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How Metascores Are Calculated
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4 Elements
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
 GAMES: 
The Prince has to embark upon a path of both carnage and mystery to defy his preordained death. His journey leads to the infernal core of a cursed island stronghold harboring mankind's greatest fears. Only through grim resolve, bitter defiance and the mastery of deadly new combat arts can the Prince rise to a new level of warriorship - and emerge from this ultimate trial with his life. In order to accomplish his mission, the Prince benefits from a brand new free-form fighting system that allows gamers to channel his anger as they wage battle without boundaries. Each game fan will find his or her own unique fighting style as they manipulate their environment and control the Ravages of Time. You can dig into an arsenal of weapons that, when used in combination, create advanced arm attacks that verge on fatal artistry! Prince of Persia: Warrior Within promises that game fans will fight harder, and play longer, emerging from the experience as deadly-capable skilled masters of their own unique combat art form. [Ubisoft]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 100
Four Fat Chicks
Warrior Within is not a perfect game. In many ways, it stands as a badly written testament to exactly what is wrong with video games: sexism, teenage hormones, amateurish writing, clumsy franchise handling. But it's entertaining. It's incredibly entertaining.
 98
BonusStage
One of the best damn games ever, period. This is definitely at the top of my list for Game of the Year, due to addicting gameplay, fantastic presentation, some of the coolest looking blood ever in a game, and a combat system that is relatively second-to-none.
91
GameZone
Really slick gameplay here folks. Strong controls with a nifty new fighting system.
90
games(TM)
You get the impression that "The Sands of Time" was just a warm-up for the main event, a game that’s familiar at first but soon reveals a level of imagination beyond that of the original, and displays as little room for error as one of the Prince’s most daring acrobatic leaps. [Christmas 2004, p.100]
90
GMR Magazine
The acrobatics alone make Warrior Within a must-buy. Rounded out with superb character design and vast Myst-like landscapes, this Prince is another winner.
90
1UP
A consequence of this darker approach is that that game loses part of what made The Sands of Time unique. Instead of a charming and almost silly character like we saw previously, the Prince here is more one-dimensional.
90
Yahoo! Games
Largely an upgrade on the original, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is still one of the most polished and imaginative escapades we've played. Like a blockbuster movie, the tale delivers on almost every count from dazzling pyrotechnics to deft storytelling.
87
ActionTrip
I like this game for taking the darker tone and being full of blood that spurts as your enemies' heads and bodies fly around, and when they fall to the ground, you give them the last, violent blow, piercing their powerless bodies with your mighty sword.
86
IGN
Ubisoft took a gamble by taking the Prince to a dark place. I don't think it paid off as the sense of magic, seen even in the old 2D PC days, is barely present here. It wasn't the wrong decision to make for a darker story, but Ubisoft took it too far.
86
GameSpot
While Warrior Within's combat and satisfyingly long campaign improve on last year's game, the now darker tone falls somewhat flat compared to the storybook atmosphere in "The Sands of Time."
86
WHAM! Gaming
The game’s tone may have changed drastically from "Sands of Time" but we personally still love everything it has to offer.
84
PC Gameworld
Not as pure as its prequel, but Warrior Within is still a gritty masterpiece.
84
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Overall Warrior Within seems to be in something of a messy transition period, caught between the light-hearted fun of the original and some noirish violent action game that was probably more the result of mis-focused market testing than any kind of genuine developer decision.
84
PC Gamer UK
The combat is a bit rubbish. [June 2006, p.96]
83
Computer Games Online RO
Unfortunately, the audio of the game simply sucks.
83
Game Over Online
While the game does address previous game issues and is a worthy successor to the previous title in its own way, it does make you wonder what the game could’ve been if it’d straddled the line between light and dark.
80
Gamer.tv
The demanding learning curve is absolutely perfect...An essential purchase for patient gamers everywhere.
80
Sydney Morning Herald
Exploring the labyrinthine citadel is rewarding, although backtracking and frequent deaths can be frustrating.
80
Total Video Games
Bizarrely it’s not any aspect of the game that lets the experience down but that over style – we simply don’t like the mature nature of the game compared to the delights of its predecessor. The end result comes across as desperately trying to be edgy and blatantly falls short of the mark.
80
Computer Gaming World
Gorgeous and exhilarating, though needlessly gory and combatcentric. [March 2005, p.72]
78
GamingTrend
All and all, it just dosen't seem as fun, and that takes away from the overall experience.
78
PC Format
After the beautiful, atmospheric adventuring in the last game, having your new nemesis introduce herself by slowing grinding her barely-clad buttocks in your face is about as welcome as having her suddenly fart into it. Modern? Mature? No. It's gratuitous, tacky and pointless. [Christmas 2004, p.98]
78
Inside Gamer Online
Too bad that all of the “enhancements” made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they “fixed” the things that were never broken.
75
eToychest
As a member of a series that takes a treasured place in the pantheon of gaming greatness, it is a lackluster effort, more concerned with watering down the game’s strengths to make it more palatable for the masses than in delivering more of what made its predecessor great.
70
Edge Magazine
Ubisoft has taken a flawed game of boundless promise, destroyed some (but not all) of its appeal, fixed some (but not enough) of its problems, and jeopardised the whole endeavour by making the same mistake twice and rushing it to market before it was steady on its feet. Prince of Persia is strong and supple enough to survive this with many of its immense virtues intact. But it deserved so much better. [Christmas 2004, p.80]
70
GameSpy
Warrior Within proves that it takes more than just good combat and platforming to make a great game. Bottom line: The Warrior Within simply didn't have enough "Prince of Persia."
69
Worth Playing
It shows off the dragged-out combat and its new 'rougher, meaner' attitude like a four year old happily waving around what it found in the cat's litter box, and all of the really good parts seem to go right under the radar. You have to actively work to get to the fun parts, in other words.
68
My Gamer
The dark environmental settings are just not catching my eye and if I wanted this type of dark depressive art I would play an Id Software title. The charm that came with the original through its use of colors and the likable prince are now gone.
64
PC Gamer
The Prince's royale style-makers may have done their job, but the programmers needed to take another run at it. [March 2005, p.64]
Vic gave it a1: Mydienon Z. gave it a5: Franz F. gave it a0: Mingyu W. gave it a5: Staiko E. gave it a6: Christopher P. gave it a6: Empress Kaileena gave it a10: |
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