Tantrix

I really like Jordan Mechner, I really do.

Since I was comming into contact with teh Sands of Time and Warrior Within, he became my ideal game developer and writer. He was a simple man who tried to experiment with animation and had a decen interest in medival Oriental settings.His game Prince of Persia was a succesful release which raised popularity at a critical acclaim and inspire game developers even today, just as Eric Chahi who released a game all to similar to the classic gameplay yet creating an even more cinematic game called Another World, a game I will also do a blog entry about.

He is one of the only Western journalists who researched Persian literature and read the Shahname when he worked on the Sands of Time with Ubisoft. It's also nice to add that the writers and main lead game designer did even go further by researching the Avesta when they worked on Warrior Within, taking on Mechner's tradition on their last succesful release of the franchise.

Well, doesn't seem like on the new PoP-game(BTW, don't buy it, it has a horrible gameplay and it seems to get really cheesy), but now to the novel.

Now, since 2004, he worked with John August as screen writer of the new Prince of Persia movie by Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney. When he finished with the script during 2008 he started writing novels of the PoP-franchise like this one:

//www.amazon.com/Prince-Persia-Jordan-Mechner...

Now, to promote for the incomming Prince of Persia movie, probably his biggest accomplishment since the script of SoT, he released another PoP-novel called "Before the Sandstorm".

I think to sum it up Mechner did that well enough:

"It’s a stand-alone, book-length prequel to the upcoming movie, written by me and illustrated by six terrific artists — Bernard Chang, Tommy Lee Edwards, Tom Fowler, Niko Henrichon, David Lopez, and Cameron Stewart, plus a cover by Todd McFarlane — and if you’re wondering why one story has six different illustrators, well, that was part of the challenge and fun of writing it. "

//jordanmechner.com/blog/2010/04/sandstorm

I just bought it on Amazon for less than 7 €, a really surprising price because many Graphic novels tend to be around 20€ just as Alan Moore's Watchmen(highly recommended!) and just finished it. My opinion?

All I can say that I love it.

Each different art style totally fitted to each story, the writing is brilliant in copying Firdausian and Nizamian dialogue style, and the characters are all funny and complex in their own way. I especially love the merchant for his bloody luck

Another big plus is finding references of all last 6 PoP-games fit in well. I won't spoiler watch, but if you played the last Sands of Time-Trilogy you will find more than enough stuff to trace ;)

Also, I love the way Mechner mixed the classic Prince (Dastan) with the WW-Dark Prince in the first flashback story. It was strange, definitely surreal, but those were my favourite story part.

If you are up for a real Gem under Persian settled works and Graphic novels generaly, you should get this ASAP along the other PoP-novel.

It's available on amazon:

//www.amazon.com/gp/product/1423124294?ie=UTF...

Alas, I can't wait for the movie :D

PS.: I am really sorry I didn't update my blog. I was having finale exams and it killed me my motivation of writing here. But now I have the time for it. I will plan to do review to certain games:

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within

Beyond Good and Evil

Garshasp(as soon as it's available to pre-order)

Penumbra

Sanitarium

Psychonauts

Braid

Outcast

Postal 2

Second Sight

MDK 1+2

Syberia

Myst Series

Devil May Cry 3

Resident Evil 4

Another World

System Shock 2/Dead Space

Portal

Several unknown Super Nintendo, Playstation X, Playstation 2 and Indie games

I also plan to work on a literature compersation with Zarathustra's Gatha with Plato's Politeia since Plato used alot of ideas of Zoroaster's teachings.

Also, I am also up taking requests, but it depends which game. I am more of an classic (click and point) adventure and action gamer with an addiction to surreal horrific gameplays. I review the ones I played or plan to play,but I won't just play games because they are popular and have SHINY GRAPHIXX, no I play only if they are good and worth my time.

Just keep that in mind.