Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is a 2004 action-adventure game developed and published by Ubisoft for GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Released on December 2, 2004, it is the fifth main installment in the Prince of Persia series and the sequel to 2003’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. A port for the PlayStation Portable developed by Pipeworks Software, titled Prince of Persia: Revelations, was released on December 6, 2005. Two mobile versions of Warrior Within were published by Gameloft for the cell phone and iOS in 2004 and 2010, respectively. Due to issues with the in-game menu, the iOS version was pulled from the App Store for two weeks, being re-released on June 18, 2010.
Set seven years after its predecessor, the story follows the Prince as he searches for a way to stop an entity called the Dahaka that is relentlessly pursuing him as punishment for his meddling with the Sands of Time. He travels to the mysterious Island of Time, where he attempts to prevent the Empress of Time from creating the Sands in the first place, hoping this act will appease the Dahaka.
Gameplay in Warrior Within builds upon that of The Sands of Time, adding new features, specifically, options in combat. The Prince has the ability to wield two weapons at a time as well as the ability to steal his enemies’ weapons and throw them. The Prince’s repertoire of combat moves has been expanded into varying strings that allow players to attack enemies with more complexity than was possible in the previous game. Warrior Within has a darker tone than its predecessor adding in the ability for the Prince to dispatch his enemies with various gory finishing moves. In addition to the rewind, slow-down, and speed-up powers from Sands of Time, the Prince also has a new sand power: a circular “wave” of sand that knocks down all surrounding enemies as well as damaging them.
Upon release, the game received generally positive reviews from critics, who singled out the improved combat, level design, story, and soundtrack. However, the radical shift in tone from its more light-hearted predecessor and the Prince’s characterization garnered mixed reactions. Following Warrior Within, two more games set in The Sands of Time continuity were released: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones in 2005, which is a direct sequel to Warrior Within; and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands in 2010, set between The Sands of Time and Warrior Within.
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