Prince of Persia

[Stroker Ace]

January is the word.  But you have a chip, so why not import?

Well for me, it means I can hire it and save it to my HD to keep.

I hope your penis falls off.

Do you want it?

Seriously though, it's a game that deserves to be bought. Good behaviour should be rewarded. POP needs to do really fucking well or else we'll be playing shite for the next fuck knows how long.

I genuinely believe that POP will eb the last piece of innovation we're likely to see this generation. People have proven that they don't want it, see?

[Rex Grossman]

January is the word.  But you have a chip, so why not import?

Well for me, it means I can hire it and save it to my HD to keep.

I hope your penis falls off.

Do you want it?

Seriously though, it's a game that deserves to be bought. Good behaviour should be rewarded. POP needs to do really fucking well or else we'll be playing shite for the next fuck knows how long.

I genuinely believe that POP will eb the last piece of innovation we're likely to see this generation. People have proven that they don't want it, see?

Does anyone know where I can find a massive 'rolls-eyes' or 'winky' smiley?

[jonamok]

When the prince says to Farah, "You can call me kacka-flookie-doobie" (or something)

Is that supposed to mean something

***SPOILERS****

When the Prince and Farrah where stuck in the tomb together, she says "when I was younger , my mother told me a word to say when I was scared, kacka-flookie-doobie, I have never told anyone that"

***END SPOLIERS***

Thanks MM, had forgotten about that bit. Her reaction makes a bit more sense now in a "How did he know that word?", kinda way.

[Phelan]

I loved the storyline. The ending was really wonderful and it all came together beutifully.

As I said before one of the best games of the year by far. More people should go out and buy this so that more of this game should be bought rather than some of the terrible shit that came out.

[Vemsie]

Amen to that Phelan. It's my fave game of the year without a doubt.

[Gorf King]

Face it, though: it's basically ICO re-imagined by Hollywood's John Woo.

Not that this wouldn't make it game of the year, because it may well be that. It's certainly provided a kind of antithesis to KOTR, whatever your views on either.

[Uncle Mike]

Face it, though: it's basically ICO re-imagined by Hollywood's John Woo.

I disagree. I think it's an entirely different game, that shares some of it's aesthetic with ICO.

[Sprite Machine]

Face it, though: it's basically ICO re-imagined by Hollywood's John Woo.

I disagree. I think it's an entirely different game, that shares some of it's aesthetic with ICO.

It's the evolution of Tomb Raider. Same themes, but updated and smoothed out.

[jonamok]

Face it, though: it's basically ICO re-imagined by Hollywood's John Woo.

I disagree. I think it's an entirely different game, that shares some of it's aesthetic with ICO.

It's the evolution of Tomb Raider. Same themes, but updated and smoothed out.

Indeed. And the only way I'd ever buy a TR game again would be if Eidos bought the PoP engine and put the be-jugged one in it. But no doubt "Lara 19" will still feature block based movement of some sort.

[Dude Ranch]

Face it, though: it's basically ICO re-imagined by Hollywood's John Woo.

I disagree. I think it's an entirely different game, that shares some of it's aesthetic with ICO.

It's the evolution of Tomb Raider. Same themes, but updated and smoothed out.

Indeed. And the only way I'd ever buy a TR game again would be if Eidos bought the PoP engine and put the be-jugged one in it. But no doubt "Lara 19" will still feature block based movement of some sort.

I think (read hope) that PoP has nailed Lara's coffin tight shut. TR doesn't deserve the PoP engine IMO.

[Sprite Machine]

I think (read hope) that PoP has nailed Lara's coffin tight shut. TR doesn't deserve the PoP engine IMO.

Damn right!

Though, having said that, having more games and styles that utilise such a brilliant engine can only be a good thing. Of course, it'd be crap without good level designers on board too, but still...

[Gorf King]

Face it, though: it's basically ICO re-imagined by Hollywood's John Woo.

I disagree. I think it's an entirely different game, that shares some of it's aesthetic with ICO.

It's the evolution of Tomb Raider. Same themes, but updated and smoothed out.

I agree that the game is what Tomb Raider should have been in an age of analogue contollers. (In fact, I've made that precise comment several times to onlookers whilst playing. The fact that they've generally replied "Perhaps, but turn it off now, Eastenders is on in five minutes. And, by the way, you sound like a right tit." doesn't detract from the observation, either.)

So I see your point - but despite the obvious correlation between SOT and what TR should have become, the fact remains that SOT, like ICO (and to a lesser extent TR) share a basic explore-an-edifice-though-3D-platforming-puncuated-by-occasional-combat gameplay structure.

I can't help but feel what the game makes me feel, and that feeling is similar when I play SOT and ICO - yes, each game's aesthetic is critical to this, UM, but then the aesthetic is a defining feature when games rely heavily - as I believe these two do, successfully - on 'atmosphere' (gah) for a large part of their charm. But those vistas of other parts of the structure - the puzzle - that occasionally open up, the feeling of gradual, step-by-step conquest of a huge single building which seems as much the 'enemy' to be conquered as do the creatures that attack you (sometimes more so), the acquiring of slightly more effective swords, the (in some ways dissimilar but still reminiscent) companionship of a female whose death means game over, the length and pacing of the game - these are all key elements of each game. Some have even commented that the combat in SOT is its weak point, or at least that it involves too many enemies and a consequent 'just get it over with' feeling - just as a significant number did with ICO. (I'm not sure I agree, as I enjoyed the combat in both titles, but I can see what they're getting at.) Sure, some of those elements are present in TR (and in other titles), but not in the way that they are mixed and weighted in ICO and SOT. IMO.

I'm clearly not disagreeing that SOT is a different game from ICO (my first post was, obviously, a little tongue-in-cheek), but it's by no means entirely different, nor are the similarities between the two purely aesthetic.

I think the influence of ICO on SOT is profound, and it's all the better for it. If I'm wrong, and this is all just glorious coincidence, then fair enough - I won't enjoy either game the less for it. But they just feel like cousins to me, with SOT being the one who ran away from home and returned years later as a balletic swashbuckler, but still looked, talked, and smiled the same as the home boy. TR, on the other hand, feels like some distant Cro-Magnon relative.

Or something.