Prince of Persia: Rival Swords is a portal third-person action adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Pipeworks and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Wii. Like Prince of Persia: Revelations, Rival Swords is a direct port of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones[2], released for Sixth Generation Consoles and the PC in 2005. When released on the Nintendo Wii, its control scheme was modified to suit the needs of the Wii Remote.[2] The game was released April 3d and 5th, 2007[1]. It was rated T for Blood and Violence by the ESRB unlike its original which was rated M.
Story[]
Official Description[]
- "In Prince of Persia Rival Swords, the Prince makes his way home to Babylon, bearing with him Kaileena, the enigmatic Empress of Time, and unspeakable scars from the Island of Time. But instead of the peace he longs for, he finds his kingdom ravaged by war and Kaileena the target of a brutal plot. When she is kidnapped, the Prince tracks her to the palace – only to see her murdered by a powerful enemy. Her death unleashes the Sands of Time, which strike the Prince and threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Cast out on the streets, hunted as a fugitive, the Prince soon discovers that the Sands have tainted him, too. They have given rise to a deadly Dark Prince, whose spirit gradually possesses him."
- —Official description[3]
Characters[]
- Prince - The protagonist of The Sands of Time Trilogy, the Prince returns to his home in Babylon to find his kingdom under siege by the Scythians, led by the Vizier. When Kaileena is killed, he is infected by the Sands of Time and his darker persona is given sentience in the form of the Dark Prince.
- Dark Prince - The Dark Prince is agglomeration of the Prince's darker qualities and guides the Prince through the transition of his powers when he takes over his body. Though he appears to be an ally of the Prince, in truth, the Dark Prince works toward his own goals for power and control over his dominant persona.
- Kaileena - The Empress of Time narrates the harrowing tale of the Prince after she is killed and the Sands of Time are recreated by the Vizier.
- Farah - A prisoner of the Vizier, Farah inadvertently reunites with the Prince and works to free Babylon's citizens from the reign of the Vizier, now a self-proclaimed god known as Zurvan.
- Vizier - Resurrected by the actions of the Prince (who prevented the creation of the Sands of Time by rescuing Kaileena), the Vizier continues his quest for immortality and earns it when he kills Kaileena and recreates the Sands of Time.
- Zurvan - The alter ego of the Vizier, Zurvan reigns over the Prince's kingdom with the powers of the Sands of Time and the Scythian army, transformed into Sand Creatures.
Summary[]
- Main article: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Enemies[]
- Main article: The Generals
Gameplay[]
- "Based on 2005's Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, this first entry in the series for the Wii takes advantage of the system's revolutionary controllers. Players will be able to clash swords with enemies, execute speed kills and perform the Prince's well-known acrobatic moves such as running on walls. The game creates an epic experience by combining two playable characters in gameplay that mixes combat, platforming, puzzles and a compelling storyline."
- —Official description[4]
Reception[]
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords was received with mixed to average reviews from the gaming press and users alike. In general, Metacritic gave the PlayStation Portable and Wii a 74 and 70, with a user score of 8.1 for the PSP and 7.8 for the Wii.[5][5] GameRankings gave Rival Swords 70.44% for the PlayStation Portable and a 71.22% for the Wii.[6][7]
Gamespot.com PSP version of Rival Swords a generally favorable review with a score of 8.1, outlining the positives of the the game's transistor from home console to portable systems, while highlighting the setbacks of the game (graphical downgrade, audio issues and mini-games)[8]
IGN.com's review of the Wii version of Rival Swords, which featured a toning down of violence, blood and gore, was also favorable, their major quibbles being the $49.99 price tag and control issues with the camera. The game's only major difference, the implementation of the Wii remote, worked for a more immersive player experience, but also made for unnecessary difficulty as the camera controls were "sloppy" and slow to respond.[9] GameTrailers.com review for the Nintendo Wii was not dissimilar from the aforementioned, however, believed the story (dependent on the previous games) would leave newcomers "lost".[2]
Gallery[]
PSP[]
Screenshots |
---|
Wii[]
Screenshots |
---|
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ubisoft Announces Prince of Persia: Rival Swords: Nintendo fans treated to a double-dose of the prince.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Prince of Persia: Rival Swords - Game Trailers.com Review
- ↑ Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (PlayStation Portable)
- ↑ Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (Wii)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (2007) - Metacritic (PSP)
- ↑ Prince of Persia: Rival Swords Nintendo Wii (GameRankings)
- ↑ Prince of Persia: Rival Swords PlayStation Portable (GameRankings)
- ↑ Prince of Persia Rival Swords Review (PSP) - Gamespot.com
- ↑ Prince of Persia: Rival Swords - IGN.com