Prince of Persia Warrior Within

I just picked this one up, here are my thoughts so far.

Technically it seems solid but it could be better. The game only supports standard 4:3 resolutions so no 1280x1024, 1153x864 or my beloved 1360x1024. V-sync + triple buffering is enabled by default which is how v-sync should work in all games, kudos for that. In most games you have to go digging for how to turn triple buffering on. The game didn't auto configure my gamepad like some games do. I had to enter all the buttons in manually, which is no big deal. The graphical problems I've noticed so far are AA problems when using the alternative views (it causes black screens sometimes), and highly pixelated shadows during in engine cut scenes. The game loads very quickly which is nice but typical of games that also appear on consoles. The FMV could have been encoded better in the storm scene in the beginning, it is very blocky.

The game looks very good overall though and the control feels a lot like Sands of Time. Performance is very good on my system but it damn well better be. I have not gotten very far yet but I'm looking forward to a long and challenging game. Here are a few screenshots including the most gratuitous near bare butt shot I've ever seen in a game (it lasts about 6 seconds).


Taken at 1280x960, 16x AF:
The tutorial (nice shader), It's her butt, I get it, Artistically sound.


Here is A quick tip. If you want to get rid of the unskippable intro movies go to...

<game root>\Video

...and delete ubisoft.bik, ubimtl.bik & logoRP.bik.

Sounds fun, but I heard it's a lot darker than the last one. I'll miss the idea of fighting for someone other than yourself, which ign said was the basis here. But it looks good and I like the idea of bigger bosses.

Looks pretty i wish i could buy but im completetly drained from all these good games that have come out this year.

The first picture on the ship looks like something from Dynasty Warrior's which is a good thing i know the gameplay is nothing like it tho.

I may have to rent it for my GC, and see how it is. I've never played the first one, however.

So am I the only loser playing this one

I've gotten a ways into the game and I'm enjoying it as much as I enjoyed Sands of Time. Although there has been a lot of talk about Warrior Within being 'darker' it's mostly a lot of window dressing. Yes the prince looks more ragged, has lost his accent, and is a little cockier. Yes there is more blood, more skin, and a bit more combat. Overall though the game maintains the beautifully whimsical artistic style that was so great in SoT. Everywhere you go there are nicely detailed textures and well designed set pieces.

The combat has not been totally redone just fleshed out more which is a very good thing since combat in SoT lacked depth. The combat feels more like an integral part of the game rather than an occasional long slog through two dozen identical enemies.


Here are a few more points that I'm too lazy to write in proper paragraph style

• I agree that having a companion in SoT was nice. That little princess made what could have been a rather 'lonely' game much warmer.
• The continue system has been changed. In SoT when you died you'd only go back to the beginning of whatever sequence you died on. in WW however your *** is back to your last save except in a few rare instances.
• This is one of those games (another being Doom 3) that does not really need AA. Everything is laid out in such a way that aliasing rarely show its ugly jagged face.
• There are quite a bit of shaders in the game but they are all very simple (nothing beyond PS1.1). They are mostly just reflections off of floor textures and the like. But I see it as a good thing that they didn't go overboard making things 'shiny' just because they could. All of the shaders look very natural. You might not even notice them if you are not looking.
• The character models in the game leave something to be desired. The prince looks nice and detailed but some of the NPCs could have used more attention.

How about another screenshot? Click to enlarge (if Vb does its job). I actually bothered to resize this one

I have really been meaning to play this games as I have a demo disk with it on it. I'm still addicted to HALO2 though, and I'm trying to get it out of my system before KOTOR II comes out.

wow gnerma i was jus about to post 'did anyone play POPWW' good thing u posted ill by it by .... early to late jan..

graphics look pretty good, but i dont have the money to get it

I'll pick this one up soon. Sands of Time was surprisingly good cosnidering I don't like jumping puzzle games. How's the camera angle placement in the enw game? SoT sometimes had impossible camera views.

I'm playing this now. It's pretty good, especially if you have a gamepad. I tried the keyboard and mouse method and it seemed very awkward. After that I set up the gamepad and the gameplay was much more intuitive.

PRetty interesting game so far, and it's a pretty fun one to boot.

secretweapon said:

How's the camera angle placement in the new game? SoT sometimes had impossible camera views.

Click to expand...

The camera has been solid so far.

There have been a few times when I've wished the angle wasn't trying to be so cute so I could have a better perspective for a jump but those have been few and far between. One thing that does annoy me about the camera is sometimes when you are rotating it it will bump into a column or something similar and just stop. You then have to move so the column can be out of the camera's way. Most games move the camera forward to go around the obstruction.

Well I got the game, but I can't play it because it crashes during the intro video. Still trying to figure out whats up :/

I need to pic this up. Didn't even realize it came out until I went Xmas shopping this weekend and saw it on the shelf. Loved SoT and I hope to thoroughly enjoy this. Hopefully it lasts longer then 2days for me but I never give most platformers much hope past that.

Diggs... make sure you have a gamepad if you're going with the PC version. The Keyboard and Mouse method felt... awkward. You'd much more enjoy it with the gamepad.

Played the first one with mouse and keyboard and it wasn't that bad. I do have a game pad though to use if it does get bad.

Yeah... see I played the first one with Keyboard/Mouse, and it was alright. But this one just felt different for some reason. I cant put my finger on it, but I seem to be more comfortable with the gamepad.

Jeff7477 said:

... I can't play it because it crashes during the intro video.

Click to expand...

A lot of people are having this problem. I've been keeping an eye on the official forum but nobody has posted a fix that I've seen yet. If you'd like to look around yourself here is the forum and here is one of the threads.

Blah, don't worry gnerma. You're not the ONLY nerd playing it

I bought WW yesterday, been playing it a bit.

The water fountain save system REALLY pisses me off.

Other than that, I love the game.

Oh, and a small gripe: YOU MUST USE AN ANALOG CONTROLLER WITH THIS GAME. Well, you don't HAVE to, but if you wish to keep your sanity...

Anyhow, so I went out and bought a "saitek p2500 rumble force." controller. Fair price, nice looking, Rumble works in saitek testing app.. butI can't get a damn thing to rumble in prince of persia It'd be nice too, let me know whenI get hit, since I often miss little pricks and such. If you had any ideas on that it'd be handy

-Excelsior

I wont play games in 3rd person...but I am old school....hard core....RAILGUNNER!

theELVISCERATOR said:

I wont play games in 3rd person...but I am old school....hard core....RAILGUNNER!

Click to expand...

3rd person adventure games == old school

I like third person shooters as long as they're fun.