Blog Quest 3...

Everyone's a Critic

When the 2008 release of Prince of Persia was first announced I was excited to say the least and looking forward to a game that delivered a riveting experience similar to that of the trilogy it was following. Once I finally got my hands on a copy, I was disappointed with what I saw. Not because the game lacked the fine elements that make them great, but because it just wasn't what I had expected from the series and was geared more towards an audience that appreciates art and design. In all fairness, Prince of Persia was a release that had nothing to do with the trilogy and was created as a completely different game. I suppose it just didn't appeal to my playing style or maybe I just didn't find what I was desperately seeking - another game from the original trilogy. 

This blog will discuss the structure of Prince of Persia breaking it down its formal elements and exploring them further. This can be considered a review or just an analysis of the game's elements, either ways I would like you to join me on the mystical journey full of corruption and salvage. Hold on tight, we're not in the Sultan's Palace anymore.

For those of you who aren't too familiar with Prince of Persia, here's a trailer to refresh your memory or get you acquainted with the lore of the land. 

Players

Prince of Persia follows the Prince, whose name is coincidentally never revealed in the game, as fate brings him to an encounter with Elika, a woman in desperate search of a way to free her land of darkness. As the unnamed Prince goes on his adventure, the player gets to interact with Elika who is an essential part of gameplay and the key that unlocks several areas within the game world. Since there is only one player present, there isn't much room for interactivity between players as the game is solely action/adventure and does not include a multiplayer component. 

The player controls the Prince who is, in turn, responsible for Elika and her well-being. Elika, however, is capable of sustaining herself and is more of a help than a hindrance. The player must guide the Prince through the maze of the land and bring Elika to areas from where she is able to restore light to the rest of the world. The player interaction mode is that of single player versus the game world as there is no multiplayer or split-screen. 

Objectives

The Prince and Elika are on a mission to restore the world and cleanse darkness spread by Ahriman who was freed from the Tree of Life. In order to do this, they must heal Fertile Grounds in the kingdom, in essence, ridding the area of corruption. As the Prince follows Elika around he is propelled by a desire to get to the bottom of the corruption and perhaps to help a woman he begins to grow fond of. You must travel to various locations, traverse the world and find wells from which Elika may restore light to the land. 

This objective remains constant throughout the game although the player is also meant to be motivated by the plot as it twists and turns. These additional objectives to get to the bottom of where Elika comes from, who her people are, why her father turned against them and how to stop Ahriman, drive the player forward and compel them to figure things out for themselves. Secondary objectives include navigating the vast open lands littered with corrupted, defeating these enemies whenever they rear their head. This includes defeating the Warrior, the Hunter, the Concubine and the Alchemist - the four corrupted leaders Ahriman chose to set free.

The general objective present in Prince of Persia include exploration of the environment, outwitting the corrupted and racing against time to free the kingdom of corruption. Rescuing Elika's father and the rest of her people is also the main general objective within the game.

Procedures

The starting action in Prince of Persia would be selecting a new game and entering the game world as the Prince. Ongoing procedures (progression of action) in Prince of Persia consist of running, jumping, climbing, scaling, wall running and fighting. The Prince uses these procedures to navigate the environment, fight off corruption and get Elika to light wells from where she is able to heal part of the kingdom. Various acrobatic maneuvers help the Prince get around while engaging in battle allows the Prince to defeat corruption one area at a time. Double-jumping causes the player to employ the help of Elika who carrier the Prince farther by holding on and swinging him through to the next platform. Elika is also very helpful during battle, coming to the Prince's aid during combat and destroying the corruption once weakened by the Prince. Elika also gets the player through grievous mistakes made by picking the Prince up before he falls to his death. This procedure essentially ensures that death is not possible within the game world. Another important procedure is the use of the Prince's blue guiding light which tells him where to go should he find himself lost. 

Special actions take place at red, yellow, green or blue pressure plates which either launch the Prince or cause him to defy gravity by horizontally scaling vertical surfaces. Healing parts of the land and defeating bosses brings levels to a close by freeing them of corruption and opening up a new area to explore. The resolving action within Prince of Persia may be considered completing the game's story, but again the player does not decide this, the system does. It is only when the story is over that the action is resolved but this doesn't happen till the system decides that it is over. In other words, the player has no way of knowing when the game is over, till it's over. 

Procedural limitations include walls that can't be scaled or run across, poles that can't be climbed, gaps too far to jump across and areas that cannot be explored due to excessive corruption. 

Rules

The rules of Prince of Persia are pretty straight-forward and simple. The player must remain within the boundaries of the game world or will be reset to the area just before the boundary. The rules that define objects and concepts include the Prince's acrobatic ability that allows him to navigate certain pre-destined areas but not anywhere he would like. This is important as the Prince is not able to traverse walls with no vines or run across ones with no scratches embedded. Light orbs unlock areas on the map and also do a decent job of guiding the player on where to go. The pressure plates can only be used in bursts for short periods of time and cannot be avoided as they are necessary for progression. The Prince's sword is used to fight the corrupted and nothing else. The Prince's claws are used to run on walls and climb surfaces. 

The physical boundary of the level acts as a rule restricting actions as do wide open spaces where the Prince may only follow a pre-determined path or fall to his doom. The number of light orbs collected determined whether or not the pair of heroes may progress through the game limiting them from going anywhere they want at any time. The corruption also behaves restrictively not allowing the player to continue to the next area until the land is cleansed. Corrupted must be destroyed at any encounter before progressing. In terms of rules determining effects, the color of pressure plate determines your method of travel from one area to another and the number of light orbs collected determines whether or not you can move on. Corrupted bosses also determine whether you may or may not cleanse an area (they must be defeated before this effect can take place).

Resources

The only resources present in Prince of Persia are light seeds which must be collected in order for Elika to cleanse an area of land, consequently unlocking a new area to explore and navigate. Although light orbs are everywhere, a number of them must be collected before Elika can perform her magic. Additionally, some light seeds are scattered in areas that take a bit of navigation to get to. You want to make sure you get all the light seeds you can although backtracking is inevitable.

Conflict

Conflict in Prince of Persia stems from the corrupted and the obstacles they present. Often you aren't able to continue a level until you defeat a member of the corrupted who engages you in combat as soon as he is discovered. Bigger, badder bosses play this role as well and are a lot harder to defeat. It takes time and precision as well as patience to bring down any one of the four main bosses protecting the corrupted in any particular area of the map. Obstacles that hinder progression include general architecture that can be moved by solving a puzzle or finding a lever that will pull down a draw-bridge or extend a platform. An important conflict in Prince of Persia rises in the form of dilemmas about where to go or how to get there. Most players try to figure this out for themselves although the guiding light does a good enough job helping you get to where you need to go. Dilemmas also exist in the forms of deciding how to collect certain precariously placed light seeds in the environment. 

Boundaries

The player's acrobatic abilities restrict the area the Prince is able to maneuver in addition to the bounding platforms and overall area. If an attempt is made to jump off a ledge, the Prince is caught by Elika and brought back to a safe area. The Prince is also restricted by the areas that are open or that he may open depending upon the number of light seeds in his possession. The corrupted also act as boundaries to progression, especially the bosses who must be defeated in order to guide Elika to the temple where she may cleanse the land. The Prince cannot simply climb whatever he wants to or run on any wall he wants to. Physical property boundaries restrict him from going where he wants in a level. There are of course areas the Prince isn't meant to go (designer-restricted) which are unreachable by normal means.

Outcome

Once the Prince is able to bring Elika to a temple, she goes on to get rid of the corruption and free the land. Once this has been done successfully, the player may move on to any other land they have unlocked. If you fail, you get an infinite number of lives as health is irrelevant in Prince of Persia. Once you get to the last boss, defeating him allows you to complete the story and see how it all turns out. While the story is captivating and enticing, the outcome leaves the player wanting more and sets the game up for a sequel. Winning the game gives you the chance to find out what happens and is a fair outcome for all the uncertainty and tension built up in the storyline throughout the game. The resolution is not exactly satisfying as the Prince brings back the corruption in an effort to save Elika. The outcome is the simple lesson that love conquers all.

In Conclusion

Just as the Elika and the Prince work together in harmony, so do the elements within Prince of Persia. It's streamlined gameplay and terrific level design put it a notch above most game of its time. It dared to take a risk by going with a unique art style and re-worked combat system, but the designers' vision paid off. The rules are pretty straightforward and aid in setting the boundaries quite well. The procedures of gameplay make it clear what the Prince can or cannot do and this is learnt as the player continues on through the story. New mechanics are introduced gradually as the player is made to feel more and more comfortable in the sandals of the Prince and at no point does gameplay or combat feel harsh and rushed. The conflict seems natural and the outcome is unique but the game makes no excuses as it successfully manages to do what it came to do - tell a detailed and well-woven story between moments of smooth gameplay that seems effortless on the part of the Prince and Elika. Although the story is straight-forward and the Prince's objectives are clear, there are several complex undertones that give way to the conflicts which prevent the duo's progression. Corruption represents obstacles throughout the Prince's journey and prevents him from accessing areas he's not yet meant to.

All in all, the elements of the game come together nicely and remain consistent, simple and straight-forward throughout the game. The designers chose to exploit these specific formal elements in order to take the player's focus away from hack and slash and move it towards the beautiful story and intricate level design. The Prince has his sword and his feet and that's it. It may be simple but it gets you to where you need to be and focuses your attention on the finer details of the game world. These elements join well to create a game that is not only known for it's unique platforming, but for it's terrific attention to detail and exemplary game design.