"I could have had carpets THIS thick!"

I bought Prince of Persia before I even bought a system I could play it on. Needless to say, I was psyched about being able to play it soon. Everything I had seen and heard about the game was good and early reviews were strong. The visual look to the game was gorgeous, and the action part sounded awesome.

The games graphics are beautiful. In an age of gaming where realism is the new sliced bread, Prince of Persia's visual style is a refreshing change of pace. The easiest description is that the visual style is a variation of realistic cel shading. (Think Legend of Zelda: Windwaker). From the opening scenes, you can't help but think about how pretty it looks. More importantly for me though, was the introduction of the characters.

The Prince and Elika are the characters whose journey you follow. The dark god Ahriman has caused the world to be corrupted, and the Prince and Elika must cleanse the lands and defeat Ahriman. Traditional, epic story right? Sort of. Except the Prince is cocky and complains about sand in his boots (and other places) and Elika is sarcastic and rather cold at first.

As you play the game, the Prince and Elika change. Although I have my issues with the game play and can admit there are certain aspects of the game I really don't like, I have to keep going. I have to find out what happens. The storyline is what keeps me playing.

Want a more official review of Prince of Persia? Game Informer online usually does a really good job, so check them out for more information.