While I’ve been waiting for my copy of Batman Arkham Asylum to arrive from BestBuy.ca I played and finished Prince of Persia for the Xbox 360. I love this game – everything from the art-style to the audio and the great controls is top notch. Yes, it’s true that you pretty much can’t die (your companion Elika saves you at the last minute) I think it works well and encourages exploration by not punishing you if you try a jump that doesn`t work. I also love the interactions between the two main characters, the `Prince` and the Princess Elika. At numerous times through the game you can hit the Left Trigger to initiate a conversation between Elika and the main character and these really help flesh out the story of the world. Of course, if you don’t give a crap about the story you don’t have to hit the trigger and you can just play but I think you’d be missing out. Not only are these conversations written well, there is some genuine charm behind the banter between the two characters. The fact that Elika also serves a gameplay function further helps to really create a tangible bond between these two characters. Unlike, that idiot Dom in Gears of War she wasn’t a clichéd annoyance tagging along for the ride – she’s actually a character you enjoyed having around, much like Alyx in Half Life 2.

However, what prompted me to write today is the ending of the game. Now, if you haven`t finished the game skip the next few paragraphs – or better yet, go play the game and come back.

At the end of Prince of Persia Elika dies. Okay, not a big deal, there have been other tragic endings in videogames but what makes this one stand out is what Ubisoft pretty much force you to do afterwards – bring her back to life and the only way to do this is by freeing the evil god Arhiman you spent the entire game trying to imprison! Upon awaking Elika`s first, and only, word is; “Why?” A good question because she willingly sacrificed herself to save her kingdom from Arhiman.

Now if this sequence was a non-interactive cut-scene it wouldn`t be that perplexing as the protagonist has his own motivations for bringing back Elika; throughout their conversations during the game it`s apparent that he values human life more than the inanimate structures of the Princess` kingdom, he doesn’t believe in fate, and of course, he has feelings for her.

But it is not a non-interactive cut-scene. There is a cut-scene where you imprison Arhiman and Elika sacrifices herself and is placed on an altar outside the great temple. Thereafter, the player is given control of the protagonist and there is nothing else to do in the game but save the princess by releasing Arhiman again. There`s no choice of leaving her, honouring her sacrifice and ending the game. Instead the only way to `finish` the game is to undo everything you did in the last 8 or so hours. It`s a very strange feeling to be almost forced to do something you don`t agree with and it`s also the first time I can remember when my motivations have been polar opposite to the motivations of the character I am controlling in the game. Yes, the `Prince` would want to save Elika but I don`t want to and I am controlling him! Again, if this was all out of my hand then I think I would have been able to accept it but to be given the illusion of choice was a bit off-putting. Even my wife who watched the ending was asking why I was releasing Arhiman and my only answer was that it was the only way to finish the game.

While the ending didn’t sully my enjoyment of the rest of the game it did leave me feeling a tad manipulated. Of course, not everyone will share my opinion of the ‘right’ thing to do and if you wanted to save Elika then you’re motivations would be absolutely congruent with the Prince’s and the ending would be fine.

In the grand-scheme of things it does allow Elika to be present in the inevitable sequel which is a positive (though Ubisoft could have just kept her alive at the end of this game).

Lavan
(would willingly let a woman die.....to save the world)