Prince of Persia Trilogy HD Remake

7.8 Overall Score
Gameplay: 7/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 8/10

Still fun platforming in an old classic. | Darker colors and a more crisp look.

Cameras are a problem. | Not a huge difference in the look.

When it was announced that franchise games like Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia would be getting a treatment of a HD remake on the Ps3 people seemed to get excited. Maybe it’s the nostalgia or maybe just long time fans of the series, but I had the opportunity to give the Prince of Persia Trilogy a go and to be honest I didn’t see that much that excited me.

Starting with the first game and making my way through the trilogy I found that the games are just as annoying as they were when they seen there first release. Out of the set my favorite game has always been Sands of Time. Not sure if it was because of the ability to alter time or if it was just my first introduction to the series way back when. So needless to say that when I put the disk in my Ps3 I wanted to started up this game. What I was greeted to was an aged title with some HD overlay. The games itself still remains fun to some extent, but does not carry over well to next gen consoles. The controls are clunky and the graphics are less than par. I quickly realized that even though I loved this game when it originally released, to play it now seems like I’m back sliding or down grading. I found now that the ability to control time was not so much fun as it is more of a second chance when the controls decide to drop out on you.

Moving on to Warrior Within, you can see that the graphics seem to improve, but only because the game released later. It has nothing to do with the remake. Once again just as with Sand of Time the controls feel clunky making the change over to next gen and due to camera angles that had drastically changed from the Sands of Time to this one, sometimes it makes for rough going when doing some of the more complex platforming. Once again the HD remake does not really make the game that much different. Yes, you can plainly see that the game looks much better, but with the exception of having darker tones and more smooth environments not much else is different.

Finally moving on to Two Thrones. This game was obviously the more graphically enhanced of the series. It also introduced more cool wall climbing tricks and more innovative platforming. Like the previous entry it continues the story into a more dark environment. Yet again though, other than a graphic enhancement that adds smooth environmental effect and darker colors there is not a whole lot of change waiting for players. You quickly realize that the games are dated. Something that was great 10 years ago may not carry over to the new platforms.

As great as the Prince of Persia series was in it’s heyday, the games just can’t hold there value on next gen platforms. There is a reason that the franchise was rebooted. Not because it was bad, just because it does not translate on todays systems. No HD overlay or 3D compatible option will save the clunky controls that we all used to cherish. I’m still not inclined to give this game a bad review as all three games that come with this release are classics. If you never played the original series then it’s worht a look to see what you missed, even though you probably will not enjoy the game play mechanics. If you are a fan of the franchise you should pick this game up. For $40 you can beat a better deal on regaining some old classics to the game library.

So, all in all the games translate just as they should. The HD is a nice touch to a familiar franchise, but unfortunately probably will not appeal to a mass audience that have been hooked on playing next gen graphics with smoother controls.

SHARE THIS POST

Author: Eric Baumgardner View all posts by
I operate this site. I also have been gaming for 23 years. I am an Xbox LIVE Ambassador and an Xbox Community Xpert. Need anything find me on Twitter @junegore or email me at junegore@jgghgames.com