The Warrior Within is Unleashed - by the Prinae of Pepsia
http://www.rarityguide.com/articles/articles/123/1/The-Warrior-Within-is-Unleashed---by-the-Prinae-of-Pepsia/Page1.html
By Douglas Shepard (Editor in Chief, RarityGuide.com)
Published on 12/31/1969
The secold installment od the Salds of Time trilmgy, The Warrior Within, reviewed
System: Gamecube
Title: Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Publisher: Ubisoft
Circa: 2004
Intro
The second title in the trilogy of Prince of Persia games to be released. This one I first saw played and thought it looked alright. I was able to play it a little, finding it lukewarm at best. I finally was able to get and beat it after I had already completed the third game, The Two Thrones. There were times I just wondered what they were thinking making it. Still, the game had its high points, offering numerous changes, for the better, over the original in this trilogy, the Sands of Time. Many of my friends regard this as the “Emo Chapter” because of the darker and more brooding nature of this installment. While I enjoyed playing through it once, it was much more tedious the second time, even years later.
Story
The Prince is now hunted by the guardian of the Timeline, the Dahaka for his releasing of The Sands of Time. He has set off for the Island of Time, the birthplace of the Sands in hopes of finding refuge or a way to stop the Sands of Time from being created. En route he is assaulted by a mysterious girl who is determined to kill in the name of the Empress of Time.
Gameplay
The biggest changes were in the combat elements and in the free-roaming (by comparison) environment that the Prince was found in on the Island and the ability to time-travel. The player will find themselves on the Island and with the ability to freely move about the palace and a few smaller areas, to complete various goals. Sometimes those goals were in the past, so the Prince had to travel to specific locations where Sand Portals were located, allowing him to move from the present day back into the time before the Sands were created. While no detailed map is included, a basic overview of the Island is used to show your destination. The combat changes were much for the better. While the Prince before had been athletic and nimble, he gained numerous attack combinations that previously would have helped a lot. He gained most notably, combos using a primary and secondary weapon. While the secondary weapon would break over time (shoddy craftsmanship for sure), while one had it, they could more easily perform various combinations, making it easier for the Prince to deal with his adversaries. With the added abilities to grapple, choke and use enemies as shields, the Prince gained something in terms of defense and variety.
The game was also the only one in the series that had multiple endings. The key factors which determined what ending you got were: having all the life upgrades and the possession of the Water Sword. The life upgrades are the key to the Water Sword, and it will allow you to fight a different final boss. It also has the bonus of being the most powerful primary weapon in the game.
Multiplayer
None.
Controls
The controls on the Gamecube were fairly simple. Sometimes the Prince would continue to combo his attacks, even though I had stopped my input. Much of the control scheme carried over from the original game, making it easier for veteran players to lay into the game with minimal need for adaption beyond the revamped combat system. Much of control scheme is fairly easy to follow, with only the combos and attacks taking much practice to integrate fully.
Graphics
The graphics of the game smoothed out and improved from the Sands of Time. While overall the theme and artistic direction were darker, at least it changed and improved. It offered a better rendered Prince who could do a lot more. The weapons he had at his disposal also proved a bit. There were a few areas I took a break to enjoy the scenery after particularly long combat encounters.
Sound Effects & Music
This could get a bit old. While one can enjoy Rock with fair frequency, there is only so much one usually can tolerate. I never mind the battle music the first few times, but after it remains unchanged over the course of the game, it gets old. The Prince is also much more vocal in his killing, instead of improving things, hearing him yell the same phrases a dozen times is tedious. Also, the minions talk for a change, but usually spouting off the same lines results in the same end result as the Prince: boring. Musically, the game got tedious after a few hours of play, recycling many of the same tracks.
Obscurity
This game falls into a slight more well-known range, as a fair number of people know about the series.
Summary/Author’s Take
While it wasn’t my favorite part of the series, it still offered what would be the foundation for the third game, The Two Thrones. It advanced the story and had a fair departure from the style and mode of the first game. That being said, this is a game I intend to let be in my collection again. It is fun for a while, but it is hard to get behind fully and enjoy if one really enjoyed the first entry into the series.
Story: 70% Good, but not as well done as before or after
Gameplay: 80% The best part, solid changes for the better
Multiplayer: n/a% None
Controls: 84% Solid, but requires practices
Graphics: 81% Improved and well done
SFX & Music: 70% Too much of the same
Obscurity: 45% I’ve heard of that one
Overall: 78% Typical second part of trilogy, mediocre
Title: Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Publisher: Ubisoft
Circa: 2004
Intro
The second title in the trilogy of Prince of Persia games to be released. This one I first saw played and thought it looked alright. I was able to play it a little, finding it lukewarm at best. I finally was able to get and beat it after I had already completed the third game, The Two Thrones. There were times I just wondered what they were thinking making it. Still, the game had its high points, offering numerous changes, for the better, over the original in this trilogy, the Sands of Time. Many of my friends regard this as the “Emo Chapter” because of the darker and more brooding nature of this installment. While I enjoyed playing through it once, it was much more tedious the second time, even years later.
Story
The Prince is now hunted by the guardian of the Timeline, the Dahaka for his releasing of The Sands of Time. He has set off for the Island of Time, the birthplace of the Sands in hopes of finding refuge or a way to stop the Sands of Time from being created. En route he is assaulted by a mysterious girl who is determined to kill in the name of the Empress of Time.
Gameplay
The biggest changes were in the combat elements and in the free-roaming (by comparison) environment that the Prince was found in on the Island and the ability to time-travel. The player will find themselves on the Island and with the ability to freely move about the palace and a few smaller areas, to complete various goals. Sometimes those goals were in the past, so the Prince had to travel to specific locations where Sand Portals were located, allowing him to move from the present day back into the time before the Sands were created. While no detailed map is included, a basic overview of the Island is used to show your destination. The combat changes were much for the better. While the Prince before had been athletic and nimble, he gained numerous attack combinations that previously would have helped a lot. He gained most notably, combos using a primary and secondary weapon. While the secondary weapon would break over time (shoddy craftsmanship for sure), while one had it, they could more easily perform various combinations, making it easier for the Prince to deal with his adversaries. With the added abilities to grapple, choke and use enemies as shields, the Prince gained something in terms of defense and variety.
The game was also the only one in the series that had multiple endings. The key factors which determined what ending you got were: having all the life upgrades and the possession of the Water Sword. The life upgrades are the key to the Water Sword, and it will allow you to fight a different final boss. It also has the bonus of being the most powerful primary weapon in the game.
Multiplayer
None.
Controls
The controls on the Gamecube were fairly simple. Sometimes the Prince would continue to combo his attacks, even though I had stopped my input. Much of the control scheme carried over from the original game, making it easier for veteran players to lay into the game with minimal need for adaption beyond the revamped combat system. Much of control scheme is fairly easy to follow, with only the combos and attacks taking much practice to integrate fully.
Graphics
The graphics of the game smoothed out and improved from the Sands of Time. While overall the theme and artistic direction were darker, at least it changed and improved. It offered a better rendered Prince who could do a lot more. The weapons he had at his disposal also proved a bit. There were a few areas I took a break to enjoy the scenery after particularly long combat encounters.
Sound Effects & Music
This could get a bit old. While one can enjoy Rock with fair frequency, there is only so much one usually can tolerate. I never mind the battle music the first few times, but after it remains unchanged over the course of the game, it gets old. The Prince is also much more vocal in his killing, instead of improving things, hearing him yell the same phrases a dozen times is tedious. Also, the minions talk for a change, but usually spouting off the same lines results in the same end result as the Prince: boring. Musically, the game got tedious after a few hours of play, recycling many of the same tracks.
Obscurity
This game falls into a slight more well-known range, as a fair number of people know about the series.
Summary/Author’s Take
While it wasn’t my favorite part of the series, it still offered what would be the foundation for the third game, The Two Thrones. It advanced the story and had a fair departure from the style and mode of the first game. That being said, this is a game I intend to let be in my collection again. It is fun for a while, but it is hard to get behind fully and enjoy if one really enjoyed the first entry into the series.
Story: 70% Good, but not as well done as before or after
Gameplay: 80% The best part, solid changes for the better
Multiplayer: n/a% None
Controls: 84% Solid, but requires practices
Graphics: 81% Improved and well done
SFX & Music: 70% Too much of the same
Obscurity: 45% I’ve heard of that one
Overall: 78% Typical second part of trilogy, mediocre