Parents' Guide to Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Game Xbox 2005
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

By Chris Jozefowicz , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 18+

Has first game's charm -- for mature players only.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 18+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 11+

Based on 13 kid reviews

Kids say that this game is a step up from its predecessor, offering impressive landscapes and a captivating story with toned-down violence and minimal blood. Many believe it is suitable for teens, contradicting the mature ratings and clearing up misconceptions about nudity and sexual content.

  • comparison to previous game
  • suitable for teens
  • minimal violence
  • confusion about ratings
  • impressive story
Summarized with AI

What's It About?

In this installment, the Prince's personality has been fractured: He is now sometimes the good prince of the first game, but his long, violent quest has led to the formation of a compromised and cynical Dark Prince. These two personalities vie for control of the Prince as he fights the evil vizier for control of time. The light Prince's adventure still mainly consists of running, jumping, and swinging through graphically gorgeous environmental puzzles. Regularly throughout the game, the Prince will change into the Dark Prince, who -- while still acrobatic -- is stronger in combat and has a chain-like whip he can use to swing from and to decapitate enemies -- but his weakness is a health meter.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 2 ):
Kids say ( 13 ):

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE TWO THRONES completes a trilogy that began with the fabulous Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time in 2003. The game formula -- lots of acrobatic feats and puzzle-solving in huge, beautiful environments -- was roughed up a bit for the grittier second installment, The Warrior Within. The Two Thrones mixes elements of both games, creating a more complicated and compelling protagonist. The death-defying gymnastics remain easy to control; The Prince also uses the more-complicated combat system introduced in the second game.

The Two Thrones is definitely a violent game, but it succeeds in mixing the best parts of the first two games. Mature teens and adults fans are sure to love it, while younger teens may be better off sticking with the T-rated first game.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the complicated protagonist. How does he differ from the way he was portrayed in the first and second installments? Does it make sense to you that his quest has made him cynical? Is it more fun to play with the Light or Dark Prince? Many games let players embody characters who are not necessarily good or heroic; is this healthy?

Game Details

  • Platform : Xbox
  • Pricing structure :
  • Available online? : Not available online
  • Publisher : UbiSoft
  • Release date : December 19, 2005
  • Genre : Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating : M
  • Last updated : October 9, 2025

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