Branching Dialogue: R.I.P. Death

Wed, Dec 24, 2008

Filed under: Culture, PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Presenting Branching Dialogue, a weekly, wordy and often worryingly pedantic discussion of video game genres, trends and err … stuff I didn’t think to put in this introductory line.

If there’s one thing the year 2008 has proven adept at, it’s polarizing players with titles that seem to generate more discussion than actual sales. Much like Assassin’s Creed before it, Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia has been viciously yanking people off fences, this time with simplified controls, Open-World Lite[TM] platforming and sassy, cel-shaded protagonists.

The game’s difficulty (or supposed lack thereof) has also come under scrutiny, with some tough-guy gamers lamenting the Prince’s newly found and quite convenient resistance to death. I don’t wish to argue with the complaint … but I do want to pluralize it. “This game is not difficult,” and, “You can’t die in this game,” are two very different accusations, and one of them is more than a little unobservant of modern conventions.

I hate to break it to you guys, but death has been pushing up daisies for years.

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Branching Dialogue: R.I.P. Death originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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