anyone getting Prince of Persia - Warrior Within?

[Jeff]

I'm on hold on this one, till a) I finish Sands of Time, and b) till I hear more feedback on it. I've heard some negative talk, less than stellar reviews, etc, but man, the gameplay vids for it look very cool.  I love lots of blood & gore in my games, and from what I saw in WW, they set out to offend folks with this one! yowsers .. lifting someone up and slicing their bodies in half at the waist .. :shock:

I doubt I'll want to pay the full $50 for this one, so I'll wait for a trade, or a price drop.

I would like to hear some opinions if anyone gets it though.

[depward]

Playing the demo helped create happy and thoughtful images of when I played the first.  But then again, I finished the first in about 12-13 hours.  It was a short romp, sure, but it was sure fun as heck!

I played on the PC though, with the mouse and keyboard, and really enjoyed it that way.  Though I played the Warrior Within demo on the Xbox demo disc and really liked how it handled with the Xbox controller.

So to say I'll pick soon - eh, not sure.  I think I'll stay away game stores that tempt me in evil ways and listen to some thoughts and impressions first.

[Jeff]

I played on the PC though, with the mouse and keyboard, and really enjoyed it that way.  Though I played the Warrior Within demo on the Xbox demo disc and really liked how it handled with the Xbox controller.

I hated Sands of Time on the PC, at least the combat part was enough to piss me off to the extreme. However I recently picked up the xbox version for $10 used, and on the xbox controller the game is much better. I'm enjoying it now, and have well surpassed the part I quit in frustration at on the PC.

The combat is still kinda odd, but I'm getting the hang of it now, and learning to move & block, how to use time tricks to reverse a big blow, wall jump attacks, etc.  The combat in WW looks so much more satisfying though.

[Jancelot]

Check this thread.  A couple of reviews are discussed.  One pretty negative and the other one happy with the gameplay but not necessarily the thematic shift.  I'll probably pick it up but after I play KOTOR II.  Besides I just picked up Metal Arms for $10 at Best Buy and am having fun with it.

[AgtFox]

I may bite the bullet on this and at least rent it.  I don't really mind a theme change nor do I mind a rock score (including a song by Godsmack) in the game.  From all I hear it is much the same as Sands of Time gameplay-wise with a different story and atmosphere.

The thing I am most disappointed about is the voice actor change, that's just something that shouldn't have happened.  The Prince already had a good VA last year, why change it outside of trying to entice more people into buying it?  They may have gone too far in that respect of trying to garner more sales.

Then again, maybe we'll get a copy to review and one will drop in my lap.

[rrmorton]

Okay, this game is seriously pissing me off.

I started out on Hard and despite the ASSinine closeup of the absurdly scantily-clad villainess, I enjoyed the tutorial...

Up to the point where you have to fight the asschick in a boss battle style. FRICKIN' IMPOSSIBLE.

I tried and failed about 4 times on Hard then set it to Normal difficulty and I'm still getting mauled. The only difference is she takes a bit longer to kill me. I've probably hit Retry about 6 times for a total of 10 demoralizing asskickings... IN THE TUTORIAL!

I distinctly remember the moment in the original when the combat clicked and I learned how to succeed. But that game let you play a long time before it ramped up the challenge. I seem to remember walljumps and evasive maneuvers being the keys to success in that game. The same might be true here and there may be a moment where I figure out how to block and attack effectively but right now it's a horrendously one-sided battle. I knock her down about 25% if I'm lucky and she just cuts through me like a hot knife through butter.

I was grinding my teeth in sheer hatred of the game (I loved the first one mind you) until I turned off the GODSMACK music. Then it got a lot more bearable.

I don't like the change in tone from the first game either.

At this (very early) point I can't recommend it. I'll be back after I give it some more time.

[Chaz]

Well, since I absolutely loved the first one last year, I had to pick this one up.  First off, I'm throwing out there that I generally don't mind dark subject matter/visuals/overall theme, and these impressions are based on maybe two hours of time with it.  

It seems like the biggest problem people have with WW is the new look of things.  Well, if you loved SoT because of the lighter look/feel, stay away from this one.  Boy howdy, is this sucker dark.  That said, they justify it fairly well.  The Prince cheated fate, and fate's pissed, so the Prince is being pursued by his own death.  Not the brightest outlook, and the overall feel of it definitely conveys that oppresiveness.  In general, I like the look.  The music is something you're either going to deal with, or hate.  I don't hate it, but I certainly don't love it yet.

For those of us who were worried about the platforming not being there, it is.  So far, I've run across a few straight platforming sections that felt just like the ones in SoT.  This is a good thing.  The bad thing is that on at least one occasion, the darkness made it hard to tell that there was a grabbable column in a certain spot.  SoT had this same problem, though, so I'm willing to let it slide.  What drove me nuts was that in one of the first difficult platformer sections, there are bottomless pits, and they haven't given you the rewind power yet.  SoT had platform parts before the dagger too, but no insta-death ones.  Leads me to believe that they're aiming this game at people who finished SoT.

So, the combat.  Hard to say thus far.  There's a lot of variety to it already, much moreso than in the first one.  I think what it reminds me the most of is Ninja Gaiden.  The list of moves is several pages long, and most of them are linkable to others.  The speed is certainly slower than NG, but I got the same feeling that once I got a handle on things, I'll be able to pull off some nasty moves.  Coolest moment so far was wall-running over a spike pit, trading blows with the guy on the other side, then vaulting over him, grabbing him, and somersaulting both of us over the edge, with him landing in the spikes, and me left hanging on the edge by one hand.  Groovy.

I'm reserving final judgement until I get my PoP chops back.  Just like the first one and NG, I'm doing a lot of button-mashing in combat, and not feeling very secure.  After a few hours, I'll probably have a better handle on things, and be able to have a better feel for how it all hangs together.

Oh, and about the voice actor.  I liked the first guy, thought he fit very well with who the Prince was back then, but he definitely wouldn't work for this one.  From what I can tell, the Prince has a few years on him, and has been through hell.  The new guy works out just fine.

[Jeff]

I tried and failed about 4 times on Hard then set it to Normal difficulty and I'm still getting mauled. The only difference is she takes a bit longer to kill me. I've probably hit Retry about 6 times for a total of 10 demoralizing asskickings... IN THE TUTORIAL!

Heh... that "in the tutorial!" part cracked me up

This reminds me of the sheer frustration I went through with the combat in Sands of Time. But like you said, after a while, something starts to click and you learn how to fight. Hopefully that will happen with you in WW.

[AgtFox]

rmorton, does the tutorial take place on a ship?  If so, it's much like the demo that was out a bit ago.  You have to block her attacks and wait for an opening and unload on her (with 3 strikes if I remember, any more and you'll take damage from her).  It's been a while since I played it, so I can't tell you the precise time you have to hit her.

It's very Castlevania/Mega Man like...there's a pattern, you just have to figure it out.

[Kevin Grey]

Gamespot has given the game an 8.8 (PS2, Cube) and 8.7 (Xbox).  It sounds like the Xbox version suffers from some severe audio glitches, the PS2 some graphical issues, and the Cube version the best overall.  IGN is supposed to have a head to head up soon so I'll be awaiting that to help determine which version I'll get.

[rrmorton]

Okay, I'm feeling less menstrual about this game now. I figured out how to evade by double-tapping the A button and moving the thumbstick and I started blocking like crazy. Once my defense was up, I had enough time to detect her "pattern" and started getting my licks in. So I was excited to finally beat her and then when the cutscene started I was immediately pissed off again...

For some dumb reason, if you turn the Music volume slider down, it silences the cutscenes as well. Which means... you can't turn the music off. The awful, repetitive, inappropriate aggro guitar rawk is unshutoffable.

Now for the good news... Once I rebooted the Xbox, turned the Music volume slider back up, replayed the tutorial, re-defeated the assbitch, and actually heard the subsequent cutscene... the game got good!

I started wall-jumping and pole-climbing and vaulting all over the place. Even the combat is more fun when you have the ledges to contend with. And I love the exploration and feeling of accomplishment you get when you figure out how to proceed.

I still think the grittier tone is a horrendous mistake, but I can see myself playing this one all the way through. The PoP:SoT gameplay is just too damn fun.

[Tebunker]

According to Gamespot the Xbox version has some serious audio problems, as in the sound glitching up and sometimes not playing at all. Anyone else had this issue? I'm not including Rob's problem, in this, it seems separate that turning off music volume kills sound in the cutscenes.

[EddieA]

1Up gave it 9.0/10, as did Games Domain.

[ElijahPrice]

I am goign to pick this up after the worko-day.  I plan to play it for a good chunk of my night.  I am goign to get it on the Xbox, I hope there isn't any major Audio glitches but if so, I'll let you all know.

[shon]

I rented this last night and I really like it.

It took me about 4 tries to beat the lady boss in the tutorial but I finally
conquered her.  I like the battles alot more now.  More enemies have
counter attacks to certain moves you perform, so you have to remember
which ones not to do to certain monsters.  

I actually like the music and the grittier tone it get's me pumped up.  

I saw some small graphical glitches(flickering textures) on the ps2 version.

I am going to buy it but not sure which version to buy.  It looks like the
gamecube version is the best, so maybe wavebird here I come.

[Kevin Grey]

I've read the the dithering on the Cube version is really bad so now I'm completely at a loss at which version to get.

[whiteboyskim]

I've read the the dithering on the Cube version is really bad so now I'm completely at a loss at which version to get.

Oddly enough I'm thinking about the PS2 version. That's what I had for the original and it was still mind-blowingly gorgeous.

[Kevin Grey]

I've read the the dithering on the Cube version is really bad so now I'm completely at a loss at which version to get.

Oddly enough I'm thinking about the PS2 version. That's what I had for the original and it was still mind-blowingly gorgeous.

I have SoT for the Xbox and that's what I'd like to get for WW.  Now, I'm hearing that Gamespot is wrong and the Cube version *does* have the audio issues.  And IGNs head to head mentioned none of the technical issues so I'm at a total loss.

[AgtFox]

Speaking of IGN, who did win the face-off (I'm no longer an Insider, found it was a waste)?

[Kevin Grey]

Speaking of IGN, who did win the face-off (I'm no longer an Insider, found it was a waste)?

Xbox won.

I'm getting to the point where I'm considering the PC version (did it come out too?).

[AgtFox]

Yes, it should be out.  Gamespot, although I enjoy their reviews, have had a history of making mistakes in their reviews.  Their reviews in this case were probably off a final, reviewable build of the game (although it is probably the same one that IGN has) and maybe they experienced things neither IGN did nor you will when picking up the final retail version of the game.  I really don't know what to say outside of that.

[Kevin Grey]

Yes, it should be out.  Gamespot, although I enjoy their reviews, have had a history of making mistakes in their reviews.  Their reviews in this case were probably off a final, reviewable build of the game (although it is probably the same one that IGN has) and maybe they experienced things neither IGN did nor you will when picking up the final retail version of the game.  I really don't know what to say outside of that.

I thought of that too but I've read of all of these faults on other forums with users with the final boxed game.  

I'm definitely leaning toward the Xbox version now.  I'll likelly pick it up tonight when I go shopping with my wife so I'd hoped there would be some more clarity on this issue.

[whiteboyskim]

Well if the XBox version has the audio glitches, how about the PS2 version? A few textures taking a second to load I can handle, but if the audio is all wonky for one console instead of another then I'll opt for the other.

[rrmorton]

My PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox are all on a single switchbox. Since I've been playing Halo 2 lately, I chose the Xbox version of PoP:WW because that way I wouldn't have to bend over and press one of the buttons on my switchbox.

[Vinda-Lou]

Why did the PS2 version get a whole .1 more than the Xbox from Gamespot?  PS2 got 8.8 while Xbox got 8.7.  I know it's no biggie, but I'm just curious.  And I'm just lazy to read the reviews.

[Kevin Grey]

Why did the PS2 version get a whole .1 more than the Xbox from Gamespot?  PS2 got 8.8 while Xbox got 8.7.  I know it's no biggie, but I'm just curious.  And I'm just lazy to read the reviews.

Because of the audio glitches mentioned earlier.

[shon]

Well I went and bought the xbox version and haven't had any audio problems yet.  I rented the ps2 version and the xbox looks much better and it seems to play harder on the normal setting.  

I've read that this is an easy game but it is very hard on the normal level
I am going to try hard after a while.

[Thin_J]

The new one sounds more like a game I would enjoy. I'll pick it up eventually.

[Kevin Grey]

Well I went and bought the xbox version and haven't had any audio problems yet.

Picked up the Xbox version tonight but since it will likely be a few days until I get to it I'd appreciate any comments from Xbox version owners regarding the audio glitches.  If it turns out to be an issue I may return the game and wait for Ubi to stealth patch it.

[Kevin Grey]

[rrmorton]

The bulk of that is only so-so but "I smolder with generic rage" = LOL funny.

[whiteboyskim]

Further proof that not only is Penny Arcade terrifically un-funny, but they even manage to screw up adages that have been around for decades. Someone needs to give them a road map to The Funny, because they could sure use it.

[Jancelot]

My PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox are all on a single switchbox. Since I've been playing Halo 2 lately, I chose the Xbox version of PoP:WW because that way I wouldn't have to bend over and press one of the buttons on my switchbox.

 You're my hero.

Penny Arcade occasionally hits the mark, but that strip is everything I find unfunny about them.

[Kevin Grey]

Penny Arcade occasionally hits the mark, but that strip is everything I find unfunny about them.

I thought the "smolder with generic rage" line that Rob quoted really hit home on the game.

[Dafones]

I've always found Penny-Arcade fairly insightful, in the sense that they're able to wade through any hype and media nonsense devoted to a certain game and assess it fairly and reasonably. As for their comics, I find them a hit much more than a miss, but then I tend to have a similar sense of humour about things. Does that mean that I'm childish, rude, sarcastic, and unfunny too ?

[Jancelot]

Penny Arcade occasionally hits the mark, but that strip is everything I find unfunny about them.

I thought the "smolder with generic rage" line that Rob quoted really hit home on the game.

I fully believe that, I just don't connect with their humor I guess.

[Andrew Mallon]

I thought the best line was, "Canaries will go in first." Also, in the second panel, the look on the Stripper of Time's face is priceless.

[Thin_J]

The lol that I got out of that strip came at the Prince stepping in and saying "I smolder with generic rage" as well. When I read it, I heard it in my head in a voice akin to Solid Snake's, and it was just too damn silly not to laugh at.

The PA sense of humor really clicks with me most of the time. It's a very sarcastic and brash sense of humor, which I guess is why I like it. I tend to be both of those on occasion.

[mad_alien]

I don't know....I'm having a lot of fun with the game. I like the fact that it's darker, more mature. The controls are just as tight as the original, so far it's been a lot of fun. If the game is a little lengthier than the original, count me in as one happy camper.

[Bullwinkle]

You know, I was one of the doom and gloom naysayers of the tone-shift of this game, yet I played for three hours straight on a night when I should have been going to bed in an hour.  

The gameplay is pretty compelling still.  I don't find the combo moves the amazing change that Ubisoft would have you believe it is, but it's better.  Combat was the weakest part of the last game for me (I would usually stop before a big battle, then pick it up again later to get through the fight and get to the platforming), and it's better now (it helps that I turned the difficulty down, of course - really, I'm not playing this game for the combat).

The story is actually pretty good.  It's still not Prince of Persia and a part of me rebels mentally every time I hear the Prince smolder with aforementioned GR (though more so every damn time he swings his sword and grunts dramatically, "ERRRYYAAAAH"), but I'm suprised to find myself getting over it.

What helps me is to imagine that  the Prince has turned bitter and hollow because he's been haunted and hunted for years after avoiding his fate (or Fate).  It also adds a layer to the story.  Of course, it can't top the subtle love story of Sands of Time (I was startled to find out how much I'd grown to care about those characters, to the point that the ending really hit me as just cool beyond words), but that wouldn't have been likely even if they'd kept the Prince to his roots.  

Bottom line, I hope this sells just well enough that they do a third one, but not so well that they keep to this style.  I was half-tempted not to buy it just to show them that this change was a mistake, but the gameplay is just too good.

Oh, and the music sucks so bad it makes me grunt dramatically everytime  it starts up.