Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

One of the most awe-inspiring and memorable games ever created. Everything from the twisted plotline to the perfected gameplay works in tandem to create an experience you're not likely to ever forget. [Dec 2004, p.68]

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.

The gameplay is visceral, fast, and fun, the graphics and sound are incredible, and the story is so well conceived and written that it'll keep you coming back for more.

It's basically a faster, looser version of "Sands Of Time," with all the extra trimmings the first title lacked. It may well drive you completely round the bend, make you feel mentally retarded and keep you awake at night, but with so many developments and delightful touches included it's certain to become game of the year for a great many platform lovers once again.

Its change of pace and maturity feels just right, the platforming is divine, and the action is something to be very happy about. [Jan 2005, p.112]

The gameplay was improved and polished where needed and will not leave many fans wanting.

Graphically this is a first class show. The surroundings have a real feeling of depth and detail, and your interaction with it is fluid and realistic.

The two endings give you a overall thirst for more, and the quality of the storyline and gameplay simply astound.

An amazingly involving adventure from spirit to atmosphere to richness of setting and exploration. [Dec 2004, p.65]

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.

The character is easy to control, but learning the large quantity of combos makes for a highly rewarding game.

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.

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.

It's got the same magic that The Sands of Time had, and then just slaps you around with how great the new gameplay is. I'm in heaven once again.

For an action adventure it's the almost the complete package; great graphic design, attention to detail, excellent controls and camera and well thought out levels and encounters.

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]

The controls become second nature rather quickly, the graphics are great, the animation is awesome, the sounds and voice acting well done, there are sexy babes, and there are some great looking attacks.

Look past the bad-boy façade, and you’ll see that this new iteration is even better than the last.

While Warrior Within's new 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."

Not as enjoyable as its predecessor, but still very good. Some of the biggest levels on PS2 and varied, exciting combat collude to form a cracking adventure. [PSM2]

The game’s tone may have changed drastically from Sands of Time but we personally still love everything it has to offer -- Definite recommendation.

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.

But fans of the last game will be glad to know that the levels, traps, and puzzles are once again masterpieces of design. [Jan 2005, p.126]

The brooding goth brother of "The Sands of Time." Which, unlike goths, is not to say it isn’t fun, just not all that different or more exciting.

Not as pure as its prequel, but Warrior Within is still a gritty masterpiece.

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.

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.

Exploring the labyrinthine citadel is rewarding, although backtracking and frequent deaths can be frustrating.

The demanding learning curve is absolutely perfect... An essential purchase for patient gamers everywhere.

The end result comes across as desperately trying to be edgy and blatantly falls short of the mark, resulting in a somewhat hammy experience with characters that you fail to bond with.

Those who've already tasted the Prince's heady delights might be a little disappointed - this feels like a collection of new levels and bosses rather than an honest to God sequel. Like we said, call it a remix. [PSW]

To be truthful, not a lot has changed in the game since the previous instalment except this time much more emphasis is put on combat rather than exploration and puzzle solving.

The ill-advised addition of needlessly graphic displays of violence, backtracking galore and contemporary music/voices take attention away from Warrior Within's excellent new combat maneuvers, still-outstanding environmental puzzles and lengthier quest. The PS2 version is also saddled with periodic bouts of slowdown and no online support whatsoever (sigh!).

You may be as annoyed by the new direction as I am, or you may think it is a brilliant move. But you're not going to mistake this for anything but Prince of Persia.

The presentation is completely misguided, and the combat is largely unrewarding. Under all this, the platforming is as creative and addictive as it was in Sands of Time, but the polish and sense of wonder are sorely missed.

If you enjoyed SoT, you’ll most likely enjoy WW, just don’t expect a huge improvement over the original.

If you loved the original but found it too easy, then give The Prince of Persia: Warrior Within a go, as it's sure to please. If you loved "Ninja Gaiden" you'll definitely like this.

The fighting system is deep and robust, the environmental puzzles that made Sands of Time so great are still evident, and though darker, it expands the story of series, as the ending points directly at a follow-up sequel.

One of the most rewarding and yet challenging games that you could play.

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.

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.

A downgrade in the look and sound combined with increasingly annoying platforming and camera issues get in the way of this warrior's ultimate victory.

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]

If anything Warrior Within has become much more adolescent.

Instead of well-written dialogue, we have semi-naked female characters with implausible breasts; instead of any sort of well-rounded lead character, we have a dislikeable chap with 'attitude'; instead of complex, beautifully-designed puzzles that continually flow from room to room, we have combat and decapitations at every corner.

Solid enough, yes, but nowhere near as awe-inspiring as the original. To be fair, it could easily be summarised as an expansion pack for "Sands of Time," with new missions and costumes to unlock, and that’s not a bad thing, either.

There are hints of greatness here and there. But those hints only remind us of Warrior Within's predecessor, making this new Prince of Persia game's bad design decisions all the more obvious.

Many of the additions feel like things that they didn’t have time to add to the last game, and the whole experience feels uninspired. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but Warrior Within is one big letdown.

A disappointment. It completely breaks with the first game in everything but gameplay, and even that is sabotaged by annoying, repetitive level design.