Here are two short Club Skill gameplay movies (sorry for the quality):

Video #1
Video #2

So starts Prince of Persia: Revelations, the updated PSP remake of the second instalment to the modernized Prince of Persia series. Since the series demands responsive controls, excellent graphics, and stylish gameplay, it’s no wonder fans questioned Ubisoft’s decision to bring the series to the PSP. After months of anticipation from handheld owners, Revelations has finally arrived with both new features and slight flaws.

Since Revelations is the first game in the series to make it to the PSP, it is not completely the same as Warrior Within - the developers have taken the liberty to add new areas and puzzles. With the inclusion of these, they hoped to create more of a challenge for players, forcing them to learn new combos and techniques, allowing them to progress more smoothly through the game. In some parts, new additions may be as simple as a new gap to jump over; other may add a whole new corridor to the dungeon. To make it through all of these areas, Ubisoft made sure that the moves would be as easy to execute as on the console versions. By stringing together simple combos, players are able to create extravagant, stylish moves to take down their enemies. When fighting multiple demons, the Prince can vault over, spring off the wall and slice, and spin around his foes, all on the single tap of a button. The fighting is both simple and exhilarating- an experience found on no other PSP title. Similarly, the player can maneuver the Prince to run along walls, swing along ropes, and spin around poles very easily. In PSP titles, especially, the camera is often a large issue that takes away from the overall experience. In Revelations, however, the camera is surprisingly easy to manipulate. By holding the L button, players move the trigger left or right to rotate the camera. The view can be centered back on the Prince by tapping the left button on the digital pad, or the player can be shown an overall view of the area by tapping the up button. The camera has yet to cause a problem without the game, and it controls just as it does on the previous versions. Of course, the game wouldn’t be in the series if it didn’t feature the famous “rewind the time” ability, in which the Prince (if acquired enough sand orbs) can return to a point of time within a certain duration if the player makes a deadly error. All of these features combine to make a handheld experience surprisingly similar to that of the console versions.

The Prince of Persia titles, including Warrior Within, have long been famous for their detailed environments and amazing architecture. As soon as the game was announced for the PSP, it was obvious to say that there would be some dramatic reductions in appearance. However, it is surprising that the PSP version looks amazing, keeping awesome effects and detail without harming the performance. Lighting, textures, and particle effects all look awesome on the PSP screen. Some of the effects produced include sparks flying in sword clashes, sand particles emitting from enemies, and dust rising from the floor as the Prince runs across the corridors. His movement, while similar to the animation in the other versions, seems somewhat slow and choppy at times- this may be due to the ghosting that occurs on the PSP screen in most games. As with the lavish detail to his surroundings, the Prince and his enemies look awesome when in full view; their models feature shredded clothing swaying in the movement and flowing hair. When in a real-time cutscene, however, the main character models seem someone bland when compared to those in titles such as GTA: Liberty City Stories. Nonetheless, Revelations is definitely one of the best looking games available on the PSP.

The one category, strangely enough, that takes away from the experience of the game, is the sound. Just like with Warrior Within, the game features ambient style rock tunes that play during action sequences. The rock music seems somewhat unfitting, even with the game’s darker setting, but it is used less frequently than in the console versions and usually helps brew the fighting and tension when it is played. The main problem with this music is not with its composition but with the UMD coding or reading; the music seems to skip every so often after a loading point as the UMD reads very quickly in its slot. I am unsure as to whether this is an error that occurs within specific firmwares (I am using v. 2.0), or a problem with the data itself. The skipping occurs most often after a load, and gradually stops as the game is played more. Though this bug might bother some people, there is thankfully an area in the options menu where the music can be turned off. Similarly, in the beginning of the game more than in other areas, the sound effects seem to be slightly off during a cutscene. Luckily, the effects seem perfectly in sync as the temple begins.

Sound glitches aside, this game is surely a must own for all PSP owners, especially those who have not yet experienced the series. Ubisoft has managed to show other developers how a successful port or remake should be approached, and gamers will definitely enjoy the unique action experience that Revelations includes. With its short load times, great graphics, and gameplay like no other on the handheld, Revelations should appeal to all who are in search for a very satisfying experience, one which will certainly generate hours and hours of use for one's PSP.