Once upon a time in a kingdom far far away, 2D platforming games were a true work of art. Thankfully those days are long behind us as we celebrate the 3D platformer. The Prince of Persia series is well known for its great platforming and its exciting adventures, but will this latest entry wall-run its way to victory.

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands wastes no time and after a short yet beautiful CG cutscene you’re thrown right into the action. The premise of the story revolves around a prince who is visiting another kingdom which belongs to his brother Malik. As he arrives to his brother’s palace, he soon discovers the city to be under attack. In desperation, Malik unleashes a terrible force which begins to consume the palace and everyone in it. In typical Prince like fashion, your goal becomes to rise to the challenge and save the city. The story is fairly entertaining and manages to put across some great magical elements. Voice acting is great, but we still struggle to figure out why the Price of Persia boasts a prim and proper English accent.

The Prince of Persia series is famous for its quality platforming, and The Forgotten Sands raises the bar once again. Players will find themselves jumping and climbing in a whole new array of ways thanks to new powers, which allow you to freeze water and swing your way across ledges or by having to teleport your way across strange static birds and large gaps. All in all, the platforming makes for a highly entertaining gaming experience. The combat has also taken a step up, and players will also have to take on a wealth of different enemies ranging from man sized ones to giants all at the same time. Thankfully you will be able to access and upgrade abilities using points which are acquired by defeating enemies. These powers allow you to make use of the rock, fire, water and ice elements.

Running on the Assassins Creed 2 engine, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands holds its own in terms of visuals. The level design is superb and you will find the palace to be an incredibly beautiful place to be in. The areas are draped in exotic colours and some serious detail can be found in all the levels. The character models are well designed and the prince himself moves ever so fluidly.

If its adventure and mind blowing platforming that you’re looking for, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will not disappoint. It offers a great fantastical story, some equally fantastic gameplay as well as some solid visuals. Hail to the King of platformers!