Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Xbox
User Score
7.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 55 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 55
  3. Negative: 9 out of 55

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  1. MarkH.
    May 4, 2004
    0
    90% of gamers will only see the first 15% of this game- for there is a respawning never ending battle level that simply cannot be won (I'm not kidding). I am a relatively advanced gamer, and I have to say that this battle system is amongst the worst I have ever tried to play. It results in an unplayable game that will stop you 15% of the way through it. What a rip off! No kidding- no cheats, nothing you can do but try and try again- ultimately failing. I even brought in other advanced games who all looked at me like I was crazy for suggesting they try to beat this battle it is so ill conceived. Simply the worst game out there masking under the veil of nice graphics - too bad since they are gorgous (from what I saw of them). When are these game developers going to realize that 90% of gamers out there won't deal with quality this poor. I cannot beleive anyone has ever gotten past this level it's that hard and rediculously stacked in the favor of the game. Don't waste your time unless you want to play 15% of a game only to hit a massive brick wall. Shame on Ubisoft for allowing this garbage out on store shelves!… Expand
  2. CoolmanC.
    Jan 15, 2004
    1
    Good graphics but apart from that it sucks.
  3. BaronS.
    May 6, 2004
    3
    Prince of Persia isn't an absolutely terrible game but it's one of the most overrated games I've ever played/owned. As was mentioned before, you seem to spend a lot of your time, in the game, fighting against the camera and trying to get to grips with a fairly appalling combat system. The visuals are impressive, the story interesting enough and it's initially a lot of fun. However, it soon becomes extremely repetitive and annoying. The game doesn't 'let up'. It's kind of like having a rollercoaster where all you do is rocket down the slopes. A little more variety and thought might have made for a much better game. With more variety, better cameras and combat, Prince of Persia could have been the game it gets acclaim for being but, as it stands, it's not worth much of anyone's money.… Expand
  4. RethunkReview
    Oct 5, 2007
    4
    Boooooooring! The graphics look good, and clearly some thought went into design of the levels, but the game becomes disappointing, then finally tedious. There are only three basic activites for each stage of the game: (1) chop up the swarms of baddies by mashing buttons; (2) run, jump, avoid moving obstacles, and swing on conveniently located horizontal bars; and (3) run, jump, avoid moving obstacles, and swing on conveniently located horizontal bars, but with a time limit. In this game more than most others one becomes aware of the mismatch between the crudity of the controls and the elegance of the character animation: special movements such as wall-to-wall jumping reduce to moving the main character to position X (+/- a footstep or two), then mashing button A and moving the left joystick at time T (+/- 0.5 seconds). This is progress in game development? More fun can be had playing Sonic the Hedgehog. PoP's time reverse feature (animated undo) is neat, but it doesn't make up for the failures that other gamers have pointed out, namely that the game is dull and repetitive. Prince of Persia is like a book that, once put down, is hardly worth picking up again. Actual value? $6.… Expand
  5. JakeW.
    Jul 23, 2004
    3
    Very highly overrated. The graphics and story are great, but beyond that the gameplay stinks. The camera is probably the worst I've ever encountered. I was constantly fighting with it. The real downside is the fighting is slow and makes no sense, it's very difficult to beat some of the easiest parts because they just keep throwing what seems like an insurmountable number of monsters at you. I returned the game after 4 hours of playing. It's not worth the time or effort.… Expand
  6. MatthewB.
    Mar 27, 2007
    1
    For me, stupidly difficult - feels more like a chore at times than fun. After all the hype, very, very disappointing. Money wasted.
  7. JayD.
    Jun 11, 2004
    1
    This is by far the worst game I have played in my total time(15 years) as a gamer. The game is simply put, too simple in objectives and the enemies are just cheap, not to mention the limited moves you can do, which imo makes a game a game. The only reason this game gets a 1 is the main thing that drew me to the game its slow/speed time effect, okay this is cool but thats as far as i'll go on complements for the game cause after looking past the time control the game is utter crap.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
92 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 41 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 41
  3. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. Xbox Nation Magazine
    100
    Brimming with heart-stopping moments where you've got to take big gambles....A perfect union of storytelling, gameplay, and technological wonder. [Mar 2004, p.96]
  2. Village Voice
    90
    The impeccably intuitive controls make this feel as magical as it looks, and the gorgeous graphics and music fully ground you in the fantasy.
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  3. Edge Magazine
    90
    The freedom of movement requires a new level of spatial imagination. Before Prince of Persia, platform games were like playing Tetris with only the blocks and bars. [Christmas 2003, p.100]
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