to play and a lot better than the 2nd one which I played last xmas.

[craptest]

I loved POP:SOT the first time through, but when I replayed it a year later I went off it completely.

The fighting is completely naff. Of course you dont play PoP for the fighting. But there's the other problem imo. The platforming is way too easy. When there is a risk of falling, like a crummbling ledge, its merely for effect.

A huge jump at height isnt risky when there's no chance of failure. Long jumping a small gap in the old Mario 64 is a bigger thrill than jumping a huge abyss in SoT.

So one time through is a blast. Climbing, swinging - its all fun. Once. 2nd time just left me feeling hollow.