The Sands of Time is one of those titles that truly helped set the standard for the games of today. While I owned the original back on the Gamecube, I was excited to hear about the HD counterpart that was debuting on the PSN. So how has the game aged? How does it look compared to the Gamecube counterpart?
Gameplay
The Sands of Time features a couple of different styles of gameplay. What Ubisoft game wouldn’t feature some good, old-fashioned acrobatics? Well Prince of Persia has got them and then some, starting you off early on in the game with a basic introduction. Though later on in the game there are far more complicated moves that will leave you with that smile of satisfaction. The game also features various puzzle elements; most revolve around opening doors through some pretty complicated machinery. Also like most games these days there is plenty of combat. What really makes the Sands of Time stand out so well is just how well all three styles of gameplay are blended. There is no real consistent pattern and it always keeps you entertained. There are also some really nicely hidden secrets that lends to replay ability along with exploration.
Graphics
So this is considered an HD version of the game and it certainly does show. With the graphics and textures looking really clean, especially when compared to other versions of the game. Also the framerate seems to be a lot smoother, which also helps smooth out the controls.
Sound
This was the only area that seemed a bit off to me. There was a real inconsistency with volume of voices, sometimes characters would be really quite while other times it would be really loud. There is though a option to raise or lower the voices, SFX and music. I would recommend playing around with these settings before jumping in. Other then that, the music was top notch, with some very great combat music. That is quite entertaining.
Overall
It’s a pretty impressive game, especially considering how old it really is. While I haven’t had the chance to play through the rest of the series, it seems the HD versions are well worth the price. Though with the recent announcement of the titles being released on one Blu Ray disc, I might opt for that instead.