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First Real Gameplay Video of New Prince of Persia Game

Posted by timothy on from the slightly-better-than-dragon's-lair dept.

An anonymous reader writes "After all the screenshot leaks and poor screenshot videos, here's finally the first official game play video of Prince of Persia:Next Generation. It was released at E3 just some hours ago. Wow, I just love their new artistic direction, this game will be a killer!"

48 comments

  1. Nope by ledow · · Score: -1, Troll

    First, nothing says this is gameplay footage, not even the page itself. It says "trailer".

    Secondly, if it IS gameplay, it's going to be the worst game in the world to control. The camera zooms about absolutely everywhere, in silly places, with little or no thought of what it's looking at or why it's chosen that angle (which suggests a bad camera director of a trailer than a game THAT poor at picking an angle).

    Third, some parts of it look absolutely grotesque. All the character's 3D models have outlines, ffs. The "grass" at the end looks like something out of Doom. The only decent parts are the far-off windmills over the town.

    Fourth, there is nothing of actual GAMEPLAY here, such as what you're doing, how you fight, how you see where to go next. NOTHING. It's some 3D models in an empty arena doing lots of jumping about to random locations.

    If it's gameplay, count me out. If it's a trailer, it's a truly pitiful trailer, that really doesn't deserve a link, let alone a front-page one.

    1. Re:Nope by eebra82 · · Score: 1

      I agree that the visuals look very strange, not to mention the strange cartoonish style on the main characters.

      What bothered me even more was how far off they've gone from the dark atmosphere. And who the hell chose that song for the trailer?

      Anyway, I was expecting the prince to talk in the trailer and reveal some of the plot instead of some silly centaur fights.

      --
      Full Tilt
    2. Re:Nope by wild_quinine · · Score: 4, Insightful

      some parts of it look absolutely grotesque. All the character's 3D models have outlines, ffs. The "grass" at the end looks like something out of Doom. The only decent parts are the far-off windmills over the town.

      Mod parent troll, blind, or a Philistine. I think the complex cell-shading effect is absolutely delicious.

      It's got 'outlines, ffs.' FFS indeed.

    3. Re:Nope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it's gameplay, count me out. If it's a trailer, it's a truly pitiful trailer, that really doesn't deserve a link, let alone a front-page one.

      Yeah well, I thought it looked cool.

    4. Re:Nope by denton420 · · Score: 0

      The website linked is www.gametrailers.com...

      I loled

    5. Re:Nope by radarjd · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Secondly, if it IS gameplay, it's going to be the worst game in the world to control. The camera zooms about absolutely everywhere, in silly places, with little or no thought of what it's looking at or why it's chosen that angle (which suggests a bad camera director of a trailer than a game THAT poor at picking an angle).

      My guess is they meant "in-engine" as opposed to actual gameplay.

      some parts of it look absolutely grotesque. All the character's 3D models have outlines, ffs. The "grass" at the end looks like something out of Doom. The only decent parts are the far-off windmills over the town.

      I'm not a huge fan of cel shading myself, but I'd still say it looks pretty good. Sure, it's a different direction from the previous games, but this has been a series that re-invents itself.

      If it's a trailer, it's a truly pitiful trailer, that really doesn't deserve a link, let alone a front-page one.

      I would say it does a pretty good job of presenting the game's graphic potential, hints at some 2 player or somehow 1 player combined (i.e. controlling 2 characters or working with AI) gameplay, and displays that there will be fighting and platforming. I got all of that from the trailer -- I'm not sure what more you'd get in a minute.

    6. Re:Nope by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Secondly, if it IS gameplay, it's going to be the worst game in the world to control. The camera zooms about absolutely everywhere, in silly places, with little or no thought of what it's looking at or why it's chosen that angle (which suggests a bad camera director of a trailer than a game THAT poor at picking an angle).

      Try playing one of the previous Prince of Persia games. You will find the zippy camera plays to it's strengths, and the controls are tight and effective. Then you will understand.

      Third, some parts of it look absolutely grotesque. All the character's 3D models have outlines, ffs. The "grass" at the end looks like something out of Doom. The only decent parts are the far-off windmills over the town.

      Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are many who like this artistic style, but you obviously are not one of them. Don't buy this game then.

      Fourth, there is nothing of actual GAMEPLAY here, such as what you're doing, how you fight, how you see where to go next. NOTHING. It's some 3D models in an empty arena doing lots of jumping about to random locations.

      This trailer was designed to show previous Prince of Persia fans the differences from the previous games. The only fault I find with it is that is was not designed for the uninitiated. Much of Prince of Persia has been in the platforming aspect of it. Impossible climbs, death-defying jumps and acrobatic maneuvers are part of the norm in this series, and part of what sets it apart from other action-adventures games.

      Shame on them for making a trailer based on it's strengths and differences, rather then one showing how it's just like any other game.

    7. Re:Nope by ampathee · · Score: 1

      Pff, it looks like crap to me. I'm all for interesting new art styles, but this just doesn't fit the game. And it's overdone.

      Cel-shading is hardly avant-garde these days, anyway.

  2. Sarcasm? by skeeto · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Wow, I just love their new artistic direction, this game will be a killer!"

    What's with the sarcasm in the summary? Oh... he was being serious.

    1. Re:Sarcasm? by Project2501a · · Score: 1

      Wow, I just love their new artistic direction, this game will be a killer!"

      What's with the sarcasm in the summary? Oh... he was being serious.

      With any luck the designers will cough the location of the body and get reduced sentence.

      --
      ----
    2. Re:Sarcasm? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I haven't followed PoP development since the first game, but what could possibly go wrong in Persia that where you used to have Persians in pajamas you have now ugly 2m monsters? Oh, sorry, I had forgotten about Bush invading it.

    3. Re:Sarcasm? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oddly, this game is supposed to be an "Ipod Killer."

      No, don't ask me how that's possible, but it's going down.

  3. Youtube link... by superash · · Score: 3, Informative

    For those who don't have Media player plugin - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CNLM7XPCCU

    1. Re:Youtube link... by fan+of+lem · · Score: 1

      thank you.

  4. I want TSoT back by Trojan35 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Honestly. I loved that game because it was so unique. It had such a light-hearted feel to the action and made the prince a very likeable character. The second two had the boring "dark tormented hero" theme I've seen a thousand times.

    Whether or not I buy this game will entire depend on the reviews of the story. If it's a unique feel I'm back in, otherwise, just another action/platformer IMO.

    1. Re:I want TSoT back by quest(answer)ion · · Score: 0

      Honestly. I loved that game because it was so unique. It had such a light-hearted feel to the action and made the prince a very likeable character. The second two had the boring "dark tormented hero" theme I've seen a thousand times.

      /seconded.

      the hero of the recent games was, unfortunately, a one-dimensional sword/demonchain wielding piece of cardboard. while that was entertaining in some of the cutscenes, i'm sure "lololol, are they serious?" was not what the developers were going for.

      the graphics do look pretty, but graphics and gameplay weren't really lacking in the most recent installments--just character design and storytelling.

      --
      /. is what happens when geeks talk. get used to it.
    2. Re:I want TSoT back by GleeBot · · Score: 1

      Don't sell the gameplay short. Sands of Time had absolutely revolutionary gameplay in its day; still does, to some extent.

    3. Re:I want TSoT back by EvolutionsPeak · · Score: 1

      I agree completely. Sands of Time was a platforming puzzle game with a sprinkle of action. The latter two were hack and slash platformers with some jumping and climbing.

    4. Re:I want TSoT back by Von+Helmet · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't go that far. They still had plenty of platforming, but it was in more even measure with the combat. In addition, TT suffered - in my opinion - because the platforming elements were so contrived. Plates in the wall to stick a knife in? Spingy shutters in walls all over the place? Umm... OK. SoT and WW made it feel like you were navigating real rooms and buildings with your acrobatic skills. TT made it feel like you were navigating rooms and buildings that have been designed specifically for your acrobatic skills.

    5. Re:I want TSoT back by rkanodia · · Score: 3, Funny

      So true. I always wondered what the inhabitants of those buildings did to get around.

      Architect: Well your majesty, to reach the third floor, you jump on this springboard, grab that flagpole, spin around it, use your momentum to wall-run to that curtain, which you climb to the le-
      Sultan: Always with the wall-running! What about installing some fucking stairs? I'd like to try STAIR-running one of these days, like a normal monarch.

  5. Okami returns as... by EricR86 · · Score: 0, Troll

    *Game designer thinks*

    A prince! Of... persia!

  6. Pessimist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Do you live in New York or something?

  7. Very excited for the game now by ssfsx17 · · Score: 1

    I, for one, am very stoked about the game after seeing this trailer and am really looking forward to it. The gameplay has already been done three times, so they only need to show what's new since the last game. The way that the supporting female is able to do platforming alongside the hero is a very welcome change from previous games. I applaud the development team for having the courage to follow their own artistic vision - a rarity for most big-budget games these days.

    --
    "People are easily amused by quotes." - Some guy with a cool-sounding name.
  8. Hmmm by berenixium · · Score: 0

    Prince of Persiacraft.

  9. Needs to be ported to Macs by Renderer+of+Evil · · Score: 1

    Ubisoft should show respect for the game and release it on Macs as well. The platform which popularized the game should get in on the PoP 2008 action.

    1. Re:Needs to be ported to Macs by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      The platform which popularized the game should get in on the PoP 2008 action.

      You mean the C64? Don't think that would work...

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    2. Re:Needs to be ported to Macs by Creepy · · Score: 1

      You mean Apple ][ - it was ported to C64 and other platforms. Really it was probably popularized most on NES.

      I played it first on Apple ][ and solved it first on Macintosh (I also played the NES version, but console controls always were difficult for me). I also beat PoP 2 on mac, but I remember that one being frustratingly difficult. I tried PoP 3D (on PC) at a store and disliked it intensely, so gave up on the series then (I did play the demo for Warrior Within, but didn't care for it).

  10. More of the same... by MaWeiTao · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I like the visual style. Looking at what I guess must be a gameplay video my concern is that it feels very reminiscent of the last few Prince of Persia games.

    First, I didn't like the artificial environments. The developers seem eager to depict a realistic world, but then force platforming into it. So the end result is game that is constantly reminding me I'm playing a game and completely ruining any suspension of disbelief. Either go for pure platforming and more convincing realism.

    Even worse than that, however, was the timed events. They may make for dramatic camera angles, but they're frustrating and are an impediment to more fluid and entertaining gameplay. Timed events should have ended with Space Ace and Dragon's Lair.

    I didn't like the goofy, generic tormented hero theme from the previous games appealing. From a visual standpoint this game seems to have potential, but unfortunately, it's looking to me like it's going to be more of the same with updated graphics.

    1. Re:More of the same... by TheSambassador · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's very difficult, if not impossible, to make a platformer like Prince of Persia in a "realistic environment." That's why it's a fantasy environment.

      Sure, it can get a bit ridiculous. But the game is supposed to have its main focus on platforming (that's what PoP games have always focused on) and to have the fun platforming that we've all come to love, they have to be "different" environments.

      However, I don't know how I feel about this new installment. I like the way the characters looked, but everything else didn't look that impressive.

    2. Re:More of the same... by Von+Helmet · · Score: 1

      Which of the Sands games are you talking about? It sounds a lot like Two Thrones, to be honest, which does a terrible job in terms of platforming. Sands Of Time had masterful platforming, which did not feel nearly as contrived, as the platforming elements in the environment were much more subtle.

    3. Re:More of the same... by gknoy · · Score: 1

      Even worse than that, however, was the timed events. They may make for dramatic camera angles, but they're frustrating and are an impediment to more fluid and entertaining gameplay.

      As frustrating as the times things were (get past these before the ticker runs out and you have to go back and do it again because the door closed), it still felt somewhat realistic -- in that I always felt like it was believable for there to be some clockwork mechanism behind the scenes.

      Now, the realism of there BEING such absurd and convoluted traps to get to ${LOCATION} were a bit of a stretch -- surely the cleaning staff, or the collector or whoever the Authorized Entity was would not need to go through all those traps. :D

  11. Prince of Ico? by dveditz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Did anyone else think "Prince of Ico"? Climbing a desolate tower, dragging a princess of some sort around, beating black snot out of monsters...

    1. Re:Prince of Ico? by deathtopaulw · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes that is the point.
      The PoP team has always said ICO is their favorite game, and continue to show their love for it more and more as time goes on.
      Anything that raises awareness of ICO is good in my book.

    2. Re:Prince of Ico? by Goaway · · Score: 1

      The new batch of Prince of Persia games have been pretty derivative of Ico since the first one.

      Which is sort of funny considering how derivative Ico was of the original Prince of Persia.

  12. Variety, too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I liked the whole "throw your woman at the monster" attack.

    More women should be willing to become deadly projectiles, IMO.

  13. Music... by tambo · · Score: 1

    Anyone else think that the music sounds like Sigur Ros?

    - David Stein

    --
    Computer over. Virus = very yes.
    1. Re:Music... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is Sigur Ross

  14. In case anybody was wondering... by paranand · · Score: 1

    the music in the trailer was Icelandic band Sigur Ros, off their album Takk ("Thank You"), I thought it was really interesting that they used a song that was written only to convey emotion without using words that many are familiar with, while completely eschewing the standard heavy-handed voice over. Maybe it's their way of saying that they really are trying to do things differently, and let the gameplay and visuals speak for themselves. In any event, I have to think that if they pull this off, it could be a unique and hopefully incredible gaming experience. And no, I'm not on their payroll, I just like art and had fun with Sands of Time and the last one.

  15. Not a game play video! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is not a game play video. Doesn't really matter if you like the style or not, the camera angles alone clearly reveal that this is NOT how you see the game while you play it.

    In case you wonder how a game play video looks like, try play the Diablo 3 video. Now that's a game play video, where you can clearly see they have an actual engine.

    In this Prince of Persia video the thing might as well have been done in any 3D modeling software, which unfortunately then means you cannot trust the visual quality to match the final game, and you can also not tell on the video at all if this game will have any proper game play or not.

    Typical modern game industry video - totally useless. :(

  16. About time by NoobixCube · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm sick of all the brown-and-grey monstrosities in the games market these days, and it's about time something with some colour in it came out. I think it looks beautiful, and somehow more real than the gritty brown reality we're fed all too often. It doesn't try to look realistic but the art style still leaves it... believable. I probably didn't articulate that thought too well, but I'm sure someone will know what I meant...

    --
    Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
    1. Re:About time by brkello · · Score: 1

      You don't need to emphasize random words to get your point across.

      --
      Support a great indie game: http://www.abaddon360.com
    2. Re:About time by Reapy · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Hated it starting with Quake 1. According to blizz, diablo 3 is trying to achieve the mood of the game through art direction, rather then all dark colors. From watching the artwork there, I agree they have captured it. My personal preference when gaming is to be drawn into a colorful, fun to look at world. I LIKE playing in bright happy colors.

  17. Honestly by aztektum · · Score: 1

    I think the old skool Atari games that Gametrailers was evoking with their intro looked like more fun to me.

    I guess I really don't buy the games as art thing. Occasionally a game really grabs me (I'm having fun with Oblivion right now) but I don't have the time to spend playing 40+ hours games regularly. Hell I don't get enough time to complete a lot of 15-20+ hour games.

    I like my DS and pack some ROMs on my laptop. I guess that's why I also continue to subscribe to WoW. When I have some idle time I can get in there and feel I accomplished something.

    --
    :: aztek ::
    No sig for you!!
  18. so crazy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    HOHO,it look so crazy!pobobo is so crazy

  19. Exciting new Look by christ,+jesus+H · · Score: 1

    I am now very excited about this game, I think the new look is extremely successful and will hopefully lead some other developers to think outside the box in terms of art style. After so many hyper realistic Unreal3 games this generation, its very exciting to see someone else taking a chance with todays power.

    --
    Ohh spiteful one tell me who to smote and he shall be smolten!
  20. Out of all the games... by Chameleon+Man · · Score: 0

    \. decides to do an article on the new Prince of Persia?

    Come on! Where's the article on Wii Music or Wii Sports Resort?

  21. One question... by Goose+In+Orbit · · Score: 1

    How long are the cut scenes going to be? ;^D

  22. not cell shading by Creepy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's not cel shading, it's illustrative, as stated in the second video from that link. Cel shading creates an outline then uses a single color for the base (usually per-polygon) and the shades it (shadows) with a couple more colors. What you see in this technique is a lot of outlines and highly contrasting lines similar to what you see with cel shading, but if you look at the shadows they are obviously not cel shaded (suggesting traditional art and real lighting). There does appear to detail loss during fast movement (colors reduction - probably some sort of color mapping).