20th December 2003, 10:47 AM
Alright, I'm about three hours into the game and I have to agree with everyone else that this is one of the best games of the year. So far WW is still my #1 favorite this year with KOTOR coming in second, but PoP is incredibly good.
When I read those interviews with the developer talking about how ICO was a huge influence on them, I had no idea just how much like ICO PoP would be like. It's like ICO but in a persian setting and with fewer puzzles and much more fighting. I still like ICO a lot more as it's one of my favorite games ever, but I'm really happy to see another developer take so many elements from ICO while still making it original enough. It's all about the acrobatics in PoP. The feeling I got once I was able to flip and jump all over a level with the greatest of ease is akin to the first time I played Mario 64 and felt that sudden rush of freedom.
Your partner (another similarity to ICO, although she doesn't need your assistance nearly as much as Yorda does)talks with you throughout the game, and it gives the game a great sense of realism. At one point I was running through some traps trying to get to the door before it closed but I was a bit too late, so my partner on the other side of the door said something along the lines up "great, now you'll have to do it again!" and my Prince replied in a sarcastic manner. I love that.
The only complaint I have about the game is the frequency of the fighting. The battle system is pretty good, think WW but slower and more repetitive. I would have been happy if I had five minutes worth of baddies to fight every so often, but the battles are much more frequent than that and seem to last forever. It's also not a very good fighting system for the amount of baddies they throw at you at once. It certainly can't match Mark of Kri's incredible multi-person fighting system. So far, that's my only gripe with the game. Everything else is incredible, so I highly suggest that everyone buy it as soon as they can. Sure the reason I got it was because I was able to buy it for only $26, but it's definitely worth $50.
When I read those interviews with the developer talking about how ICO was a huge influence on them, I had no idea just how much like ICO PoP would be like. It's like ICO but in a persian setting and with fewer puzzles and much more fighting. I still like ICO a lot more as it's one of my favorite games ever, but I'm really happy to see another developer take so many elements from ICO while still making it original enough. It's all about the acrobatics in PoP. The feeling I got once I was able to flip and jump all over a level with the greatest of ease is akin to the first time I played Mario 64 and felt that sudden rush of freedom.
Your partner (another similarity to ICO, although she doesn't need your assistance nearly as much as Yorda does)talks with you throughout the game, and it gives the game a great sense of realism. At one point I was running through some traps trying to get to the door before it closed but I was a bit too late, so my partner on the other side of the door said something along the lines up "great, now you'll have to do it again!" and my Prince replied in a sarcastic manner. I love that.
The only complaint I have about the game is the frequency of the fighting. The battle system is pretty good, think WW but slower and more repetitive. I would have been happy if I had five minutes worth of baddies to fight every so often, but the battles are much more frequent than that and seem to last forever. It's also not a very good fighting system for the amount of baddies they throw at you at once. It certainly can't match Mark of Kri's incredible multi-person fighting system. So far, that's my only gripe with the game. Everything else is incredible, so I highly suggest that everyone buy it as soon as they can. Sure the reason I got it was because I was able to buy it for only $26, but it's definitely worth $50.