Cave Johnson
Member
Reading that other PoP thread lit up my nostalgia moment on the series and while I find Sands of Time one of the best adventure/platformer game of all time, its battle system is surprisingly quite complex. It is one of the only few games that blends platform to combat organically. They've also conveniently streamlined it to the point that he platform mechanics are the "default" state for combat. This game is one that really makes a battle feel like a battle which is so damn surprising considering its spiritual successor "Assassin's Creed" has never replicated that kind of experience, which is quite mind boggling to think such bipolar philosophies stem from the same company.
And here's where a gem that goes relatively underplayed: While the platform and puzzles make up the highlight of the series, I feel that the combat system does not get enough credit. It is, in general, a sandbox. The mechanics are so deep it can make a one on one battle feel relatively intense - doubly so, for boss battles. The variety of arenas from narrow corridors to open-arenas changes the dynamics of the game, forcing you to rely on alternative platform mechanics.
The vaulting, dual-wielding nature is quite sophisticated emphasizing player agency more so than most other genre-specialized systems like GoW. You can tell this is a completely different era for gaming as it is one of the few that still have that discoverability embedded into their design. Vaulting isn't just an traversal to get behind the enemy, you can "dual-vault" from enemy to get the best tactical advantage. And did I mention the platforming bring the "default" state? Wall running and wall jumping
within the design. Then there's the roll, backflip and the dual-weapon combat and counterattacks - all of them compartmentalized into a single core system that tethers together like a spider-web. Each of them has their own distinct advantage depending on the situation from levels to multi-enemy ambushes. In essence, the game gave you all the tools to personalize your style far more than the XP-perk design which permeates the current game designs as of late.
But then the whole system changes for one very clever mechanic: The dagger of time or the time-mechanic.
PoP:SoT ups the ante by taking the combat system and meshes with the individual time perks. Whether it be slowing down time or speed assaulting contributes to the already multilayered approach to the combat system.
However, I also can't dismiss the elephant in the room - that being the enemies are practically invincible unless you absorb them with the DoT. This forces a bottleneck into the combat system because it always ends up that being the main finisher. Make no mistake, even with that, there are still multiple ways to absorb them whether it be on ground or mid-combat (which require some perception as there is no notable health bar to indicate weakness), it doesn't take away from its established design, only limiting it.
Thankfully, Ubisoft polished this aspect in their sequel, "The Warrior Within". As the title implies, the game is just as much combat-centric as it is platforming wise. Normally, changing such theme tends to receive a negative backlash from being a departure from the established design, which is quite understandable to say the least.
But this is where it differs across the general board. The game's systems are dialed up to 11, neither the traversal nor combat was pared back because to simplify the game, rather they tried to build a more established skillset for the prince, more tightly designed traps, puzzles and platforms. The inclusive DoT dual-wielding has been expanded to take secondary/temporary weapons to aid you in combat. There is also an added throw option (which I will get into later). This makes the combat far more diverse as each weapon has their own tweaks that can change the dynamics for encounters.
Compared to other contemporaries it is not inherently a hack-and-slash game. Simply mashing buttons simply won't do and only exposes weakness to your play style. It's why I enjoy this particular aspect of the game, making you feel like a swordmaster in a blockbuster film. The battles, when perfected, brings to it a flow and consistency you generally see in CG trailers. It does the last "kill" cinematic before Max Payne 3 does but expands upon it as there a variety of fatalities you can pull off.
What makes the last "kill" finisher unique isn't that it is simple camera perk interjected for sake of. You can most certainly take that way if judged at face value but look into it deeper and you see that it is a meta-design subconsciously suggesting the player to experiment its systems. This of course means that you will only activate it if you kill the last enemy standing - or at least it may seem. You see, one up unique aspect to said "finishers" is that there is no scripted context to it. There is no final press button-to-awesome rather it takes the "GitGud" approach by slowing down the last intentional attack regardless of the scenario, making this a very experimental and yet intimate affair.
The way the way the combat system works is very lateral in application; what you think may work tends to work. Simple but hard to master. It's very different to say a hack-and-slash where moves are telegraphed through rote memorization of established systems and unlocking the more "XP" you can collect. Like a peacock's tail, the movesets carry over from your basic attacks and can chain a variety based on how high the depth you are capable off. They're puzzles in and out of itself like Tetris blocks retrofitting a form before an execution. Adding the throw system works the degrading weapon design as simultaneously forces the player to treat it as a projectile rather than being a standardised secondary melee weapon. This is why the finisher-cinematic exist, it serves a final "cool" execution for the player rewarding them in a way like replays or final kill modes you see in multiplayer.
It is the only game I know off that uses dual wielding independently other than the Souls series but with a better, more organic flow. WW combat is all about style and is self-aware; the substance is derived out of mastering the system and... I... LOVE IT! A game that rewards you to awesome for being awesome.
WW combat is by far the best crowd fighting simulator I have ever got the pleasure of playing. Games like Batman rely heavily on simon-says timed events but PoP: WW took the battle concept of SoT and increased it's complexity unlike any other. The dark theme, metal- soundtrack, edgy prince can be dismissed for purists but it can't be denies what they brought to the table was unique and executed with precision. The closest I ever got to that experience was Shenmue, the problem was it had a higher difficulty curve that is reminiscent of fighting games.
It is sad to see there is practically no equivalent in this generation. PoP: WW did for combat what Mario does for 3D traversal. They both stem from the same chain-input design as the players centralised agency. I hope that one day developers can take inspiration from said systems to design games around it. I tried replaying the game recently on steam and my skills were clearly rusty for all these years but the sense of familiarity always kicks it, reminding me that there is more to the game than meets the eye. For his reason alone, I call WW the best PoP ever made.
And here's where a gem that goes relatively underplayed: While the platform and puzzles make up the highlight of the series, I feel that the combat system does not get enough credit. It is, in general, a sandbox. The mechanics are so deep it can make a one on one battle feel relatively intense - doubly so, for boss battles. The variety of arenas from narrow corridors to open-arenas changes the dynamics of the game, forcing you to rely on alternative platform mechanics.
The vaulting, dual-wielding nature is quite sophisticated emphasizing player agency more so than most other genre-specialized systems like GoW. You can tell this is a completely different era for gaming as it is one of the few that still have that discoverability embedded into their design. Vaulting isn't just an traversal to get behind the enemy, you can "dual-vault" from enemy to get the best tactical advantage. And did I mention the platforming bring the "default" state? Wall running and wall jumping
But then the whole system changes for one very clever mechanic: The dagger of time or the time-mechanic.
PoP:SoT ups the ante by taking the combat system and meshes with the individual time perks. Whether it be slowing down time or speed assaulting contributes to the already multilayered approach to the combat system.
However, I also can't dismiss the elephant in the room - that being the enemies are practically invincible unless you absorb them with the DoT. This forces a bottleneck into the combat system because it always ends up that being the main finisher. Make no mistake, even with that, there are still multiple ways to absorb them whether it be on ground or mid-combat (which require some perception as there is no notable health bar to indicate weakness), it doesn't take away from its established design, only limiting it.
Thankfully, Ubisoft polished this aspect in their sequel, "The Warrior Within". As the title implies, the game is just as much combat-centric as it is platforming wise. Normally, changing such theme tends to receive a negative backlash from being a departure from the established design, which is quite understandable to say the least.
But this is where it differs across the general board. The game's systems are dialed up to 11, neither the traversal nor combat was pared back because to simplify the game, rather they tried to build a more established skillset for the prince, more tightly designed traps, puzzles and platforms. The inclusive DoT dual-wielding has been expanded to take secondary/temporary weapons to aid you in combat. There is also an added throw option (which I will get into later). This makes the combat far more diverse as each weapon has their own tweaks that can change the dynamics for encounters.
Compared to other contemporaries it is not inherently a hack-and-slash game. Simply mashing buttons simply won't do and only exposes weakness to your play style. It's why I enjoy this particular aspect of the game, making you feel like a swordmaster in a blockbuster film. The battles, when perfected, brings to it a flow and consistency you generally see in CG trailers. It does the last "kill" cinematic before Max Payne 3 does but expands upon it as there a variety of fatalities you can pull off.
What makes the last "kill" finisher unique isn't that it is simple camera perk interjected for sake of. You can most certainly take that way if judged at face value but look into it deeper and you see that it is a meta-design subconsciously suggesting the player to experiment its systems. This of course means that you will only activate it if you kill the last enemy standing - or at least it may seem. You see, one up unique aspect to said "finishers" is that there is no scripted context to it. There is no final press button-to-awesome rather it takes the "GitGud" approach by slowing down the last intentional attack regardless of the scenario, making this a very experimental and yet intimate affair.
The way the way the combat system works is very lateral in application; what you think may work tends to work. Simple but hard to master. It's very different to say a hack-and-slash where moves are telegraphed through rote memorization of established systems and unlocking the more "XP" you can collect. Like a peacock's tail, the movesets carry over from your basic attacks and can chain a variety based on how high the depth you are capable off. They're puzzles in and out of itself like Tetris blocks retrofitting a form before an execution. Adding the throw system works the degrading weapon design as simultaneously forces the player to treat it as a projectile rather than being a standardised secondary melee weapon. This is why the finisher-cinematic exist, it serves a final "cool" execution for the player rewarding them in a way like replays or final kill modes you see in multiplayer.
It is the only game I know off that uses dual wielding independently other than the Souls series but with a better, more organic flow. WW combat is all about style and is self-aware; the substance is derived out of mastering the system and... I... LOVE IT! A game that rewards you to awesome for being awesome.
WW combat is by far the best crowd fighting simulator I have ever got the pleasure of playing. Games like Batman rely heavily on simon-says timed events but PoP: WW took the battle concept of SoT and increased it's complexity unlike any other. The dark theme, metal- soundtrack, edgy prince can be dismissed for purists but it can't be denies what they brought to the table was unique and executed with precision. The closest I ever got to that experience was Shenmue, the problem was it had a higher difficulty curve that is reminiscent of fighting games.
It is sad to see there is practically no equivalent in this generation. PoP: WW did for combat what Mario does for 3D traversal. They both stem from the same chain-input design as the players centralised agency. I hope that one day developers can take inspiration from said systems to design games around it. I tried replaying the game recently on steam and my skills were clearly rusty for all these years but the sense of familiarity always kicks it, reminding me that there is more to the game than meets the eye. For his reason alone, I call WW the best PoP ever made.
