Then again, the PS2 version only pulled in 1.8 million (I think). So honestly, the problem might simply be that the setting doesn’t have wide appeal…

Not in terms of plot, mind you, but in the idea that only a handful of times in all his continuity-raping adventures did Marty McFly ever physically engage anyone.

Most of his actions were concerned with sliding around corners, ducking blows, scrambling over shoulders and counters, etc etc etc.

Drop the pretense at badass-ness, Ubi. Give me a cowardly prince, in whose shoes the goal is to not get hit in the face. Then toss in some of that sardonic wit and whining from the first Sands of Time.

Instant gold.

I understand that they were going for a storybook look and I think they were doing that, in no small part, to try and appeal to a more casual audience. But they didn’t go far enough in that direction to really catch the attention of that audience, just like they didn’t really go far enough with their forgiving game dynamics to really appeal to that audience.

You were reflecting your points about the game design, by saying that the art does the same thing. That it’s visually the old PoP, but this time with a cell shaded veneer instead of committing to a new aesthetic?
I agree with you on the game mechanics points, but not with your example relating it to the art style.

To clarify, I don’t think they just incorporated cell shading into their existing aesthetic, as you say.
The cell shading was used to extend the visual brief used throughout the game. They were trying for a painterly, illustrated storytale look, and the textures and models all try to reflect that to varying degrees of success. The cell shading used is used minimally and pointedly to reflect that design brief. It’s basically the same thing as Borderlands is doing now, though they are trying to get people to call it ‘concept-art style’ (there’s no way that will stick, but i sympathise).
Ignoring the cell shading, the textures, models & environment are all fairly heavily stylised and I feel that is already enough to be a break from the old PoP art style which was, barring a few exceptions, realistic and extremely generic. The cell shading is just one part of a larger aesthetic direction used throughout the whole game.
I agree, I don’t think they wholly succeeded, but I also don’t think that taking away the black borders and some hard edged falloff on the lighting for the characters would suddenly make it into the old PoP, visually.

I’m not trying to be antagonistic or convince you of anything, i just think it’s an interesting discussion. ymmv

@spindrift Misconception? The fact that the models are rendered with cell shading is pretty important to the artistic style of PoP and that decision had to have been made for a reason, right?

And what I’m saying is pretty much exactly what you are–they didn’t fully commit to going in a new direction, instead they decided to add cell shading to their existing aesthetic. I’m also saying I think this approach is very much the same thing they did with the gameplay itself, a bit of new applied in a fashion that’s traditional to the series.

I only referenced Wind Waker to bing up the idea that if they’d really been committed to changing the series for a new audience, they could have gone so much further. I could have as easily referenced BG&E’s cartoon style.

Interesting article, otherwise.

I agree with you on many points about the gameplay. However, I think that their goals were clear to them, they simply missed some of the marks. They clearly wanted a Cinematic Feel. Everything from art to level progression supports that. However, I think that many of the gameplay elements fell short of what they could have been.

I disagree with you about the Prince and Elika remaining static characters. I saw each of them grow in their understanding of what their situations meant, and in the end trade some of their outlooks.

Prince goes from stark skepticism to fundamental belief. His outward carefree attitude is revealed to be a sham, a mere protection from the truth of the world. He is snide and over-boisterous because he has decided to push everything but the moment away and trust nothing but the pleasures (and pain) he can feel right now. He has seen wonders, but he has discarded them before now as not worth his time.

Elika is his foil. She has been raised to faith, and truly believes. Yet part of her is resentful of all she has been given. She does not want the powers and responsibility that have been cast upon her. I saw her faith crumble and fall as she fought tooth and nail to save a place that she comes to realize she has no love for. She has always wanted to leave, but has always been held back by the expectations of others; feeling as if she has no choices.

In the end the Prince finds his faith, even if it is a heavy-handed blow that delivers it. Some people need to be shaken very hard. Elika loses her faith, her god lets her die, lets Ahruman free, lets everything she has lived for crumble. She has served, but for naught.

Yes, the ending turned out to be contrived. It relied on the player feeling a fundamental _romantic_ pull between Prince and Elika. The movie version would have Prince save Elika’s life because of his love for her, and damn the world. The game provided little indication that their relationship was anywhere near that close. While there was flirting their journeys were largely personal and I never saw a strong romantic connection grow. Prince’s motivations for reviving Elika should have come from somewhere else, or there should have been an option to not revive her directly (obviously she is needed for the sequel – marketing influence here). In fact, the entire ending may have been added because the Execs demanded a way to add DLC and sequels to the franchise.

The level navigation became more fun and invigorating as I started to think of it as a rhythm action game. Too bad there wasn’t a matching soundtrack!

Of the ending I won’t say much except that we reached the same conclusion along different paths. It actually angered me, not from within the game perspective, but from what the designers seemed to be saying about Love.

In fact, had Prince returned Elika to the tomb and walked into the sunset alone, the chill of being complicit in his indifference would’ve made for a powerful finale. That Prince remains the same cold, unfeeling character would be meaningful, rather than a fault.

On a side note, I did feel that the connection between both characters grew stronger during the game, but in subtle ways. True, it didn’t take the full dive and present the player with any existential crises, but who needs that? I was much happier with those themes lurking just beneath the surface.