# Prince of Persia 2008 - My Review



## Psychosocial (Dec 23, 2008)

UbiSoft has released a new Prince of Persia game. Well, actually the game says so. After a few hours of playing it and completing it, I want to share MY views on it. Lets get to the review directly as Prince of Persia does not need any introduction.

Graphics :-
So the guys at UbiSoft thought that making a game differently than what other companies make will be good and guess what, they were right! Atleast I think so. The water-color style graphics look and feel splendid. The HDR is done well. The animation is very fluid. Its actually a treat to watch the Prince and Elika platforming together. The physics, lightning and the shadows are done very well too. Sadly, the game is plagued by the odd frame drop issue. At certain points, the frames will drop drastically without any reason. Though they remain playable but they take quite a hit. The good news is that the game is not very demanding and will run on any decent system.

8/10 for the graphics.

Sound :-
The voice acting is done well but the background music is not very good and I miss the Warrior Within sound theme and the blood gushing music it played in the background when a fight was going on. Still, it ain't that bad. The sword clashes and the magic effects are pulled off well. You can hear the minutest detail like the dust flowing off a structure when Prince clings to it. Overall, its decently done.

7.5/10

Gameplay:-
Ah, the core of the game. Well its a lukewarm platformer. Its very easy. You never die in the game. Yes, you read that right. Prince goes around platforming with his side-kick Elika. Whenever you fall off, Elika will pull you back and land you on the last solid platform you set your foot on. This system is not good and the game hardly provides any challenge. The core of the game is to run around, jump around, defeat one enemy, purify the fertile land and collect light seeds (Orbs of light which give the power to activate plates to Elika)and repeat the same thing for another area. Thats it. It really gets repetitive, dull and boring. The fights are boring and sometimes annoying. Again, you cannot die in them. This does not make any sense to me. The combat system is ruined. You fight a single opponent at a time. You can counter-attack, use your gauntlet to launch the enemy in air and hit them or use Elike as a means of a weapon if the enemy is near to you. In fights, the enemy will change their state. Once in a certain state, only one kind of weapon( The sword or the guantlet or Elika's magic) will harm them and bring them back to the normal state. The puzzles, which were something which Prince of Persia series was known for has also vanished. There are puzzles but they are very easy. I solved 2 puzzles without knowing what to do . Though there was a puzzle which I loved because it made me think. The platforming is the same as the previous PoP games. Overall, its easy, repetitive and sometimes annoying. One good thing is the AI. The enemy is not smart but I did not have any problems with Elika getting stuck, etc.

4.5/10

Story:-
PoP was always known for its story. The new game has decent story. Prince was wandering around in a desert after raiding a tomb and his donkey went missing. He was searching for him when Elika stumbled upon him while running from some guards. The prince fights the guards and then gives chase after Elika until they stumble upon a big man. The prince fights with him and later comes to know that it was Elika's father and the king of the land so that makes Elika a princess. Elika reveals that his father was trying to stop her from reaching a temple. The Prince and Elika hurries to the temple. On the way, Elika narrates the whole situation. She tells the Prince about Ahriman, a dark creature who has been trapped in a temple and whom her father is trying to release. She asks the Prince for help to stop her father. They reach the temple and so does Elika's father. Her father wins and breaks the lock to Ahriman's seal. Elike later tells that Ahriman is still not free completely and can be stopped from escaping if they defeat the corruption and heal the fertile lands. Thats pretty much it but there a few turns and twists and they are good.

6.5/10


Overall its a decent game for a casual gamer but not at all worthy for being a part of the PoP series. Sadly, one more great series has been ruined.

Overall - 6.5/10


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## Faun (Dec 24, 2008)

lol...nice review ! I hope I wont mind missing this one


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## Chirag (Dec 24, 2008)

I hate it.


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## Psychosocial (Dec 24, 2008)

T159 said:


> lol...nice review ! I hope I wont mind missing this one



Exactly! Dont waste your time on this.


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## JojoTheDragon (Dec 24, 2008)

Gr8 review buddy but you forgot to keep one thing in mind while writing this review that it has got an ESRB-TEEN rating. So everything depends on this factor. You review was awesome but i don't agree on some points.


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## Psychosocial (Dec 24, 2008)

^^Thanks. But everyone has different tastes. After playing games for over 5-6yrs, I want some challenge in the game I play. Plus some elements dont make sense. The worst part is that it is named 'Prince of Persia'. How can they name such a pile of crap 'Prince of Persia' ?


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## kanishka (Dec 24, 2008)

Have played this hand in mobile... 

nice review....


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## Plasma_Snake (Dec 27, 2008)

Well I wasted my time and bandwidth downloading and now when it starts I get the no signal error! What is with these game studios setting non-standard res. as default res for there game? Can't they give sweet 1024x768 as default res.? So tell me guys where is the goddamn file to change the goddamn resolution of this $hitite game!


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## JojoTheDragon (Dec 27, 2008)

+1 to kanishka i have also played it on mobile.


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## Plasma_Snake (Dec 27, 2008)

Oh! Doodhz (Sepratay waley) Give solution to my problem too!
Forgeddaboutit! Found the solution meself!


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## cyborg47 (Jan 1, 2009)

being saved by Elika is not a bad idea according to me....inthe previous games if u fall of from an edge, u die and come back the previous place u have been..its the same ni this game..elika saves u and brings u back to the last place u've been standing. I'm sorry to say but the way you wrote the review makes me feel that u were waiting to criticize this game even before its released....anyway to me the game totally new and refreshing...though the storyline was not that strong...


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## Psychosocial (Jan 1, 2009)

^^Dude please understand this is MY opinion. You have got some good points there but this is MY review.


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## cyborg47 (Jan 1, 2009)

okok...i got it...even i said my own opinion....chill down!


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## alexanderthegreat (Jan 1, 2009)

I think its a wonderful review! Oh, and Elika babysitting you just can't feel good (or normal) to me ,at least. So, I support KPower! Oh, and I was against this game even before it had been launched! Read this:-


alexanderthegreat said:


> The concept of the prince has totally changed!  I mean, I liked the trilogy series due to its dark, strong-but-silent theme that gave you the feeling "I stand alone"(Heck, they even included a great song called "I stand alone" in the 2nd game).
> 
> And whats with this sidekick business?!? Elika can fly! She cannot die! She is good in combat (better than the prince maybe). The prince looks like an idiot in front of her. She should've been the lead character.
> 
> ...



I stand by what I said before. This sequel has brought only shame to the POP series for the die hard POP fans! May the prince be reborn with a mightier sword in the next game(if there ever is one!). Oh, and without Cel-Shading!!!


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## Psychosocial (Jan 1, 2009)

^^That song is a good one.

I Stand Alone by Godsmack


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## Plasma_Snake (Jan 1, 2009)

This time around, even though being a Cell-Shaded game, it looks amazingly impressive, only thing that I've gripe about is Combat, one enemy at a time, no sword swinging at ur own will, no more acrobatic or dual weapon moves, they've just killed the entire game with it alone. Elika on our side is a good thing, it breaks the monotony of the game, allowing us to interact with her, but wud've loved o see 'em in inter-action, namean


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## alexanderthegreat (Jan 1, 2009)

Psychosocial said:


> ^^That song is a good one.
> 
> I Stand Alone by Godsmack



Heh heh, yeah, Sully Ema pwnz! The other one was great too, the one in the credits in Warrior Within. 'Straight Out of Line' by Godsmack!

Oh, and does 'Prince of Persia (2008)' have nice songs? Or is it just the Alice in wonderland themed background music and nothing else for an audible treat?


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## Psychosocial (Jan 1, 2009)

^You answered your question. Its the same old fary tale music in the background which you find in fantasy movies .


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## spikygv (Jan 2, 2009)

The new cell shading is quite good in my opinion. Story is not very captivating. After you guys said , i'm really missing the POP WW music. Fighting multiple enemies is something that they should have retained.But i would'nt want it the way we fought multiple sand dudes in SOT . prefer it the way it was in WW.  And the new world wherein we can choose our path is lacking. .I was hoping there would be a detailed map and we find our way .This GPS system is stupid. On a postive side , Elika pulling the prince ( is he ? or the thief ) out of corruption or saving him when he falls is a fantastic idea. The moves that we can do with elika are also too good. 

All in all , i liked the game. But it could have been better.


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## Chirag (Jan 2, 2009)

I hate it.


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## IronManForever (Jan 2, 2009)

@Psychosocial

1. Used Keyboard + Mouse as controls?
2. Price of teh game?


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## Psychosocial (Jan 2, 2009)

1. Yes.
2, You really think that I bought it ?


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## uchiha_madara (Jan 3, 2009)

@Psychosocial:





> You really think that I bought it ?


ROFL .......


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## hahahari (Jan 3, 2009)

Well I feel the game deserves more than 6.5. The developers have tried to break the monotony and have some good innovation like elikas help. But yes the Veteran gamers who have played POP all along will miss a lot of elements. The game could have had some more freedom with the swords and the single enemy at a time is stupid. The game lacks challenge. They must have made elikas help optional but that would have meant writing a whole lot of code. But otherwise its pretty darn good.

7.5/10


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## the.kaushik (Jan 4, 2009)

Need help! Sorry to ask but am stuck in the first level where we need to kill the monster. I suppose i need to throw it from the cliff but how to do.. each time i try (Comb of FORWARD + Mouse left key"Attack") but it never works out.. i tried clicking very rapidly and it did stopped for sometime but again no use? am i doing something wrong?


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## amrawtanshx (Jan 4, 2009)

^^
Lure the monster (Warrior) to the edge.Deflect his attack be pressing right click.He will try to stamp U ... Then Erika comes and U need to press Left Click quickly to reverse that ... And he will push him down.


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## the.kaushik (Jan 4, 2009)

amrawtanshx said:


> ^^
> Lure the monster (Warrior) to the edge.Deflect his attack be pressing right click.He will try to stamp U ... Then Erika comes and U need to press Left Click quickly to reverse that ... And he will push him down.



Exactly am trying that for long time now!  is it right or left click?



the.kaushik said:


> Exactly am trying that for long time now!  is it right or left click?



done.. just changed my attack key to space bar! LOL


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## cyborg47 (Jan 4, 2009)

yeah even i did the same thing....when the combo starts..i change my attack key to ctrl...


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## Plasma_Snake (Jan 5, 2009)

Well I need a lil guidance for that "Atta Chakki" puzzle. Any answers?


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## the.kaushik (Jan 5, 2009)

Guys stuck again and now its 1 and half day.. ya i know am real Sii1T at 1st person type game but i like the story and need to finish it 
This is the level am playing:
*in.youtube.com/watch?v=vXhYEIyWecI

and this is the place am stuck..
*in.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZFgB1rmsik

and thats the way Elika darling is showing the path with her GPS 
*in.youtube.com/watch?v=YP4rRV8qwTo

Now on the 2nd video i cant jump front.. and i can see creepers over my head.. if i try to catch it i fall down.. any other thing which am missing!


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## cyborg47 (Jan 6, 2009)

hey kaushik....the game is open world, so u can go to any place in any way u want.....i think elika only shows u the way nearer to u....check out the map and try to find any other way to go to the destination...gl..


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## the.kaushik (Jan 7, 2009)

^^^ Thanks bro.. I just found another way to get the path! 
Her GPS is not proper!LOL seems nokia didnt made it


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## RMN (Jan 7, 2009)

@Psychosocial
you are right man i was waiting for this game so long and this game is so disappointing.
good graphics..really refreshing...but the game play is so sad..i was surprised that this game got good reviews and hence i was going to start a thread regarding this and thts when came across your thread.

i am so bored with the game already ...just running after seeds and beating easy enemies.
i rate this game 5/10
compared to Warrior Within 1/10.


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## Plasma_Snake (Jan 7, 2009)

^^^ZOMG Warrior Within 1/10 Dude u seriously need to reconsider what u like in games, AFAIK Warrior Within was one of the best PoP game ever, it was the one which paved path for next iteration 2 Thrones, Combat was just awesome in it, 2 weapons, use of environment in combat, immersion in the game by pulling off a feeling of pressure and being hunted, I can go on and on. Some folks didn't like its Metal-Rock music but had they listened the soundtrack more carefully then they would've realized that it came only in he heat of the battle, rest of the time it was Arabian-Indian music suiting perfectly to the background. I think music wise too Warrior Within deserves 10/10.


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## RMN (Jan 7, 2009)

@Plasma 
sry if i wasn't clear but what i meant was compared to PoP WW i rate PoP (2008) 1/10..

WW to me is 10/10!!!!one of my fav games!!and i loved the music esp the one in the menu!


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## alexanderthegreat (Jan 7, 2009)

RMN said:


> @Plasma
> sry if i wasn't clear but what i meant was compared to PoP WW i rate PoP (2008) 1/10..
> 
> WW to me is 10/10!!!!one of my fav games!!and i loved the music esp the one in the menu!



The menu music wasn't nice at all! Did you listen to that music while the Dahaka was chasing you? They're awesome! Also, the one at the end, during the credits, "Straight out of Line" by Godsmack. Thats second only to "I stand alone"(This was also used in Dahaka chases).

Dahaka chases used to be some fun! I remember my heart thumping in my throat as the screen went monochrome as the Dahaka came closer. Never er have I found myself in such a situation except in Freespace 2. 

And that feeling I got when I said along with the prince(roared morelike) to the Dahaka, "Just *try* to catch me!". Wonderful! Uncomparable to this farmer's paradise of a seed collecting game. 

Oh, and to those who asked for the price: It costs around Rs. 2500/- Now I know I've been against this game, but I am a true PoP fan. Thus, I'll buy this when I get a new Graphics card. My graphics card is not able to run this cel-shaded idiocy where it can run all other PoP games without a hiccup (Except that backward compatibility problem causing PoP1(the oldest one, for DOS_). Oh, and at least this one is a better game than PoP1!


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## Ethan_Hunt (Jan 7, 2009)

2.5k?  

From what I heard the PC version is retailing at Rs. 1,299.


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## Faun (Jan 7, 2009)

lol...POP:SOT is still the best one for me, WW comes third after T2T. On difficulty level WW was too easy. Music was good but nothing spectacular...instead that godsmack track ruined the game for me, but the dark tone background score was a plus point (but the music in T2T when he is in cave and ascending tower is so poignant and you actually feel too lonely at that point).

Combos were great in the WW and T2T. But the feel of defeating enemies was great in SOT. Prince looked authentic in SOT. 

WW lost the innocence and juvenile feeling. But still it has many innovations and treasures too keep the game interesting. 

At last all three games were a unique experience to me. I loved them all. But I will not play this EMO version of Prince and Elika...lol. It looks like a game for toddlers...not my dough to savor.


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## RMN (Jan 7, 2009)

@alex
i loved the menu song(Welcome Within)
and your right though i don't remember the song whenever dahaka chased me i got goosebumps..the song really suited well.
btw i have around 100 songs from PoP

and who can forget Kaileena...


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## the.kaushik (Jan 7, 2009)

@ All above:
Am happy.. that's my first POP am playing..LOL and unless you pay all games rocks


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## alexanderthegreat (Jan 7, 2009)

@Ethan: 2.5k is the price on ebay. BTW, are you allwy? Got yourself renamed? Good, this one's not a tongue twister.



RMN said:


> @alex
> i loved the menu song(*Welcome* Within)


@RMN:It aint *Welcome* Within!  It is Warrior Within.
@the.kaushik, KPower: Don't openly confess what great pirates you are, for crying out loud! Sheesh!


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## Ethan_Hunt (Jan 7, 2009)

For me Sands of Time owns all the others. It was just a pure pleasure playing that game. I had my apprehensions for playing that game after playing Warrior Within & Two Thrones, but it just took me by surprise by it's presentation. The soundtrack for Sands of Time was perfect. Infact I have got the soundtrack for all three games. I was just listening to a track called 'The Tower Of Dawn' from SOT & I said to myself, that is what a Prince's soundtrack should be like. Those tracks really connected with the actual feel of the game.

In Warrior within most of the tracks seemed to be repetitive. I stand alone was good to listen to but got annoying after a point. There was another track in Warrior Within which I enjoyed, it's called 'Tower Encounter'. That has got some good guitar work. The soundtrack matched the dark side of Prince. So not much complaints out there. The game was great but back tracking just pissed me off big time.

I really loved the first Prince mainly because he shared a good chemistry with Farah. He seemed arrogant but not the "You B*tch" kind of arrogant but in a very subtle way. His sarcastic taunts to Farah & flirtatious comments were just a treat to hear while playing the game. None of the other games posed this effect. Too bad even the latest incarnation of Prince ain't that good either. 



			
				alexanderthegreat said:
			
		

> @Ethan: 2.5k is the price on ebay. BTW, are you allwy? Got yourself renamed? Good, this one's not a tongue twister.


It's official MRP is Rs. 1,299. It's available at Nextworld for Rs. 1,235. And yes I got my user ID changed.


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## cyberpyrate (Jan 7, 2009)

T2T was the best of lot for me. evil prince was really great

anyways this is not that bad to play for fun :7.5/10 

oh and yeah elika is the best npc even beating alyx from hl2 series


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## Chirag (Jan 7, 2009)

Dammit I hate this new game. Ruined it. POP:SOT FTW....


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## RMN (Jan 8, 2009)

alexanderthegreat said:


> @RMN:It aint *Welcome* Within!  It is Warrior Within.


everyone seems to be misunderstanding me...

the SONG played while in the MENU of Warrior Within is called "WELCOME WITHIN"


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## quan chi (Jan 8, 2009)

though i have never played warrior within but i have finished the other two's  t2t was best in action and storywise it was ok.

though sot is kinda boring with monotonous action gameplay but with good story.

the climax of sot was excellent it alone just compensated for all those monotonous nature of the game.
the ending track "time only knows" is very good.is there any site from where i can download it.please pm me.


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## Faun (Jan 8, 2009)

^^later...i have the track.


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## RMN (Jan 8, 2009)

@quan chi
i have that song..downloaded quite awhile ago...there was a torrent(mininova i guess)which had the Triology series.


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## Indyan (Jan 10, 2009)

I loved the game. Its beautiful. The sound track really gets you in the right mood. I really hated Warrior Within sound track (not because the music was bad but because hard rock with dominant western beats is not what i want to hear in a game like pop). The game is easy..only one of the puzzles is slightly challenging.


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## cyborg47 (Jan 11, 2009)

yes the game looks so beautifull...some of my frnds kept saying that the graphics are not good..well they dont have the graphic cards though...i told them see the game when its on the move....the only thing i hated in the game was that there was no much fighting in the game...the enemies number could have been improved...its was like only boss battles.....and why has nobody told about elika??.....well...she's HOT!


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## Ethan_Hunt (Jan 11, 2009)

She is not HOT _per se_. Cute would be a better word.


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## Psychosocial (Jan 11, 2009)

True!

Hot = Kaileena


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## Plasma_Snake (Jan 11, 2009)

NO matter what folks say but all admit that Warrior Within was the game that gave us a more mature prince, more aggressive prince, more violent prince, I can go on and on. WW was where BOss battles were like Boss battles, just u and him/her Mano e mano, no magic bullcrap or timed button presses like in 2 Thrones. It was the true raw PoP fighting experience and I won't be surprised at all of Devs go to the same formula in their next iteration considering the fact that combat has been a big let down in the latest PoP.


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## Faun (Jan 11, 2009)

Lol WW do have those frustrating sword fights with Kaileena and Shahdee. Infact I was bored of lack of variety in Boss fights, That Griffin was awesome though. WW was more gothic and dark. Dark and grim as the fate of Prince.

Prince was anything but mature in WW. He was mature in T2T, still with a pinch of arrogance and egocentric behavior. Boss battles in T2T were the best IMO. I liked the speed kill system, it was not exactly a button tap sequence but kind of charged lethal attack opportunity.


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## JojoTheDragon (Jan 11, 2009)

Yo man I liked POP WW more than any other pop game. It was totally mature and gr8


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## Ethan_Hunt (Jan 11, 2009)

Warrior Within had produced an innovative combat style for the POP games. I hated it for only one reason, backtracking. This game had so much backtracking that it would put every other backtracking game to shame. Boss fights were very easy & predictable. Every boss followed a specific pattern. Just learn that & counter attack. Dahaka was the only boss worth mentioning. Died around 2 times with him.


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## Plasma_Snake (Jan 11, 2009)

I , more like Elika killed Ahriman, died, I placed here dead body on her mother's tomb, now what?


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## Third Eye (Jan 11, 2009)

^You have to cut 4 trees in the desert.


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## Faun (Jan 11, 2009)

^kriyakarm...lol


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## Plasma_Snake (Jan 11, 2009)

But wudn't that release Ahriman again? We can hear his voices and one of the tree is too hard to get to.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Jan 11, 2009)

*SPOILER* Yes Ariham does get released if you decide to cut off all those trees. *SPOILER*


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## Indyan (Jan 11, 2009)

What do you mean..if you decide..thats the only way to really end the game..isnt it?
And I am pretty sure there would be sequels to this..built on the fact that Arhiman is now out.


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## Faun (Jan 11, 2009)

another trilogy but this time specifically its EMO.


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## cyborg47 (Jan 11, 2009)

well fellows....let discuss what improvements can be done to the sequel.....
for me... 
1. the graphics have to be improved a bit...coz the new style looks attractive..but i wished for more...
2. Less fighting and more travelling....it wud be better if they put more enemies.....somewhere in the game Elika says that there are almost 1000 ahriman's soldiers....it would be gud if all of those come...
3. music has to be better...some serious music like in popww wud be better???
4. i think this version of pop has got a lot of story but only some part is shown and the rest...ask Elika....

this is what i wud expect from the sequel....what do u guys say?..


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## Ethan_Hunt (Jan 12, 2009)

Indyan said:


> What do you mean..if you decide..thats the only way to really end the game..isnt it?


Was this directed to me?  If it was then ....

*SPOILER*  the game ends where you want it to end. The credits starts rolling when you carry Elika towards the stone. So technically, that is where the game should end. What you do from there is your choice. Either you can quit the game to end it or cut off those trees & revive Eilka. The choice is yours. I have seen people quitting the game after placing her on the stone. *SPOILER*


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## the.kaushik (Jan 12, 2009)

cyborg47 said:


> well fellows....let discuss what improvements can be done to the sequel.....
> for me...
> 1. the graphics have to be improved a bit...coz the new style looks attractive..but i wished for more...
> 2. Less fighting and more travelling....it wud be better if they put more enemies.....somewhere in the game Elika says that there are almost 1000 ahriman's soldiers....it would be gud if all of those come...
> ...



Agreed! Also i thought Prince should get some powers like Elika got new powers! Am still not finished but on my half way down still no new powers and same enemy and same everything.. am getting bored now!


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## uchiha_madara (Jan 19, 2009)

My problem with POP:WW was controls weren't tight or accurate.I reached the final stage thrice from beginning but could never get to kill either of the bosses, the cutscenes were messed up, cinematic quality here and retarded quality there and the backtracking ohhh the backtracking.
@Ethan_Hunt:





> This game had so much backtracking that it would put every other backtracking game to shame.


I believe DMC 4 gave it a solid competition and from what I hear the latest iteration is no different.


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## Ethan_Hunt (Jan 20, 2009)

^I felt only the Forest level in DMC 4 had a lot of backtracking. But that too I could manage without looking at any FAQs. But trust me, POP: WW had me referring to FAQs at each & every freaking point. It almost got to me at some point. But the game was really fun, that I have to admit.


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## uchiha_madara (Jan 27, 2009)

Finally started the game and finished half of it.Except the combat thing this game is good and the backtracking thing is not that big a bother.


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## gxsaurav (Feb 1, 2009)

Just downloaded the game & started playing 30 mns ago. With the XBOX 360 controller it is very easy to play the game. It is running really smooth on my systm


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## uchiha_madara (Feb 1, 2009)

finished the game a few days back ,retarded ending and can't help but feel that game was designed keeping ten year old's in mind.


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## Faun (Feb 1, 2009)

uchiha_madara said:


> finished the game a few days back ,retarded ending and can't help but feel that game was designed keeping ten year old *emo kids* in mind.


corrected


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## Psychosocial (Feb 2, 2009)

lol .

This PoP really sucked. Mirror's Edge looked a worthy successor to it lol.


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