Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame

Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame is the sequel to the original Prince of Persia. It was developed and published by Brøderbund Software and it was released in 1993.

This sequel expands the size of the environments and improves the graphics from the first one. It also features more combat than the first one and enemies are able to attack in groups. Like its predecessor the game operates with a time limit that runs in real time and lives are unlimited.

After defeating the evil Jaffar and getting the girl, the prince tries to return home only to be thrown out of the castle by himself. The prince finds that he didn’t kill Jaffar dead enough and he has come seeking revenge. Jaffar has stolen the prince’s face and morphed him into a beggar so that no one knows who he is. Forced out of his home, the prince takes a ride on a ship, but Jaffar won’t let him go that easily. Jaffar strikes the ship with a bolt of lightning, sinking it and stranding the prince on a strange island. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jaffar curses the prince with a slow death. He must now find a way to break the spell and take back his kingdom from the hands of evil. The prince gets a few new powers this time around (look to the name for a clue) that will help him on his quest. The game features unique puzzles and deadly traps all tied together with a true adventure plot.

Prince of Persia 2 takes everything that made the original a hit and improves it. With a two hour time limit to complete the whole thing, it’s a literal race against time. Critics complained about the difficulty, but every game can’t be a walk in the park. Regardless, the game did well and took home Adventure Game of the Year. I must warn you that this game is incredibly difficult, so be prepared for a serious challenge.