The other big upgrade to the gameplay in Warrior Within comes in
the form of puzzles. The basics haven't changed, so you'll still
need to hop, skip, jump, and run on walls to figure out how to
progress through the game. You're still in a castle setting,
although this time, some of the puzzles have new and mind-bending
time travel components, in addition to what you'd expect. What is
sure to spike players' stress levels is the new multitasking
element that's been added to puzzles. While we got a taste of this
element in the latter levels of Sands of Time, Warrior Within piles
on the tasks in its puzzles. For example, slowing time and then
running along a wall (while evading moving blades) to hit a switch
represents just one of the many "fun" things you can plan on doing
in the game, and by "fun," we mean "stressful." However, that said,
the sense of accomplishment you'll get when solving puzzles is much
greater. The balance we've encountered so far involves a good mix
of mellow challenges, like running along walls to clear a gap and
engaging in the aforementioned multitasking.
The game's graphics reveal a sharp evolution of the techniques and
art style seen in the first game. The prince has gotten a makeover
and looks appealing in that unkempt, "I'm running for my life" kind
of way. The refined graphics engine lets his character model show
the wear and tear of recent events, which is demonstrated by both
the prince's detailed clothing and his scraggly hair. The rogue's
gallery of foes he squares off against comes in the form of an
eerie assortment of undead creatures and possessed representatives
from the animal kingdom that are constantly on the lookout for
blood. While we've seen many of the game's special effects before,
such as the dreamy haze over the action and the heavy use of
particle effects, they're used with more flare this time out and
dress up the impressive locales you'll be venturing through.
Speaking of the locales you'll explore... Warrior Within does a
good job of giving you an expansive environment to go through while
keeping you in one main area. In this case, it's an island and the
massive castle on it. As with the first game, you'll find that the
massive castle is like a world unto itself, with its various
microclimates. The twist of time travel actually gets even more
mileage from the area, because when you're in the castle in the
present, it's not in the best shape. However, when you pop into the
past, it's pretty swank. The only rough spots in the presentation
involve a few frame rate hitches, which are apparent across both
platforms, and a twitchy camera. Hopefully these issues can be
sorted before the game ships.
The audio in the game is shaping up very nicely, for the most part.
While our versions of the game were still works in progress, the
bulk of the audio elements were in place. The one standout element
at the moment is the game's musical score. No, we're not talking
about the questionable rock music that has polarized gamers who
have heard it, since, as you can imagine, we're not huge fans of
that element of the game's soundtrack. What we are big on is the
game's musical score, which is pretty outstanding. The tunes that
will accompany your experience in the game are an inventive
collection of musical pieces that match the action and tone of the
game to a T, based on what we've seen and heard so far. As you'd
expect, Warrior Within features a decidedly different tone from its
predecessor. In many respects, it's a more somber game (no doubt
because of its story), and the music conveys that quite ably. At
the same time, there are some really strong tracks that still
manage to convey some swashbuckling wonder amid the gloom, which
helps balance things out. The only music bit we're not totally sold
on is the rock music that, while sounding perfectly fine, comes
across as a heavy-handed reminder that the prince is darker and
edgier. The voice in the game is well done, and the prince
definitely sounds like he's got a lot on his mind during the
cinematic sequences, although there are some obvious reminders of
the game's tone to be heard as well. Besides his tendency to
dispense quips and puns during battle, the prince does his fair
share of growling and grunting, calling to mind a Persian spin on
the X-Men's Wolverine. The rest of the cast in the game fairs
pretty well, with solid performances from the supporting cast. The
Xbox's 5.1 support edges out the PlayStation 2's Dolby Pro Logic II
sound package by a bit, but both games sound great.
Based on what we've played, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is
looking like a worthy follow-up to last year's excellent offering.
The game seems to be improving on its predecessor in just the right
places, while retaining its core appeal. All Ubi needs to do is
tighten a few things up in the graphics and control department, and
it will have an excellent sequel that will be well worth your time.
Xbox owners get the added treat of Xbox Live support so they can be
informed as to when their buddies come online. Additionally, there
are even some gameplay modes that Ubi isn't talking about just yet;
however, we'll keep you informed of these. Prince of Persia:
Warrior Within is slated to ship this November for the GameCube,
PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
