King Kong and Prince of Persia
Not much on the personal news side. After I got back from seeing Hayley, a school friend, and her husband, at the Pavilion on Tuesday, I pretty much played Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones the whole day (breaking, of course, for the Survivor: Palau finale. The Prince of Persia games always put my life and other hobbies on hold.
Anyway, in terms of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, this is thee worthy successor to Sands of Time, the first in the newly revived Prince of Persia franchise. The plot involves many of the same characters from Sands of Time, and is a lot more straightforward than the horribly convoluted time-travel tale that was Warrior Within, the second game in the series.
The Prince has redeveloped a personality (and his Sands of Time voice) after his grunting, bland incarnation in Warrior Within. Voice-overs and the use of a story teller (a device from the first game) to advance the plot, are also back.
Most importantly, in The Two Thrones there is perfect balance between combat and puzzle solving, in a linear environment. Warrior Within was a tedious lesson in frustration as you ran back and forth over the same territory facing the same selection of opponents.
Major sells in The Two Thrones are:
- The prince’s alter ego, the Dark Prince: Not only do you get to swing like Tarzan and garrot people using his Daggertail whip, but he has a sarcastic sense of humour. When you are playing as the normal prince, you still get to hear the Dark Prince as he criticises and argues with the prince in an internal dialogue.
- More acrobatic manoeuvres for the prince and Dark Prince, like dangling upside down from chains by your legs, and using the Dagger of Time as a climbing tool. And diagonal jump platforms.
- Regrettably short chariot sequences that mix racing, jumps and combat (and still allow for the rewinding of time, which is extremely impressive when watching a shattered chariot mend itself)
- The much discussed Speed Kill (a system where you can bring about swift, stealthy kills) This said, I’m useless at it, but my many Speed Kill failures do mean I get to indulge in the freeform combat initiated in Warrior Within, and continued in The Two Thrones.
- Better AI with patrolling enemies.
- For the first time in the series, archers are opponents. Ranged attacks add a new challenge.
- Nice touches / attention to detail: enemies infected by the Sands of Time breathe sand
- A return to a purely Arabic themed soundtrack. No Godsmack, as was repeatedly played in every major combat sequence in Warrior Within.
- It runs well and has beautiful lighting effects.
Oh, and as a bonus for the ladies, very early on in the game, the prince has his shirt torn off so you get to admire his well-developed physique, scars and sexy tattoos for pretty much the entire game.
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I also saw King Kong with Paul today. Apart from being a bit slow in parts (which can be explained as an attempt to develop the characters beyond B-grade monster fodder), the film is probably the best mainstream blockbuster of the year.
This is the first King Kong where you simultaneously are convinced that Kong is an ape (watch for a scene where he plays with a dead dinosaur’s jaws) and really feel for his anguish. I cried on and off from the moment the New York sequence of the film begins (everyone, I’m sure, knows the King Kong story’s end).
Performances are excellent. Jack Black does very well in a largely serious role, and Naomi Watts is a very likeable damsel in distress who manages to avoid annoying screaming fits.
Visually the film is stunning. Everything is marvellous an convincing to look at, from Depression era New York, to the ruins of Skull Island. The special effects are superb.
Large portions of the film, particularly on Skull Island, reminded me of the Indiana Jones films. The frenetic action sequences especially. And when it comes to dinosaurs, director Peter Jackson outdoes Steven Spielberg in all respects.
I think though that King Kong’s biggest selling point is that at a time where blockbusters are more preoccupied with action and special effects, that encouraging personal investment in the viewer, King Kong is emotionally involving, mixing humour with pathos.
Just be aware that it is 3 hours long.
Anyway, in terms of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, this is thee worthy successor to Sands of Time, the first in the newly revived Prince of Persia franchise. The plot involves many of the same characters from Sands of Time, and is a lot more straightforward than the horribly convoluted time-travel tale that was Warrior Within, the second game in the series.
The Prince has redeveloped a personality (and his Sands of Time voice) after his grunting, bland incarnation in Warrior Within. Voice-overs and the use of a story teller (a device from the first game) to advance the plot, are also back.
Most importantly, in The Two Thrones there is perfect balance between combat and puzzle solving, in a linear environment. Warrior Within was a tedious lesson in frustration as you ran back and forth over the same territory facing the same selection of opponents.
Major sells in The Two Thrones are:
- The prince’s alter ego, the Dark Prince: Not only do you get to swing like Tarzan and garrot people using his Daggertail whip, but he has a sarcastic sense of humour. When you are playing as the normal prince, you still get to hear the Dark Prince as he criticises and argues with the prince in an internal dialogue.
- More acrobatic manoeuvres for the prince and Dark Prince, like dangling upside down from chains by your legs, and using the Dagger of Time as a climbing tool. And diagonal jump platforms.
- Regrettably short chariot sequences that mix racing, jumps and combat (and still allow for the rewinding of time, which is extremely impressive when watching a shattered chariot mend itself)
- The much discussed Speed Kill (a system where you can bring about swift, stealthy kills) This said, I’m useless at it, but my many Speed Kill failures do mean I get to indulge in the freeform combat initiated in Warrior Within, and continued in The Two Thrones.
- Better AI with patrolling enemies.
- For the first time in the series, archers are opponents. Ranged attacks add a new challenge.
- Nice touches / attention to detail: enemies infected by the Sands of Time breathe sand
- A return to a purely Arabic themed soundtrack. No Godsmack, as was repeatedly played in every major combat sequence in Warrior Within.
- It runs well and has beautiful lighting effects.
Oh, and as a bonus for the ladies, very early on in the game, the prince has his shirt torn off so you get to admire his well-developed physique, scars and sexy tattoos for pretty much the entire game.
--
I also saw King Kong with Paul today. Apart from being a bit slow in parts (which can be explained as an attempt to develop the characters beyond B-grade monster fodder), the film is probably the best mainstream blockbuster of the year.
This is the first King Kong where you simultaneously are convinced that Kong is an ape (watch for a scene where he plays with a dead dinosaur’s jaws) and really feel for his anguish. I cried on and off from the moment the New York sequence of the film begins (everyone, I’m sure, knows the King Kong story’s end).
Performances are excellent. Jack Black does very well in a largely serious role, and Naomi Watts is a very likeable damsel in distress who manages to avoid annoying screaming fits.
Visually the film is stunning. Everything is marvellous an convincing to look at, from Depression era New York, to the ruins of Skull Island. The special effects are superb.
Large portions of the film, particularly on Skull Island, reminded me of the Indiana Jones films. The frenetic action sequences especially. And when it comes to dinosaurs, director Peter Jackson outdoes Steven Spielberg in all respects.
I think though that King Kong’s biggest selling point is that at a time where blockbusters are more preoccupied with action and special effects, that encouraging personal investment in the viewer, King Kong is emotionally involving, mixing humour with pathos.
Just be aware that it is 3 hours long.
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