Prince of Persia – Rival Swords begins with the return of the Prince of Persia after a long journey across a calm sea. As his ship approaches the shores of Babylon, he never expected to find the city he longed for burning before his eyes. Its ancient walls are crumbling, and the sounds of battle fill the air. The scene seems like a nightmare come to life. This was not the homeland he had left behind, nor was this the end of the journey he thought would bring him peace.

Their ship is also attacked and destroyed, and the waves wash them ashore, where the prince wakes up to see enemy soldiers taking Kaileena away. Before he can rescue her, the vizier, that familiar face with dark intentions, appears and coldly takes her life, releasing the sands of time once again and granting himself eternal power at that moment. Not only does the prince lose the one he loves, but he also loses control over himself. A new version of him is born within, a monster that whispers constantly, pushing him toward a dark path with no escape. In the end, the prince confronts the vizier, kills him with the Dagger of Time, and frees the sands from the vizier and his soldiers, who die upon seeing this, bringing joy to the people of Babylon. Afterward, the sands take the form of Kaileena, who heals the prince’s infection and destroys the Dagger of Time.

Rival Swords is not just about swords and climbing but about experiencing life in two different worlds within one body. The gameplay reflects this inner conflict, as the player switches between the regular prince, who relies on acrobatic moves and his sword in combat, and the dark prince, who wields a deadly weapon resembling a chain covered in blades. This weapon not only grants him great offensive power but also allows him to reach places the regular prince cannot. However, this power comes at a cost, as the dark prince cannot stay in his form for long. Every passing moment consumes his energy, making the player race against time. Beyond combat, environmental puzzles continue to challenge players, requiring them to use their intelligence and agility to navigate deadly traps and changing environmental mechanics. A quick kill system has been introduced, allowing the prince to finish off his enemies with a single strike if he manages to approach them unnoticed, adding stealth and planning elements to the battles.

Regarding gameplay, control elements have been improved to make them smoother, with the prince’s movements being more fluid as he transitions between platforms, climbs mountains, and slides along ropes, especially in the Wii version, which utilized motion control technology, making executing attacks more interactive, as if the player were holding the sword in their hands. On the PSP, new maps and game modes have been added, increasing the variety of the experience and providing players with additional challenges to explore. Puzzles are an essential element of the game, requiring strategic thinking and great speed, so every moment feels like a challenge, whether using swords and daggers in combat or using your intelligence to solve puzzles.

Looking at Rival Swords, we see that it is not a completely new game, but rather an improved version of The Two Thrones with significant upgrades for new platforms. The main story remains unchanged, but some details were adjusted to make the experience smoother on different devices. One of the biggest differences was in the graphical improvements, where lighting and environmental details were enhanced for better clarity, making Babylon appear more alive despite its destruction. Additionally, AI improvements made enemies more dangerous, increasing the challenge level in battles. However, the biggest addition was in the Wii version’s gameplay, where motion controls were integrated to make the combat feel more realistic, requiring the player to move the controller in sync with the sword’s movements in the game. In contrast, the PSP version took advantage of its portability by adding new modes like time challenges and one-on-one battles, giving players a reason to return to the game after completing the story. Overall, Rival Swords was not a reinvention of the previous game but an opportunity for those who missed The Two Thrones to experience the story on different platforms with improvements that made the experience more enjoyable and fluid.