A word of warning before we begin: In case you were expecting a computer generated Jake Gyllenhaal running around the screen, this game is NOT based upon the new Prince of Persia movie. In truth, bar the fact that it features the Persian Prince himself, this has barely anything to do with the big budgeted Hollywood blockbuster. What we have here is the latest instalment in the Prince of Persia gaming franchise, with the events chronologically taking place in-between The Sands of Time and The Warrior Within.

For many gamers, the Prince of Persia series peaked way back in 2003 with the release of The Sands of Time. Since then, whilst there have been several sequels released by Ubisoft attempting to recapture the magic of that title, yet not one game since has ever equalled the winning formula that Sands presented us with. Sure, each and every Prince of Persia game involves the same tried and tested combination of sword fighting and dazzling aerobatics, but for some reason they have never been quite as addictive as Sands of Time. Call it what you will, but that special ingredient, that ‘x factor’, has never been quite right. Now, nearly eight years since that groundbreaking game was released, and timed to tie in nicely with the first film, we come to The Forgotten Sands. So the big question is; can Ubisoft recapture the glory days of old?

Playability-wise, it is almost there, and as a game is both addictive and fun to play. However, the graphics really let the side down, and the presentation as a whole seems to be more rushed and half completed – it seems that the developers were on a strict deadline to have everything finished on time to coincide with the movie’s release date. The storyline is another weak point, and I was never really that interested in why the in-game events were taking place. Unfortunately for The Forgotten Sands, presentation and storytelling wee an area that The Sands of Time really excelled.

Still, small and minor gripes aside, what we have here is a competent platformer that almost, but only narrowly misses out on reaching the glorious heights of 2003’s heydays. There is plenty here to keep your occupied – the frustration level is low enough to keep you coming back for more, the in-game experience system allows you to power up and develop new abilities, and the mixture of combat and puzzles is as fun as it ever was. If only the presentation and graphics could have been a little better, then we could have had a real winner on our hands.