The Prince of Persia line of games is a venerable line - so many fans, so many memories, so many stellar titles with only one or two exceptions. The few times the games have had trouble, it's been generally a problem of adapting to a new platform or new model, such as the series's first attempt in the 3D gameplay world.

On the other hand, for the latest entry to the series, quite a bit was stacked against it. Ubisoft had previously done something very interesting with the series relaunch in 2008. Most fans were expecting - and probably still can expect - a return to the altered game mechanics and gameplay/exploration options that game offered, as opposed to the level-based "no returning" setup of the classic games and Sands of Time trilogy.

On the other hand, Ubisoft really needed a series entry to coincide with a new movie, and since the new movie was based on the Sands of Time trilogy, well, there it was. With the storyline as presented, there certainly were options. Despite a valiant effort, it feels very much like the options were squandered.