Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

The prince's high-flying adventure is marred by camera issues and weak combat, but the excellent platforming is still loads of fun

The Good

Platforming sections have lots of thrilling moments
New abilities spice up the standard jumping action
Clever puzzles require careful thought to complete
The prince's narration adds personality to the story.

The Bad

Combat is shallow and way too easy
Camera restrictions makes certain sections difficult to navigate
Early portions are too familiar
Copy protection scheme requires constant Internet access.


The 2008 release of Prince of Persia took the franchise in an invigorating new direction, employing open-world design and a painterly artistic style to great effect. It breathed life into a series that had been treading water for years, but you won't see any of those new elements in The Forgotten Sands. This is a throwback to the superb Sands of Time, focusing on elaborate level design and the sort of acrobatic wonder that would make even the most agile monkey jealous. Unfortunately, the leap back in time is not entirely smooth. The early portions have a paint-by-numbers feel, offering no surprises for those familiar with the franchise, and the combat is shallow and lacks the flair the prince so often exhibits. But those missteps fade away once the prince gets into a groove. The intricately designed levels are full of surprising twists and the deft maneuvering required to pass the more challenging sections makes completing a particularly tricky room rewarding. A few problems keep The Forgotten Sands from reaching the level of its timeless predecessor, but playing through this gravity-defying adventure is still time well spent.