The finale of the Sands of Time trilogy is one that combines the best of both previous games in a package that is ultimately a bit less than the sum of its parts in comparison to the first game. It certainly outpaces the second game for me however, and that's partly thanks to them righting the ship from last time with the game's tone, writing, and the prince as a protagonist.
Funnily enough, The Two Thrones is in many ways the opposite of how Warrior Within was for me—I vastly prefer this game's narrative and writing to its gameplay. Not that the gameplay is bad by any stretch, but more so that I most of all appreciated the concerted effort to right the wrongs with the darker, edgier flavour of Warrior Within.
Of course, I acknowledge that not everyone was a detractor of that game and its tone, and many people did get a kick out of it, so to kind of have their cake and eat it too, the tone of The Two Thrones manages to find a satisfying midpoint between the adventure and wit of Sands of Time and the grit and darker tones of Warrior Within.
This creative experiment pays off, and I enjoyed the prince and his dynamic with other characters, including the returning Farah and the dark spirit that resides within him (which I assume is a metaphor for his drastic change in character during the last game), much more than I had before. The story isn't anything new, of course, but the prince's journey of reconciling with everything he's been through and trying to find a way to accept and make peace with himself is genuinely compelling.
As said, the gameplay isn't bad at all; it's a decent amalgamation of the best parts of the last two games in terms of combat, platforming, level design, and puzzles. The new platforming moves of wall climbing and springboarding are fun and provide opportunities to use the new stealth systems this game flaunts—they're a fun alternative to hacking and slashing if need be, and are paced to help break up the action and platforming by combining both at these intervals. It's a neat distraction and doesn't overstay its welcome, or vice versa.
The non-linear Metroidvania structure of Warrior Within is traded for more linear Sands of Time-esque level design this time, and honestly, I feel indifferent about it. Yes, there were navigation issues during the last game with the lacklustre maps and tightly packed areas, but the issue with Two Thrones is that both the levels and environments are the least interesting thus far.
The rooftops and streets of Babylon are where you spend the vast majority of your time in Two Thrones, with very little in the way of variation in environments sprinkled in. Structurally, the levels are fine enough, but they're never quite as interesting to look at and explore as they were in the previous two games.
Overall, the gameplay in Two Thrones is fine. It doesn't rewrite the book, though it didn't really need to. Instead, the combination of elements from the previous two titles with a smattering of new mechanics works well enough to sustain the <8-hour runtime. The return to linear SoT-esque levels is appreciated; however, as I've said, they're never really that interesting.
What was interesting, however, was the narrative and writing, which are the strongest in the series. The prince himself is in full form, and his arc here is more compelling than it has ever been, and the story does a great job of wrapping up the trilogy and tying up loose ends in the way a trilogy finale should.
7/10
Funnily enough, The Two Thrones is in many ways the opposite of how Warrior Within was for me—I vastly prefer this game's narrative and writing to its gameplay. Not that the gameplay is bad by any stretch, but more so that I most of all appreciated the concerted effort to right the wrongs with the darker, edgier flavour of Warrior Within.
Of course, I acknowledge that not everyone was a detractor of that game and its tone, and many people did get a kick out of it, so to kind of have their cake and eat it too, the tone of The Two Thrones manages to find a satisfying midpoint between the adventure and wit of Sands of Time and the grit and darker tones of Warrior Within.
This creative experiment pays off, and I enjoyed the prince and his dynamic with other characters, including the returning Farah and the dark spirit that resides within him (which I assume is a metaphor for his drastic change in character during the last game), much more than I had before. The story isn't anything new, of course, but the prince's journey of reconciling with everything he's been through and trying to find a way to accept and make peace with himself is genuinely compelling.
As said, the gameplay isn't bad at all; it's a decent amalgamation of the best parts of the last two games in terms of combat, platforming, level design, and puzzles. The new platforming moves of wall climbing and springboarding are fun and provide opportunities to use the new stealth systems this game flaunts—they're a fun alternative to hacking and slashing if need be, and are paced to help break up the action and platforming by combining both at these intervals. It's a neat distraction and doesn't overstay its welcome, or vice versa.
The non-linear Metroidvania structure of Warrior Within is traded for more linear Sands of Time-esque level design this time, and honestly, I feel indifferent about it. Yes, there were navigation issues during the last game with the lacklustre maps and tightly packed areas, but the issue with Two Thrones is that both the levels and environments are the least interesting thus far.
The rooftops and streets of Babylon are where you spend the vast majority of your time in Two Thrones, with very little in the way of variation in environments sprinkled in. Structurally, the levels are fine enough, but they're never quite as interesting to look at and explore as they were in the previous two games.
Overall, the gameplay in Two Thrones is fine. It doesn't rewrite the book, though it didn't really need to. Instead, the combination of elements from the previous two titles with a smattering of new mechanics works well enough to sustain the <8-hour runtime. The return to linear SoT-esque levels is appreciated; however, as I've said, they're never really that interesting.
What was interesting, however, was the narrative and writing, which are the strongest in the series. The prince himself is in full form, and his arc here is more compelling than it has ever been, and the story does a great job of wrapping up the trilogy and tying up loose ends in the way a trilogy finale should.
7/10