ESRB rating: Teen - Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Awards:
Game of the year: Electronic Gaming Monthly, Penny Arcade (2003)
Editor’s Choice Award: IGN.com, Gamespot (2003)
Best Action/Adventure Game: E3 2003 Game Critics Awards
Excellence in Game Design: Game Developers Choice Awards (2004)
Description:
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action-adventure game about a prince who comes across a mysterious dagger and hourglass after defeating an empire with his father. A local Vizier uses the prince's ambition to trick him into unlocking the Sands of Time, the evil curse contained by these artifacts. The curse turns everyone into monsters and only the prince, the Vizier and Princess Farah, who becomes the prince’s accomplice, aren’t transformed because they have amulets that protect them. Through the game, players explore a palace in order to contain the curse, uncovering more elements of the story in their quest. The prince faces numerous enemies along the way and engages in highly acrobatic combat with them. The dagger allows the prince to slow down or turn back time, which lets him undo harm done in the recent past.
Despite its Teen rating and frequent combat, The Sands of Time involves elaborate acrobatics and requires strong puzzle solving skills. The game's graphics are quite impressive, which captivate the player and give the game a more cinematographic feel. This, along with the game's original music, enhances The Sands of Time’s narrative appeal.
Trailer:
Why the library should carry it:
The Sands of Time shows several aspects of human nature, including the risk of blind ambition and our tendency to divide the world into “good guys” and “bad guys”. The game can be used to discuss the perception of winners in history and teaches a good lesson about forgiving enemies.
