Blackthorne
Prince of Persia with 90s attitudeGenre: adventure - platform
Publisher: Interplay
Year: 1994
System: SNES
Gameplay Score: 3
Gameplay Notes:
One of the first NPCs you encounter says "To avoid bombs it is better to avoid them than to be nimble." That's a great way to describe this game. You're anything but nimble. You move at a snail's pace and all inputs kick of a lengthy animation that can't be cancelled. It's all about puzzles, timing your inputs, and cover-based gunplay. Stronger emphasis on action over puzzle-solving as compared to similar games like Flashback or PoP. Early example of a cover system lets you and enemies hide in the background. Killing prisoners is morbidly satisfying. Cycle thru secondary weapons using R and L. Thank you!
Level Design Score: 5
Level Design Notes:
Huge mazes. Bring a guide or walkthrough. 17 levels across 4 biomes makes for a good length. I didn't see the later levels but I liked what I saw. Well designed puzzles slowly add complexity to the simple gameplay.
Theme Score: 4
Theme Notes:
The Jim Lee cover art always makes me want to play this title. It's essentially the plot of the Lion King with you as Simba and a baddie named Sarlac playing the role of Scarr. And The Lion King is just Macbeth, right? Anyway, it's a generic take-back-the-kingdom story with an unfeeling killing machine as a protagonist. So maybe it's Conan the Barbarian? Good stuff
Art Style Score: 5
Art Style Notes:
Amazing sprites and animation. The rest of the artwork is also excellent, with nice lighting and particle effects on things like waterfalls and lasers.
Audio Score: 4
Audio Notes:
Good moody music to set a dark tone. The sounds are good as well, like a satisfying shotgun blast and pump action that makes you feel like the Terminator. The grunts and laughs of the enemies are also great. I hated the loud electrical sound of the mining tool used by prisoners. I would often kill them just to make the noise stop.
Overall Score: 77
Review ID: 65
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