Prince of Persia

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 225 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 121 out of 225
  2. Mixed: 68 out of 225
  3. Negative: 36 out of 225
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  1. TheChaser1985
    Mar 13, 2011
    4
    This is an absolute horrible game. The story sucks. You run around doing the same thing over and over, climbing and sliding up and down rocks and mountains. Then you finally get to an enemy and it's the same one as the last and it takes 30 seconds to beat him, (EASY) and then you're back to another 15 minutes of climbing and sliding again. The moves are pretty cool but that's the onlyThis is an absolute horrible game. The story sucks. You run around doing the same thing over and over, climbing and sliding up and down rocks and mountains. Then you finally get to an enemy and it's the same one as the last and it takes 30 seconds to beat him, (EASY) and then you're back to another 15 minutes of climbing and sliding again. The moves are pretty cool but that's the only thing I liked about this game, well, besides the cool sort of artsy graphics. This game is made by the same people that made Assassin's Creed and you could call this an Assassin's Creed without the depth, maps and action. HORRIBLE.… Expand
  2. Metroid
    Nov 18, 2010
    2
    Nowhere near as good as the Trilogy, SO REPETITVE, its nothing like the older games and it well really shouldnt be named Price of Persia should be called Prince of RAGE quit..
    so many times has he jumped in the wrong direction or jumps when i didnt even press the button.. so frustration and its WAYYY too easy
  3. Eliwood
    Jul 30, 2013
    0
    So I've paid for the game and yet it still bothers me with advertisements and in-game shop? It's just a joke, right? It really grinds my gears everytime I see something like this.
  4. Broyax
    Mar 27, 2017
    3
    Un style graphique particulier mais réussi ainsi qu'une bonne VF pour un jeu qui transpire hélas l'ennui et la répétition ; il est également saupoudré de vilains QTE ici et là. La plate-forme est emmerdante, les combats sont rébarbatifs et l'ensemble est très gnangnan. Ubisoft s'est sévèrement planté sur ce coup-là, ça arrive aux meilleurs de faire de la merde !
  5. JonathonC
    Jan 15, 2010
    0
    This is possibly the worst, most repetitive game i have ever played, do not buy, rent or even borrow for free. The only lure it has is the old games reputation, you want to finish it but it presents so little enjoyment you would gain more reward from looking at a real wall than running sideways across one in this game!
  6. KevinF
    Jan 23, 2009
    2
    "On the other hand, before (the new)Prince of Persia I'd never played a game that so strongly resented my presence." That kind of sums it up nicely. Prince of Persia has always been in my top ten favorites games of all time. Rarely do i feel the intense emotion I have felt in the first three. Emotions like achievement, fear, fright, success, validation, satisfaction, amusement, "On the other hand, before (the new)Prince of Persia I'd never played a game that so strongly resented my presence." That kind of sums it up nicely. Prince of Persia has always been in my top ten favorites games of all time. Rarely do i feel the intense emotion I have felt in the first three. Emotions like achievement, fear, fright, success, validation, satisfaction, amusement, entertainment, and more. Rarely have my knees got weak or have I tilted my head to try and look around a corner that was not yet displayed as I had in the first three PoP. Never had a game challenged me so much. Never had a game felt so much like a GAME. Many fond memories of solving a single puzzle after half an hour of trying at two in the morning. Outstanding, absurdly clever puzzles. And an equal sense of satisfaction solving them. And the primal thrill of defeating enemy after enemy, even the hordes of simple ones. The newest PoP isn't Prince of Persia at all. Mario World was more challenging. After looking forward to a new release in the PoP title, words cannot express my disappointment. Unless I write 15 more paragraphs here. Although the new title had a few, very few, nice touches, I can't imagine the amount of favorable comments written here. "The emperor has no clothes". And to see these comments written by fans of the PoP series!? My theory is that they so badly wanted this to be as good as the previous titles that they are simply in denial. How sad. Something needs to be said. I still hope and wait for the day that the new PoP (#4) is released. I have seen it happen twice since the Sands of Time. It must be possible to do it a fourth time. Someone stated that this new version is Assasins Creed Two, but I have to say that is close but wrong again. It is not even as good as Assasins Creed which doesn't even compare to PoP. Very different games altogether. I have a sinking feeling this is the direction this series will develop. In my experience with sequels this seems to be the case. Maybe it is a matter of money or just a new generation of game players that are satisfied pushing a button now and then to "direct" a scenic movie. Finally, I bought this new title when it first came out without hesitation and don't regret it as it may cast a vote in favor of the production of the real 4th title in this series. Which I will again buy without hesitation. Well, maybe a little next time. But not if it is truly PRINCE OF PERSIA. Oddly enough, I would not be nearly as disappointed if they had just named this "new title" Assasins Creed Two. I wouldn't have bought it, so I wouldn't have been disappointed. Although I must say that my ten year old really enjoys Assasins Creed.… Expand
  7. TomB
    Dec 17, 2009
    3
    I was completely new to the Prince of Persia series when I got this game and had high expectations as it got good reviews and was recommended it. However those expectations quickly faded within an hour of playing because in that hour, I was already bored. The platforming felt extremely linear and repetitive. Not forgetting to mention that it is extremely easy and even if you do fall off, I was completely new to the Prince of Persia series when I got this game and had high expectations as it got good reviews and was recommended it. However those expectations quickly faded within an hour of playing because in that hour, I was already bored. The platforming felt extremely linear and repetitive. Not forgetting to mention that it is extremely easy and even if you do fall off, you get rescued by your companion and so you cannot fail. The combat is also very poor but I'll leave it there. After you go through a level and beat a boss, you have to collect a bunch of orbs scattered around in order to progress to the later levels. You do this for all the levels. To sum up what you do in the game: You enter a level, climb around to a point in a level, kill some enemies and a boss, then collect some orbs so you can progress. This goes for every level. There isn't much of a storyline either so you have little motivation for actually playing the game other for the sake of completing it. The only thing that I can say is good about the game is the graphics. This is a game that should be left on the shelf and never touched. If you want a platformer then go for Assassin's Creed 1 or 2 or Mirror's Edge.… Expand
  8. JamesP
    Aug 31, 2009
    0
    This game is one of the most pathetic miserable excuses for a game I've ever played. After reading glowing reviews of this from many previously trusted sources, I've become totally disillusioned with the gaming press. This game is nothing but Dance Dance Revolution set on the easiest setting for hours and hours of mind numbing boredom. The whole game consists exclusively of "X, This game is one of the most pathetic miserable excuses for a game I've ever played. After reading glowing reviews of this from many previously trusted sources, I've become totally disillusioned with the gaming press. This game is nothing but Dance Dance Revolution set on the easiest setting for hours and hours of mind numbing boredom. The whole game consists exclusively of "X, A, A, A, Y, B.... etc. etc." that you get from following on screen prompts. There is no possibility of death, no reward. I felt nothing but angry and conned after buying this. Without a doubt it is the worst game I have ever played in my life.… Expand
  9. MikaH
    Dec 12, 2008
    4
    This 'game' is truly beatiful piece of art, except I wish they would have made a movie instead of these plain quick-time event massacre. There isn't much "gaming" included in at all. It is also totally too easy: I left for shopping in middle of a boss fight and let the game show it's fighting sequences to my furniture till I came back. You just can't die in the This 'game' is truly beatiful piece of art, except I wish they would have made a movie instead of these plain quick-time event massacre. There isn't much "gaming" included in at all. It is also totally too easy: I left for shopping in middle of a boss fight and let the game show it's fighting sequences to my furniture till I came back. You just can't die in the game, but lack of game play can really make you cry. Skip this if you have played the earlier PoP games.… Expand
  10. MichaelB
    Dec 7, 2008
    3
    I love Prince of Persia games, but this was a huge letdown. The graphics don't work and end up looking last generation, the Prince is insufferable, the gameplay has been dumbed down to the point of boredom, the "light collecting" is ridiculous and un-fun, the combat is monotonous, and it doesn't FEEL good to play. The animations are worse, everything is worse than the prior I love Prince of Persia games, but this was a huge letdown. The graphics don't work and end up looking last generation, the Prince is insufferable, the gameplay has been dumbed down to the point of boredom, the "light collecting" is ridiculous and un-fun, the combat is monotonous, and it doesn't FEEL good to play. The animations are worse, everything is worse than the prior Prince games. Big step backwards for the series.… Expand
  11. Matt
    Dec 7, 2008
    1
    This game has ruined the entire series. I've been playing the Prince of Persia games for years, and I had been looking forward to this game for at least a couple years and I couldn't have been more disappointed. Ubisoft Montreal has taken away everything that made this series great. First of all, it's way too easy. You can't die. Every single time you fall into a pit, This game has ruined the entire series. I've been playing the Prince of Persia games for years, and I had been looking forward to this game for at least a couple years and I couldn't have been more disappointed. Ubisoft Montreal has taken away everything that made this series great. First of all, it's way too easy. You can't die. Every single time you fall into a pit, the girl is there to save you and so you just get pulled right back onto the edge of where you last were. If you're in a battle, and the enemy gets the best of you, you have about three seconds to push a button that pops onto the screen and you get away from the final blow. And if the enemy does get the best of you, never fear, you don't die. You just get saved again and the monster gets a little more health. That alone is reason enough to completely dislike this game. The sweet traps that POP has always been known for are gone, and every level you play in is basically doing a bunch of simple jumps from this cliff to this cliff (don't worry, you can't die) until you get to the boss. (there's a boss battle every 10 minutes btw.) Then after you beat the way too easy boss, you have to do the entire level again, by backtracking to collect these stupid orbs to give your girl companion more power. I can't believe how badly this game has ruined PoP and that it's getting such good reviews. If you're a single mom who plays games once a month, you'll love this game, if you're a serious gamer who actually likes a challenge and played the previous PoPs and are expecting anything like them....steer clear of this hunk of garbage.… Expand
  12. GeorgeR
    Dec 26, 2009
    4
    If you played the Sands of Time Triology, this is a different game. Its limited, linear, repetitive and frustrating. A huge step backwards in what was meant to be the next gen Prince.
  13. KingChiliPepper
    Feb 20, 2011
    4
    First off, I can not for the life of me understand the high ratings from critics about this game; my mind simply can not comprehend how anyone in any right frame of mind could speak positively of this game. I can only assume that in 2008 when this game was released, expectations of games were not as demanding as they are today or these critics were charmed by the game's genuinely beautifulFirst off, I can not for the life of me understand the high ratings from critics about this game; my mind simply can not comprehend how anyone in any right frame of mind could speak positively of this game. I can only assume that in 2008 when this game was released, expectations of games were not as demanding as they are today or these critics were charmed by the game's genuinely beautiful art style. Unfortunately, my compliments end there. So, your character 's goal is to restore peace and tranquillity to a kingdom which has been consumed by evil. Fairly standard plot really; on your journey through this environment you are accompanied by its princess, Elika. She is at hand to guide you in your quest by offering hints in which direction to travel and also ensure you don't die. Which she does a pretty good job of as you won't die throughout the entirety of this game but you will become very sick of seeing the animation used to represent Elika saving you.

    Ubisoft have opted for the free-roaming play style in this particular episode of the series, or at least that's want they want you to think. Although you do have to ability to play through the game in pretty much any order, you'll soon realise that once you've chosen your path, the game becomes very linear and very repetitive. Each area requires you traverse a number of obstacles before reaching a boss battle and with little differentiation in the locations, the colours and even the obstacles themselves, things get tedious pretty quickly. And if that's not enough, to progress to further areas of the game you are required to collect 'Light Seeds' by retracing your steps. Though they seem just a cheap way of fleshing out the game's play time, these collectables also unlock new 'powers' which can only be used at certain points making them ultimately pointless additions.

    Let's talk combat. Though the focus is on the adventuring side, combat is a frequent occurrence even if it is with only one enemy at a time. A simple combat system is utilised ensuring even the most inexperienced of players will be able to grasp the various combos and dodges. The weapon of choice here is a sword and this never changes, in fact without any kind of upgrade or levelling system nothing changes; the moves you are using at the beginning of the game, you will still be pulling off in the final fight.

    Though for the most part combat is easy, it does soon get frustrating. Not just because of its repetitive nature but also because of the spam-happy nature of your opponents. At later points in the game it seems every move you pull off is blocked and every second you give the enemy, they utilise their 'charge mode' which sees them enter a rage which can only be ended with a certain move. In short, although it can look good, combat is a laborious affair and not this game's high point.

    Most irritating of all however, are the controls; the unresponsive, inconsistent and down right awful controls. For the most part, every action relies on one button. This one button will make your character jump, climb, run on walls, the works. Occasionally you will be prompted to press another but there really is little variation and despite being simple to play, the issues will eventually absolutely do your head in. You have practically no control over which direction your character jumps (this coupled with a fixed camera makes traversing some gaps virtually impossible) and at times the controls have a complete mind of their own; you will often find yourself trying to jump forwards and watching in disbelief as your character instead chooses to start climbing a wall and hopping off it into a pit. Such lack of control is even reminiscent of (dare I say it) some of the terrible post-MegaDrive Sonic the Hedgehog games.

    To summarise, Prince of Persia is a mess of a video game - a mediocre platformer with poor controls, pointless combat and an uninspired, badly written story wrapped around it. Don't be tempted by its low price, this is a shambles of an edition to a previously enjoyable franchise.    … Expand
  14. Wolfgang
    Apr 18, 2011
    3
    I registered to Metacritic just to tell you how horrible this game is. The duels are frustrating to control, it seems that the enemies have cooler combo moves and more control than you. For some of the lesser enemies, when they're in a frenzy (non-stop hacking and slashing), you pretty much have no choice but to block until the bad guy stops or he corners you to a cliff or wall thenI registered to Metacritic just to tell you how horrible this game is. The duels are frustrating to control, it seems that the enemies have cooler combo moves and more control than you. For some of the lesser enemies, when they're in a frenzy (non-stop hacking and slashing), you pretty much have no choice but to block until the bad guy stops or he corners you to a cliff or wall then throws you around. There are four bosses to duel and you have to battle them more than four times. It's really annoying when they're nearly dead and they just run off or disappear. Also, it's a real pain in the neck when you've done so much damage that if they manage to knock you to the ground and you end up being saved by the magical girl, the boss will randomly regain their health and you are forced to fight him/her off further. After completing a "level", you have no choice but to go through the same obstacles you went though previously to collect magical seeds. It felt like they did this to prolong the length of the game by making you pull off a mario/sonic coin/ring collection. There were some issue with the forced camera changes that made it difficult to control which direction you wanted to move your character. One moment, he's side-scrolling left, the next moment he's jumping off to his death. This problem also occurs during some boss battles, where there is a random pillar in the middle of the battleground that obscures your vision and allowing the enemy to jab at you. The cutscenes are long and boring, you can't hit spacebar to skip. The story is hollow and lame. Even the flashbacks, similar to Sands of Time, are repetitive and don't reveal that much to the story. Instead, you have to listen to the same quotes involving a king making a deal with the bad guy, it's really annoying and too random of a conversation. I could go on, but then I'd be rambling beyond 5000 characters. Don't buy this game, I'm sure you'll have fun with the Assassin's Creed series or the other POP games (Sands of Time is my favourite).… Expand
  15. schwegs
    Jan 5, 2016
    1
    What a stupid and messed up ending. The last 30 seconds literally undoes *everything* you spent the entire game accomplishing, and makes the world more depressing than when it started. WTF I'm not buying another Prince of Persia, that's for sure.
  16. shootingstars99
    Aug 4, 2019
    2
    As someone just getting into the Prince of Persia franchise, this did not leave me with a good impression (I am glad the other games in the series aren't like this and I am enjoying them). This game held your hand throughout, the puzzles were not challenging and the story didn't have much going for it. The game was more just collecting orbs than anything else, I guess that was their way ofAs someone just getting into the Prince of Persia franchise, this did not leave me with a good impression (I am glad the other games in the series aren't like this and I am enjoying them). This game held your hand throughout, the puzzles were not challenging and the story didn't have much going for it. The game was more just collecting orbs than anything else, I guess that was their way of attempting to mask that the rest of the game and it's systems were below par.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008
33
#33 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
17
#17 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 73
  3. Negative: 0 out of 73
  1. GameCritics
    70
    The game's core mechanics are all still there, neatly created and presented stunningly. But underneath this evident beauty, Prince of Persia fails to deliver on any sort of a challenge, and instead of carrying on the proud tradition of the series, deviates to a considerable and damaging extent because of its simple gameplay and excessive accessibility.
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  2. Game Positive
    80
    While Prince of Persia is definitely flawed and can even become tedious at points, it creates a dreamlike world that keeps you interested. It is an interactive extension of what good fiction tries to be, and while it's not for everyone, it can often leave you with a desire to come back for more.
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  3. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    61
    Newcomers are likely to get more out of this new trilogy's opening than veterans, who know much better. [Feb 2009, p.74]
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