Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

GameShark

The latest addition is on par with the previous releases and is a definite must have for any fan of the nimble, fleet footed prince.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

An eminently satisfying game in its own right, and a more than worthy sequel--already it's going head-to-head with "God of War" in game-of-the-year debates around the office. Regardless, to my mind it's the best Prince of Persia yet. If you play just this one, you'll think it's excellent. But if you've played the last two, you'll think it's a masterpiece.

Cheat Code Central

All of the game's elements mesh, from the music to the storyline, from the puzzles to the control system. I can't find anything nasty to say about this game. Ubisoft have certainly done their homework.

Stuff

This is easily best Prince of Persia game yet. The new moves, including those delicious stealth kills, work perfectly.

Game Informer

The delicious platforming is paired with great writing, nice art direction, and a story that you don't want me to spoil for you. [Jan 2006, p.134]

Gamezilla!

Featuring the same combat system from Warrior Within, and best of all, a completely new and inventive narrative, Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones is a sequel worth playing.

GamingTrend

A stunning and wonderful conclusion to a magnificent storyline.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

The nice thing about sequels to successful games is that all the rough edges are buffed out, and The Two Thrones honors its graceful hero with impeccable controls and design.

Pelit (Finland)

An excellent action-adventure. Not perfect, however. It is basically more of the same and the ridiculous trap tunnels are anything but believable. And where is the widescreen support? [Dec 2005]

GamePro

The voice acting is downright hideous, but Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones wraps up in a tight PS2 package that is, quite possibly, the best game in the series.

Computer and Video Games

These great new combat skills, combined with the clever yet simple introduction of stealth play has boosted the Prince of Persia series to a new high. [PSW]

Next Level Gaming

I'm addicted to the gameplay.

Play Magazine

The game neither holds players' hands or pushes them away with a series of jumps only an automaton with computerized coordination could make. [Jan 2006, p.39]

Game Over Online

About as good as we could’ve wished for. It maintains the Prince of Persia feel of daring-do, while improving or adding variety in some areas, and discarding mistakes like excessive combat and marketing-spun attitude.

Deeko

An excellent addition to the series and not only builds upon what was great about the previous two titles, but also adds its own spin to the storyline and gameplay.

Thunderbolt

A great game that does the series justice, and is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable trilogy.

PSM Magazine

Stands as a worthy closing to a momentous trilogy. [Jan 2006, p.66]

Games Radar (in-house)

While the game exists on four different platforms, the only noticeable differences between each version are the usual cosmetic ones, with the PS2 version looking slightly worse than the others.

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

Witty, exciting and sweaty as all hell. If you love your adventures on the epic side, you'll have to make time for this one. [Christmas 2005, p.78]

TotalPlayStation

The best PoP yet, simple as that. A kick ass storyline and gameplay that fixes the mistakes of the past game while building on the strengths of it and the original, this is an experience that everyone should partake in.

Just RPG

Two Thrones features everything that you would hope for in a finale, and definitely will not disappoint fans of the Prince of Persia series.

IGN

The story is cool, the heroes are likable, the weak are pitiable, the villains are bastards, the major plot points are exciting, the art is grand, the sound is wonderful...and then the gameplay comes.

GameZone

The Speed Kills really give the game some added flare, and makes it fun to go through without taking any damage.

BonusStage

Two Thrones caps off the greatest gaming trilogy quite possibly ever released in grand fashion, and it will surely keep us busy until Ubisoft decides whether to carry the PoP label over to the next-generation.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

If you enjoyed either of the first two games, then know that while Two Thrones isn’t revolutionary, it does combine the best elements of both and is still a fitting and worthwhile conclusion to a superior trilogy.

GameSpot

The Two Thrones provides a satisfying conclusion to the Sands of Time trilogy, with a lot of the same puzzle solving and gorgeous environments you remembered from the previous two games.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

This sequel makes it fun to be the Prince again.

Siliconera

Despite some minor issues and the been there, done that feeling that tends to permeate the game, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is just as solid as ever.

Times Online

The graphics are superb, especially on the Xbox, and if you can cope with the frustration of replaying tricky scenes again and again, this could be the game for you.

Yahoo! Games

This is the sequel we should have had in the first place, and the simple fun of leaping from wall to wall is enough to overcome any lack of challenge or novelty.

GameCritics

By removing the questionable focus-group aesthetics and getting back to what made the game so great in the first place, The Two Thrones succeeds in delivering a rock-solid adventure experience from start to finish.

Maxim Online

Thrones also gets points for cribbing Sam Fisher's stealth skills and using a whip-like weapon that will send "God of War" fans scurrying to gaming chat rooms to voice their displeasure with the similarities. Thankfully, the controversy is worth it for this energetic adventure.

1UP

Although some areas of the game were frustrating (beware the last boss), The Two Thrones features a classic interactive ending sequence and epilogue that nicely wraps up the whole trilogy and does the seemingly impossible -- that is, it makes you forgive and forget the lost years represented by The Warrior Within, and lets you to judge the trilogy on the whole.

GameSpy

All of these settings, without exception, are stunning. Whether it's the blowing curtains that festoon the royal palace, the mysterious glowing blue torches in a crypt, or the lovely geometric patterns, arched doors, and latticework screens used as architectural highlights, the game's environments are beautiful.

Total Video Games

The new abilities, and the introduction of the Speed Kill system, has meant that the title still feels fresh and exciting.

Sydney Morning Herald

One of the best new features is the Speed Kill, a stealth attack that requires timed button presses for successful take-downs - a brilliant addition to the already exhilarating game play.

games(TM)

New traps and techniques make for some spectacular exhibitions of skill, and with game being significantly larger than anything previous, there’s enough here to challenge even the most dedicated Prince Of Persia fan. [Christmas 2005, p.94]

3DAvenue

Although the initial storyline is a little confusing, especially if the gamer is new to the series, the overall flow of the storyline and game work very well.

Detroit Free Press

The fighting in The Two Thrones is superb. The prince has a nice array of combination moves that accompany his acrobatic skills. But the signature part of combat is the speed kill, which allows you some nifty and gruesome stealth kills.

PSX Extreme

The basic mechanics and ideas are still fairly cool and I'm always a sucker for a good environmental puzzler with acrobatics aplenty. In that sense Two Thrones is good stuff, but the rest could use some brushing up.

Play.tm

The game play can be tedious to the point of frustration at times, but it is novel and interesting. The game fails to create a convincing, "hook-the-player" atmosphere and only those seasoned puzzle solvers out there will come back for more time and time again.

Gaming Target

An interesting mix of many gameplay facilities.

NTSC-uk

Fans will be satisfied with the good, even mix of challenging combat and the platforming which made the original game so successful. Yet those select few who enjoyed the darker tone of Warrior Within will find the Prince’s darker side and black humour a welcome addition to the game.

Edge Magazine

This is easily the better sequel, a firm improvement on "Warrior Within." So why the long face? For the simple and saddest reason of all: ennui. [Christmas 2005, p.100]

Game Revolution

We're glad to see Ubisoft spare their Prince from becoming a pauper by ditching the dreary aesthetic, but the minor improvements along with too many familiar gripes keep this game from being king.

The New York Times

So I fought, each time sitting through an unskippable 30-second scene of the fight's start and then getting killed within a minute. I did this about 70 times. My body trembling from tension and exhaustion, I kept playing not because it was any fun but simply because it was my job, and when after three hours I finally won I experienced not victorious joy but simply relief that it was over. I felt all the considerable pleasure the game had given me had been taken back.