The Prince comes back darker, dirtier, with metal in his ears.

The profile says exactly that. Fun is high, ahead of 80% of games, and the soundtrack climbs to the same level, ahead of 81% of the rest. Dual weapons, chained strings, finishers: you feel it, the controller pleasure ranks ahead of 67% of titles, even if that rests on few votes. On the other side, art direction stays below average, and desert island lands right in the middle. The paradox is clear: you have a blast, but you do not necessarily keep the picture.

Next to The Sands of Time, this deliberate swerve toward aggressive hack and slash still divides. It gains in release what it loses in elegance, and the ranking backs that up: you come for the brawling and the music, not for the postcard.

So, who is it for? For you if you like sharp combat, combos that land, and a soundscape that pushes you toward carnage. Much less if you are after the grace and the light of the first game.