Age can do funny things to a man. As the years tick by, waists become rounder, hair gets thinner, trousers inevitably get higher and sex drive, well that goes completely out the window. Not so for the titular Prince. Fresh from saving the land from an evil Vizar in the fantastic Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, the elapsed years have turned boy into man and matured the franchise from absorbing platformer to astounding action-adventure. Which is a very good thing.

Much has been made about the fact that this royal outing has taken a darker tone than the original, but blood-drenched loading screens and heavy metal? Now we're really scared. The game again kicks off with a gorgeous opener. Moody visuals, slick production, a tight script and rocking action - welcome to the ever-increasing blurring of videogames and Hollywood blockbusters.

Warrior Within's twisting script is also fittingly dramatic, though players may be lost if they haven't already played the original Sands Of Time. The Prince, by using the Sands in the original game, has incurred the wrath of Dahaka, Guardian of Time. This demonic deity has decreed the Prince must face his original fate and die, and will stop at nothing to see his grisly end is met. The.Prince himself has other ideas, and sets back destroy the problematic Sands. Paradoxes aside, having a respected scriptwriter on board means players are subtly drawn into the multilayered plot, and before you realise it, you're genuinely concerned for the Prince's welfare. Ahhh.

However, background knowledge isn't the only advantage players of the original will boast. The opening level (a visceral assault on the Prince's ship, with explosions and falling timber all around you) throws players right into the thick of it. And we mean right away. It's kill or be killed as you must quickly adapt and master the simple two- and three-button combos the Prince now has at his disposal. Trounching the Sands Of Time with a single blow, Warrior Within beats its way into the fray, boasting considerably deep combat. Again, vaulting over opponents both looks spectacular and is a valuable way of catching particularly tough enemies on the counter. Fighting is brutal and fast-paced, but intuitive controls (direct attacks with the L Thumbstick) mean you'll soon be slicing and dicing your way through hordes of Dahaka's minions in a way Dogtanian could only dream of.

The gore valve has been opened as well, as now decapitations, enemies getting split in two and bucketfuls of blood are commonplace. Grapples, throws and tons of ace special moves are on offer, and the Prince can mix it up like Rocky meeting Ryu. Yet rather than being present for mere novelty value, this really adds to the grittiness of the title. Pulling off a stylish finishing combo after a particularly tough battle is immensely satisfying.

It'd be fair to say the Prince has changed somewhat in the time elapsed between the two titles; he's now meaner, moodier, and sporting a brash American twang instead of the slightly fey English accent of Sands of Time. Which we for one don't like. In another major addition to the series, the Prince can get his groove on with one or two weapons at any one time. Secondary weapons can be thrown for ranged attacks (complete with iiber-cool follow cam), or wielded for double damage and additional combo possibilities.

If the Prince himself returns tougher than his last incarnation, then Warrior Within plays along accordingly, and believe us, this is hard. Like a tattooed, toothless, truncheon-wielding West Ham fan - bastard hard. Initially, the superb tutorial leads players through by the hand, prompting what to do.

But then, just like before, these handy hints will fade away in a way so subtle players don't even realise they're gradually being forced to think for themselves. However, after this initial easy ride, the learning curve becomes exponentially steeper. This is great for veterans of Sands Of Time who may relish a tougher challenge, though not so good for newcomers who may become disheartened. Take, for example, your first encounter with a leather-clad Shahdee. It's a substantial challenge, and at only a few minutes in, is slightly out of character with the nature of the series.

We're pleased to say however, that for all its mood swings and new-found darkness, the core Prince Of Persia gameplay values remain. This title still has puzzle solving at its now-blackened heart, and expands on the fantastically conniving conundrums posed in the original game. Players will often stumble into a wondrous, cavernous room, and intuitively know they must reach the door on the other side. An apparently simple task, but thanks to the brilliant intricacy of the level design, consisting of numerous ledges, moving platforms and swing poles, players end up exploring every single inch of the environment. Because the developer doesn't want all its hard work to go to waste, you know.

It pays to be inquisitive too; often the only way to progress is to explore every possible route 360 degrees around you. Drop down from the ledge you're standing on or run up the seemingly innocuous wall next to you - all will ultimately pay dividends. The other advantage to being nosier than Pinocchio is the chance to discover the wealth of hidden areas. The ethereal fountains areas that boosted your strength in Sands Of Time are substituted for wall-mounted devices that give up the goods once the Prince inserts his mysterious medallion. However, these areas are both significantly harder to find and a lot tougher to reach - navigate all the tricky traps and you'll be handsomely rewarded. Immensely satisfying.

Losing your way is never a problem either; the subtle pacing of useable scenery means players will intuitively, almost subconsciously, know the correct path to take. This is invaluable during the pursuit stages. Occasionally the Dahaka will show up, roar a bit, beat his chest a bit and then slaughter you without a second's hesitation. If you let him catch you that is - once the screen takes on that sepia tinge, you know it's time to make like a tree and get the hell out of there. The camera poses its only real problem here; switching perspectives at inopportune moments, (thus affecting the Prince's direction in relation to the thumbstick) is infuriating, particularly during heart in the mouth, blind leap of faith moments. The heat really is on here - put a single foot wrong and you'll be Dahaka's dinner in no time. Seriously nerve-jangling.

What makes all of this possible, and the driving force behind the entire game, is the Prince's graceful and spectacular gymnastic ability. Once again he runs, dashes along walls and vaults round poles in a beautifully fluid fashion. Although none of us would ever contemplate leaping from rope to rope hundreds of feet above the floor, the astounding animation once again convinces us that everything the Prince does is still theoretically possible. He's been working out since Sands of Time too. Along with being buffer, he also boasts some great new moves. One notable improvement is the new navigation of spike traps. As opposed to carefully tiptoeing across the hidden hazards in the perforated floor, the Prince must keep moving and rolling across the trap. This keeps gameplay zipping along at a much more enjoyable pace, and eliminates the previous stop/start nature of timed switch puzzles in the first game.

Due to his constant flicking back and forth through time, the Prince retreads his steps a fair few times throughout the game. Far from laziness on the developer's part, the Ravages of Time significantly alter both the aesthetics and architecture of each level. This is a brilliant touch - players will often enter a familiar area, only to face a whole new set of puzzles and challenges as they try to navigate their way across it. Xbox Live swings in with a welcome appearance, offering some fun challenges, though disappointingly there's no player versus player combat options.

Warrior Within began development before Sands Of Time was completed, and it definitely shows, playing exactly the same as its predecessor but on a somewhat larger scale. The enhanced combat never once detracts from the true nature of the game, and thankfully it stays true to its puzzler roots. 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. A top sequel, Warrior Within swings and vaults its way to the top of the platforming tree and settles comfortably on its throne. An essential adventure title.

1. Visually stunning. Sands Of Time's dreamy ambience is replaced by a much darker, grittier atmosphere, providing a radically different experience.
2. Still a fantastic puzzler at heart, the game offers a significantly challenging exercise in lateral thinking.
3. A vastly improved combat system coupled with intuitive controls make for some immensely satisfying slicing and dicing.
4. Xbox Live timed challenges are very uch in the Ninja Gaiden vein, but do provide an incentive to hone those fencing and fleeing skills.

1. Plays very similarly to the first game, albeit with a punishingly tough learning curve and adversaries.

Plays the same as Sands Of Time, but with grittier visuals and enhanced combat. Ass-kicking adventuring at its best.