Prince of Persia - The Two Thrones was one of the most anticipated games of 2005, and one of the most disappointing for me. A good overall game that brings very little freshness to the scene.<br /><br />UbiSoft should definitely be praised for the upgrades this game has brought compared to the previous titles. Graphically, the game looks and plays much smoother, but there are no real new technical enhancements to speak of.<br /><br />The music also returns to a much more Persian feel, compared to Warrior Within. A feature that 99% of the fans might consider an improvement... but I'm part of the 1%. As an overall aesthetic choice, it does bring more immersiveness to the environment, but since 50% of the action takes place while you chop off the heads off random creatures, the metal beat of WW just felt more adequate (imo).<br /><br />The Dark Prince also brings about a new dynamic to the world, as the often humorous verbal encounters between the Prince and his corrupted self caused me to stop playing for a minute or two, just to better enjoy their bickering. Rick Miller is to be commended for brining the Prince's dark persona to life.<br /><br />What I didn't really enjoy about the game on the other hand... would be a bit more controversial. Yuri Lowenthal for example. Don't get me wrong, his voice acting is top-notch, what really disappointed me is that I was expecting to see a much more mature Prince in this third and final installment. Instead, I was treated with a 'younger' Prince of both voice and behavior. I understand how he went through a rough time in Warrior Within, and after his victory over death he felt free once again... but it just felt like he went from 18 (Sands of Time) to 24 (Warrior Within) back to 18 in Two Thrones. It didn't feel right.<br /><br />One other criticism I have is the speed kill system. Although an interesting concept, it was rather poorly executed, from several standpoints. Firstly, it is painfully repetitive. Fight 5-10 creatures, and you already got enough of it. Not to mention that it's incredibly frustrating to screw up a speed kill, and then be forced to fight your target with the incredibly ineffective dagger, from which the targets take no damage. Bosses liven things up a bit, since most of them are a bit more dynamic, but the bosses are so few and far between it didn't really feel like the trade-off of 5 hours of repetitive gameplay to get me to one dynamic part was worth it. A system where I could be able to build my own combos would of been orgasmic, but I guess that's just too much wishful thinking.<br /><br />My last criticism would be pointed at the game's linearity. Throughout development, we were promised free-roaming through the streets of Babylon. What we were served was one of the most linear experiences in the past 2-3 years in video games. Oh, and the game itself is so criminally short it can be finished in 5 hours, whereas Warrior Within or Sands of Time take a solid 10+ hours.<br /><br />Overall it was as good a game as the other Prince of Persia titles, one of the best of 2005 as well, but it was much less than we were promised, and WAY LESS than I had anticipated. For all the praise it got, it makes me wonder about the gaming community.<br /><br />(Edited on 2nd December 2008, original on Febuary 2006)