I haven't played any of the PoP:TFS (Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands) games in the past, apart from the 1989 original but recently had a nagging to try something different from all the MMO and FPS games I've currently been spending most of my precious gaming time on.
Choosing PoP:TFS was a good choice and I fell right into the game following the in game help as you jump around, clamber along walls and fight off enemy bad guys.
Starting out the game is simple. You quickly become involved in hanging from ledges, wall running and jumping and how some of the more simple puzzle aspects of the game work. Once the game progresses further into the story your character is given the ability to use other special powers the first of which is the power to freeze the flow of water. Using this ability slows water down to a point where it becomes solid and due to being solid this creates a new helping hand or obstacle for the Prince.
The use of this water system and the other abilities you gain further along the story make for a great challenge some times when forced to use them in conjunction with the other abilities. Imagine your running up a solid brick wall leaping out over a death defying drop as you head toward a huge waterfall with a water spout oozing behind it. You freeze the water too fast and you slam into a solid wall of water and plummet to your death. However if you time things right, you hit the waterfall passing through to the other side a little wet then quickly solidify the water around you, freezing the waterfall behind and the spout in front allowing you to grab hold, swing swiftly around it and follow suit with a Somersault after you let go, landing to your feet on the safe ledge opposite your beginning point.
Sorry I got carried away. Aside from these great puzzles and skill based sections where timing is essential and speed and precision a huge benefit – the combat system is fun. As some reviews have already stated you can pass through most of the game with the simple button mashing of the attack in the direction of the enemy. But I found a great amount of fun within the system they made. Simple attacks were a filler for all the fun things you can do. For example you can leap on an enemies shoulders and from there quickly decide to do either a bounding attack, springing off their shoulders and slicing them several different ways. Or do a kick/stun attack, again springing up and kicking them from the battle causing their friends to tumble if they're in the way. I found it great fun, the combat system is simple but certainly not lacking if you love to play with your foe before you slice them up!
The games time rewind is still there and comes in handy at those bad decisions and even while in combat. They have also included a talent tree system in the game. You gain points from killing enemies and after killing so many you can spend these points minor upgrades to your attacks your health pool, special abilities like more time reverse more water freeze time and so on. It makes for some minor replay-ability but not a huge amount. This is my only dislike about the game, and other games like it. They never seem to have much to do once you finish up.
Long story short The game is overall fun and if you've got the spare cash lying around and want something different from the other game styles then its a nice change. I would love to see Ubisoft make a level creator or something for PoP. It could go a long way with player created content.
Thanks for reading!