Shadow of the Colossus and Prince of Persia [2008] are two of the most deep, and unique I've ever come across in gaming. Hell, there is a write-up on GameFAQ's that details the plot of Shadow of the Colossus and analyzes all its intricacies... and its over 80 pages long.
And despite what other people might tell you, PoP08 has a much deeper narrative than it lets on. On the surface, it is very simple, but as soon as you start delving into the background (Zoroastrianism) you can see how much incredible detail went into everything from the character design, to the plot, to the graphics and world design. It is astounding to be quite honest.
I'd even go as far to put it over Shadow of the Colossus considering the main themes of PoP aren't based around the naive idealism of a head-strong "boy" arrogantly destroying living creatures for his own personal gain. The Prince just appeared at the best/worst time (depending on who you ask) and was lead on a journey to help the essence of righteousness (Ahura Mazda/Ohrmazd) gain complete control of the universe, and save it from wickedness (Angra Mainyu/Ahriman)... with an incredible, amazingly deep plot twist near the end that makes you question your own beliefs and morals:
[spoiler] Throughout the entire game you are given the illusion that you have a choice in the order of events, and the ability to freely choose what you want to do... but in the end, you are forced to destroy everything you worked for, and unleash Ahriman on the world in order to save Elika's life. But the big difference between The Prince and Wander is that The Prince knows that Ahriman can and will be defeated eventually (Zoroastrian mythology), so its better to fight and be together (and in love) than keep him trapped (knowing he will get out eventually; more mythology) and be alone. [/spoiler]
It is an incredibly moving game, almost more so than Shadow of the Colossus was for me. The ironic thing was, I had to put a lot of time into academic research and learn about the Zoroastrian tradition in order to notice these subtleties in the game. But the thing is, they are most definitely there for anyone willing to see them... and they make Prince of Persia [2008] one of the most artistic and amazing games ever made... despite the simple platforming and derivative combat. It is a masterpiece and so many people have unfairly judged it, or just missed out completely; because like Shadow of the Colossus, it was reviewed not for what it is, but how it compared to other games in the genre.
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