The Forgotten Sands continues the tradition of its benefactors wholeheartedly despite a few hindrances.
The Forgotten Sands transpires between the events of Sands of Time and Warrior Within as our nameless Prince is called upon to pay a visit to his elder brother Malik, who has taken the reigns of their kingdom. But no sooner does the Prince set foot when he is greeted by a most unwelcome sight---the entire kingdom embroiled in utter chaos; besieged by the encroaching mights of a neighboring army. Desperate to turn the tides in his favor, Prince Malik is left with little choice but to do the unthinkable-unleash a magical army of warriors that once belonged to King Solomon in the hopes of vanquishing the invaders. Unfortunately, the plan backfires, and a horrific demon is unleashed-turning everyone to stone, amassing a hellish array of frightening undead creatures, and threatening to bury the kingdom in the thick of suffocating sand. Thus, it falls upon the best interests of our heroic Prince to reverse the foolish mistakes of his egregious elder brother, retrieve the other half of a medallion used to release the evil armies, and employ every acrobatic maneuver, magic spell and combat technique in his varied arsenal to prevent the destruction of the entire kingdom.
The Prince of Persia games are known by one fascinating concurrent-its platform elements. Few games give you so many ample opportunities that stretch far beyond simply leaping from one platform to the next, and Forgotten Sands is certainly no exception. The level designs are cleverly orchestrated to take the fullest advantage of the Prince's vast array of acrobatic maneuvers. He can run like a ninja across walls, leap surprisingly long distances across wide chasms, scale most surfaces like invisible ladders, climb pillars without the aid of tools, and easily negotiate seemingly impossible obstacles like thin walking planks and hanging banners. An often-cumbersome camera can hurt the experience somewhat, especially during the most intense platforming situations, but it isn't enough to fully interfere with the gameplay. Controlling the Prince might take a little getting used to, and sometimes actions like running across walls from ledges and leaping from column to column can get iffy, but once you get the hang of things, you'll quickly see dangerous obstacles as little more than fun road bumps. Many of the platforming challenges you'll face later on may not seem obvious at first glance, so a discerning eye and keen observance to detail are necessary for progression. Of course, you needn't have to rely on your inherent agility and strength alone---along the way, you'll gain access to special powers; like reversing time (as used in Sands of Time, only without the Dagger to help you), freezing water in place to create makeshift pillars and monkey bars; even restoring broken walls and floors. Death is never a real concern in Forgotten Sands whence you receive the power to reverse time, but do keep in mind that expending this power (as well as others) depletes a portion of your Power Gauge, so it goes without saying that mindful use is highly encouraged.
Combat in Forgotten Sands differs slightly from previous games in the series as the Prince must now do battle against multiple enemies---as many as fifty or more may attack you at any time. As always, you'll use mostly your sword to slay your foes---human, undead or otherwise---as well as employ magic attacks for that much-needed edge and buffs to keep your own head on your shoulders. While the Prince retains many of his cool fighting moves from past games, he cannot transform into the Dark Prince this time around as the storyline takes place long before the events of Warrior Within and Two Thrones, so in retrospect, his dark powers are still somewhat dormant. The combat in Forgotten Sands itself isn't quite as engaging as in past entries---coming across as somewhat repetitive and dull in some instances with little to no real challenge presented. Most of the time, you can plow through enemy groups without a scratch on your chiseled physique (slay 50 or more of them in this manner to earn an achievement if you dare)---with some exceptions like larger enemies thrown among a sizable herd of weaker small fries. The learning of new magic spells and innermost character development are handled by a straight-forward, point-based experience system---kill specific numbers of enemies during your travels (or locate hidden statues and destroy them with a charged power attack to net their experience rewards) and you will earn one point towards any ability or enhancement found in your Upgrade menu. It's an interesting set-up that gives you some degree of freedom in developing the Prince in any manner you choose, and it is possible to fill the entire board. But its inclusion was never really necessary seeing how much of the game is based solely on platforming, and combat comes few and far between. Although it is nice to be able to fight a group of enemies as opposed to only two or three at a given time, you will wish such opportunities were more consistent, plentiful and challenging.
The Forgotten Sands features great voicework, a rousing orchestrated soundtrack (the best I've heard in years), and a pretty good storyline to boot. The Prince is witty in his banter as always---bemoaning a sarcastic attitude and prone to talking to himself during gameplay. Nonetheless, he retains a likeable inner character and even a beguiling sense of humor. In addition to the main story mode, there is also a challenge mode that requires the player to complete a set of challenges to earn rewards and achievements. Another interesting area of note is Uplay---an Ubisoft exclusive gameplay reward system that grants points (awarded from certain unlockable achievements) to be spent on everything from a Dashboard theme, a new Arena in Challenge Mode-even an Ezro costume inspired by Assassin's Creed 2. While I had hoped for a little more, what the Forgotten Sands has to offer at this point is due enough to incense the replayability factor.
In its own right, the Forgotten Sands is a worthy successor to a beloved franchise---returning to its Sands of Time roots to deliver a solid gameplay experience for both fans and newcomers; as knowledge of the previous trilogy is not necessarily a requirement to enjoy what it brings to the table. It retains what made Sands of Time, Warrior Within and Two Thrones so great, and introduces the familiar, time-honored formula to the next-gen era; even though it slightly stumbles along the path, it is nonetheless a bold and welcoming transition. As such, whichever category you happen to fall into; a dedicated fan or an interested newcomer, the Forgotten Sands is just the ticket.