Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
A stylus-driven Prince of Persia spin-off for the DS.
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King is a 2008 platform game for the Nintendo DS, developed and published by Ubisoft as a spin-off of the Prince of Persia series. Its story involves a celestial conflict between the gods Ahriman and Ormazd, with the player controlling both the Prince and his ally Zal. The game received mixed reviews, with critics most frequently citing issues with its control scheme.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Ubisoft Casablanca
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Producer
- David Blanchard
- Designer
- Abdelwahed Benyahya
- Artist
- Sanaa Mejjadi
- Programmer
- Idir Boumahdi
- Composer
- Inon Zur; Stuart Chatwood
- Series
- Prince of Persia
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The player's goal is to collect four pieces of a magical seal to banish the god Ahriman. Movement, acrobatics, combat, and Zal's magic are all controlled via the Nintendo DS stylus by tapping the touchscreen. At certain points Zal becomes Corrupted, requiring the Prince to pursue and defeat him; after defeat, Zal sometimes gains new powers that enable more advanced platforming. Platforming involves tapping the screen in the desired direction, such as tapping up a wall then a rope. Combat offers three stylus-based options: a sword strike, a block, and a magic attack from Zal that causes enemies to recoil without dealing damage.
Plot synopsis
Set in ancient Persia within the fictional City of the New Dawn, the story follows the Prince and his companion Zal after the events of Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia Epilogue. The Prince has separated from Elika and seeks the king of the City of New Dawn, hoping the king can summon Ormazd. Zal, one of the king's Magi, joins the Prince to save the city from the god Ahriman's corruption. Zal later reveals that the king was split into a corrupted beast and himself. With guidance from the Ancestor, the Prince and Zal fuse into one being, combining Zal's powers with the Prince's acrobatics. They defeat the king's monstrous half, freeing Zal but causing his death. The Prince then cleanses the land by reaching the city's seal, and the Ancestor leaves a message of hope.
Reception
The game earned modest review scores, with a GameRankings average of 64.63% and a Metacritic score of 64 out of 100. The control scheme was the most common criticism; IGN's Matt Casamassina called it passable but less responsive than traditional controls, while 1UP.com's Anthony Gallegos noted the lack of D-pad options. Some reviewers also found the game too lengthy; Gallegos felt it became artificially long, as if good ideas were stretched with a level generator. GameSpot's Carolyn Petit praised the Prince character as more likable than in the console version, though IGN's Casamassina criticized the DS Prince's visual charm, calling him the worst-looking iteration since the franchise's reboot.
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