Prince of Persia

Nineteen years after its original release, the third incarnation of the series retains the great acrobatic platforming, sword duels and brain-melting puzzles the series is revered for. This latest trilogy features a new, more charismatic prince and is steeped in Persian mythology, coupled with an abstract visual style which resembles a hand-painted storybook.

Things kick off with the prince rescuing a princess (Elika) and finding himself stuck in the middle of a battle to imprison the evil god Ahramin and restore peace to the decaying City of Light. Obviously.

All of this is achieved by pulling off impressive acrobatic stunts such as swinging round flagpoles, scaling crumbling towers and running along walls.

Should you mistime a jump or be faced with certain death, Elika will always rescue you at the last minute without fail, removing the frustration of poorly-placed jumps present in previous instalments. Some players may find that this removes the challenge from the game, but given how often you can slip up, it is also a blessing in disguise.

Screenshots really don't do this game justice; it needs to be seen in motion. Ubisoft has nailed the dream-like, mythology feel with the hand-painted quality of the visuals.

Purified districts contain light seeds, which must be collected to unlock new skills such as sprinting up walls and along ceilings, or flying short distances. These open the game up and require a bit of lateral thinking, especially when trying to nab the hard-to-reach light seeds.

With characters chock-full of charisma, gorgeous visuals, an epic sound track; the game is a joy to play. Veterans may dismiss this for its constant hand-holding, but that would serve to deny another stunning entry into the Prince of Persia canon.