Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Critic Reviews

Once again, it exemplifies the very definition of a boundary-pushing video game.

The prince has gone from an "Aladdin"-style teenager to a grim, angry young adult. He's even more beautifully drawn than before, and this year's installment adds a much better combat system.

One of the best damn games ever, period. This is definitely at the top of my list for Game of the Year, due to addicting gameplay, fantastic presentation, some of the coolest looking blood ever in a game, and a combat system that is relatively second-to-none.

Warrior Within is not perfect - there's too much backtracking, too many low-poly character models, recurring cheap deaths on small platforms - but it's the closest the adventure genre will come to it in this generation of systems.

Like watching a great adventure story on a Saturday afternoon, with the added dimension that YOU get to be the hero.

The levels are imaginative and at times surreal, infusing the game with a unique and compelling atmosphere. The cutscenes are excellent and if you've seen a scene before and want to skip it, the game uses an interesting mechanism to allow you to bypass it.

Its change of pace and maturity feels just right, the platforming is divine, and the action is something to be very happy about.

It's got the same magic that The Sands of Time had, and then just slaps you around with how great the new gameplay is. I'm in heaven once again.

The young Prince did a superb job, but amidst the darkened clouds he's aged with some style and the beautifully excessive fighting system creates a much-improved character and a better all-round game.

A truly great story, amazing gameplay, wonderful graphics, and by far the best sound in any Xbox game I have ever heard, easily makes Warrior Within one of the best Xbox games ever.

An amazingly involving adventure from spirit to atmosphere to richness of setting and exploration.

The acrobatics alone make Warrior Within a must-buy. Rounded out with superb character design and vast Myst-like landscapes, this Prince is another winner.

You get the impression that "The Sands of Time" was just a warm-up for the main event, a game that's familiar at first but soon reveals a level of imagination beyond that of the original, and displays as little room for error as one of the Prince's most daring acrobatic leaps.

A great game with absolutely stunning visuals, intriguing gameplay, and a cool story, but it may not be everybody's cup of tea in terms of its new dank look or hard-edged feel.

Not quite as good as The Sands of Time. Elements like the combat and bosses are inarguably better, but lack of evolution in the Prince and the action-oriented slant are not as good as the basic platforming mechanics that were the star of the show in last year's game.

The experience is rounded out by a killer score. Heavy metal distortion guitars complement traditional Arabic motifs, creating a near-perfect blend of atmospheric airiness and pumped up fury.

If you like puzzle adventures and want a break from the usual hack and slash or shoot "em ups, than this game is a must.

You could say the new dark and gritty atmosphere isn't as enchanting as the sumptuous visual quality of "Sands of Time," but what it lacks in the beauty stakes it more than makes up for in pure visceral excitement.

Good, old-fashioned, timeless, ass-kicking always makes for a good time.

The step into the darkside away from the cartoony style of the previous titles was a good choice. You've just got to love the 'badass' look.