The mini version of The Two Thrones finally brings over almost all moves of the “big” prince. Judged on its own, however, The Two Thrones is still very good. The new additions are nice, but the gameplay and setting still just feels too similar to the predecessors, especially since these have been coming out at a yearly pace. The gameplay is further mixed up with a few chariot race segments, although they can get quite frustrating, since the chariots tend to fall apart quite easily. The Dark Prince also plays a big role in the plot, as the “good” and “bad” parts of the Prince’s personality argue and bicker like Gollum from Lords of the Rings. The problem is, the Dark Prince’s health is constantly depleting, so he has to pick up magical Sands every couple of seconds, making these parts feel like annoying time trials. In these segments, the Dark Prince (as he’s called) wields a huge chain, which can not only demolish bad guys, but is also used to swing Bionic Commando-style from walls and ceilings. The villain seizes the Dagger, sacrifices Kaileena and turns himself into a sand god, while the Prince gets “infected” with the Sands, which turns him into part sand-monster at various points during the game.
Not far into the game, the Prince meets the evil Vizier. The frustratingly uneven distribution of save and reset points, on the other hand, feels more like a throwback to 1989. Apparently, the release of God of War earlier the same year had taken its toll from the Prince as well, as stealth kills and boss battles are determined by quick time events.
The Prince also learned a variant of Sam Fisher’s Split Jump to hold himself in between narrow walls. Considering that combat is still the weakest part of the game, and fights drag on longer than ever before (outside of the passages played as Dark Prince, who is much stronger), it allows smarter gamers to avoid most of it, although you can still rush in and fight if you please. The game seems to have taken some inspiration from Ubisoft’s own Splinter Cell series, as the biggest addition to The Two Thrones are stealth kills, which allow you to take out most enemies quickly and silently. Yet the game is still darker and more violent than The Sands of Time. Forget the stupid battle taunts, angsty voiceover and metal music – Yuri Lowenthal from Sands of Time is back as the Prince’s voice, as well as the sweeping orchestral soundtrack. The gameplay is a mix of The Sands of Time and Warrior Within – the lame backtracking and time traveling elements are gone, but the more advanced combat system is still in place.