BATTLES OF PRINCE OF PERSIA review for Nintendo DS
! February 11, 2013
So while we wait for our copies of Fire Emblem in 3D, we have a couple of options on what to do while waiting. One would be to try to go through the other Fire Emblem levels you never beat without losing a character. Two, would be to dust off “Shining Force”. And, three would be to play “Battles of Prince of Persia” by Ubisoft.
You probably didn’t know this existed, correct? Well you should know about it. While it doesn’t really affect the main trilogy (probably the reason it slipped the radar), it follows the same prince from “Sands of Time”. However, this is where the story gets confusing because you play as different generals, and right at the point where you get comfortable with the storyline of one person, you switch, and then defeat the person you were just using. However, it still confuses me to see what happens; other than the fact that there’s a box of demons, and the prince opens that box during a war with India. Then all hell breaks loose!
As confusing as the story is, the gameplay actually works really well. You start your rounds dispatching your army; then are given a set of cards with conditions and how many people you can move that round. Most of your cards have affects as well. Decks can be changed up to your customization, and this adds depth since you don’t always want the card that lets the most characters move. The fighting is a standard for its genre, but things like changes of success are in your hands and you will be tempted to try fighting a superior enemy for the hope of winning. It’s a real risk reward gameplay that players will find a challenge to beat; since one wrong turn can result in doom.
However, like I said, this game does have some problems. The story is just confusing and boring and reminded me a little of “Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones,” but harder to figure out. Unfortunately as well, there are a lot of cheap battles where the enemy is far more powerful than your own. Thus, making some battles VERY irritating. Also the enemy has some of the best cards in the game.
The good news is that the “pros” are quite high if the story isn’t something you care about. The card perks, which affect the characters, are a good way of freshening up the genre and good -looking battle cut-scenes are great. The multiplayer is also fun as you only need one DS for it, but if you have a friend to play this game with, that can also help too. You can trade cards and have more in depth battles. The music is also really great and fitting to the mood of different parts of the game and each faction has its own music style. It’s a real treat for the ear, and I guarantee that one theme or more will get stuck in your head.
As you go to your local gaming store to buy DS games that you missed when they were on their run, or while waiting for the next “Fire Emblem”, try picking this game up. It now sells for a bargain bin price so why not take advantage of a cheap, fun, turn -based strategy for the DS.
