ver before has a title had the phrase, "Game Of The Year," mentioned so often in the same breath. To see Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in action is like seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time – it’s simply breathtaking. (And yes, I know that the Taj Mahal isn’t Persian, but it seems appropriate – work with me here).

While I can certainly see how that phrase fits, Prince of Persia isn’t the greatest game ever made, but it is most certainly close. Based in a mythical Persia, where the hero of this story inadvertently unleashes the Sands of Time and dooms his people, the game is played through an ingenious flashback perspective where the player relives this tale.

Sands of Time sets the player in a world where you must jump, flip, tightrope walk, swing, and battle your way through a palace of pitfalls and evil minions. It’s basically an improved version of the gameplay found in Tomb Raider or the critically acclaimed ICO. Of course, those two games owe their very existence to the original Prince of Persia that was released in 1989, but they are excellent examples of how the modernized Prince interacts with his world. However, this title is more like ICO in that navigating the world is extremely easy and intuitive. And this is where the game truly shines.

The Prince is able to seamlessly flow from one move to another. He swings on uneven bars better than any Olympic star. He runs on walls and jumps across deadly chasms as easily as we mere mortals get out of bed. Watching this all unfold is the best part of this entire game.

During your exploration of the levels, the Prince will also encounter a fair amount of puzzles and enemies to defeat. The puzzles are fairly simple and serve as a nice break from the platforming action. The combat, while executed perfectly, tends to grow old in time simply because there is little to no difficulty to defeating this title’s dimwitted enemies. This grows in tedium as the game progresses and the enemy force increases in size.

Luckily, these portions of the game are limited, and while they do drag the overall experience down, they don’t ruin it. Adventure and platform fans absolutely must play Sands of Time. The story is one of the best I’ve seen in recent memory, and all the little bits and pieces, like your femme fatale partner Farah and the ingenious flashback scenes, work to flesh out a game that truly is one of best you will find in 2003.  

ANDREW REINER   9.5 A hard-hitting thrill ride with a sheer visceral charge; The Sands of Time is inexhaustibly inventive, brilliant every step of the way, and one of the year’s best games. Whether running along a wall to clear a gap, flipping over the back of an adversary to apply a final blow, or rewinding time to reattempt a miscalculated jump, I am in complete awe of this title’s unique gameplay mechanics and silky-smooth controls. The Sands of Time is also deserving of accolades for its visual splendor, uniquely crafted puzzles, and expertly designed levels. Even the storytelling commands attention with compelling plot twists and beautifully animated cinematics. The only area where this game shows signs of weakness is in its pacing. Some of the fights in the second half of the game go on for far too long. It’s a small gripe, but something that I’m sure will gnaw on your nerves. Outside of this, The Sands of Time is golden.