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For the most part, this is a self-explanatory tutorial mode. It's difficult, albeit possible, to die, and serves to introduce you to the game's mechanics. Take the time to get used to how the controls work.Run forward, ignoring the artillery strike, and jump the gap. Defeat the two soldiers, and starting here, adopt a policy of thorough vandalism. Any urn, barrel, crate, or vase you see may hold life or energy power-ups, so destroy it as a matter of course.
Climb up the nearby wall and follow the path, defeating a mob of soldiers and using the ledge to work your way around the edge of the courtyard. Wall-run off the ledge at the end and defeat another mob of soldiers, using your kick and dodge abilities to keep yourself safe. You'll be vastly outnumbered in the majority of the fights you get into for the rest of the game, so get used to it now.Wall-run across the gap in the battlement, then smash the vases that are blocking the doorway. Use the indicated ledges to climb up the wall, then leap from ledge to ledge and shimmy across the wall to the next area.Use the ledge and the banner to descend down a floor, then wall-run to the next set of ledges and slide down the banner. Finally, wall-run and leap to the ledge across the room, and leap to the banner to descend to ground level. Step on the switch to let a bunch of soldiers into the room, then either defeat them or simply roll underneath the door as it closes.Wall-run to the next ledge and jump off to the next area. Wall-run to the right-hand ledge and leap across the wall, then shimmy forward and wall-run to the next landing. Finally, wall-run to the switch on the left-hand wall and leap once you've hit it to open the next gate. Run underneath it before it closes.
Walk across the balance beams, then use the banner to descend. Defeat the soldiers, then use the ledges to reach the overhead beam. Walk along it to the wrought-iron gate and climb up to its top, then leap from beam to beam to reach the gate on the other side of the courtyard. Descend via banner and defeat another group of soldiers.Climb the wall as indicated and wall-run over the switch to raise a gate. This is only here to give you a surface you can run on, allowing you to cross the gap to the next landing. Wall-run to the beam and leap up to the ledge, shimmying around it to reach the climbing stones atop the archway. Cross to the other side via wall-run, then drop down to the top of the gate and run across to the climbing stones. Descend to the ground floor, then roll through the drainage hole.Defeat the soldiers and climb up to the balcony overlooking the area. Run up the wall to the ledges, then use a series of climbing stones and wall-runs to ascend back up to the floor above you. Once there, wall-run and leap to the beam, then cross to the climbing stones and scale down the wall to the next landing.Leap across the beams to the other side of the courtyard, ignoring the shower of arrows and general aura of imminent destruction going on. Wall-run to the next beam and climb the wall to the next ledge. You've finally caught up to Malik, and have earned the Achievement/trophy A Warm Welcome (Bronze/20G).As Malik requested, hit the three switches to open the gate's locking mechanism. The first two are easy enough to hit; simply run along the nearby beams and wall-run up to bounce off the switch. Activate the first two to raise the cage that protects the third, then run and leap from beam to beam to reach it.After the cutscene, run towards the camera and turn left - your left, not the Prince's left - to find a beam that projects towards a ledge. Shimmy along that ledge to reach some climbing stones, then descend to the next landing and wall-run to the next. Move into the building and wall-run, then leap to some climbing stones. Wall-run and leap again to reach the next landing, where a couple of soldiers with shields are waiting for you; kick them to make them drop their guard, then finish them off with normal attacks.Run up the wall and hit the switch to temporarily open a nearby gate. Run through to face a bunch of soldiers, two of whom are using shields. Defeat them, then hit the lone switch on the wall to open the next gate. Run quickly to get underneath it before it closes again, then use wall-running and the patch of climbing stones on the right wall to navigate the next hallway.Now you get to meet another old friend: pillars. Climb the closest one and leap to the next to reach the balcony, where a cutscene plays.Use the pillars to cross the room to the balcony across the way, where you'll fight another group of soldiers. Once they're dispatched, leap from pillar to pillar until you reach a banner you can slide down to safely reach the floor with. Take out the soldiers on the staircase ahead of you, then scale the climbing rocks to the left of the vault door.From your position on the wall, leap to the nearest pillar, then jump from one to another to reach the balcony. From here, you can use the flagpoles to reach the hole in the wall.The Treasure VaultsAs the Prince narrates, leap off the end of the broken beam and hold R2/RT in midair to run up the wall as you reach it. Drop off the ledge, then run up the wall opposite the flagpoles and swing from one to the next to reach the hole in the gate.Leap to the next flagpole and press R2/RT in midair again to wall-run to the edge of the platform, then triangle-jump up the walls. Using R2/RT in this game will make the Prince run up the wall for a short distance every time he touches it, which makes triangle-jumping a lot less difficult than it was in Sands of Time. (This move tends to baffle a lot of returning Sands of Time players, but it makes a lot of otherwise difficult vertical climbs much easier than they'd be otherwise.)Use the same technique to wall-run, jump, and scale the wall to the next ledge. Inside the vault, defeat a group of soldiers, then use the pillars and flagpoles to scale the room to the gate well overhead. You've reached the inner treasure vault, and unlocked the Solomon's Army trophy/Achievement (Bronze/20).Use a series of jumps and wall-runs to get down the hallway as it collapses, then enter the strange gate. Here is where you'll meet Queen Razia and receive your first ability, the Power of Time.(There are also several vases you can break scattered around Razia's realm, but they do not regenerate between visits. Go ahead and smash them if you're low on health, but don't just break them for the sake of breaking them. You may wind up needing the life later on.)When you return to the castle, be very careful as you cross the next hall; a lot of the obstacles are there specifically to "teach" you how to use the Power of Time. Parts of the floor will drop away as you cross them, in a manner that could best be described as "cheap." Fortunately, the rest of the game doesn't make a habit of this.
The Stables
Here's when you get to make your first acquaintance with the skeletons, the basic-issue troops of King Solomon's army, as well as Forgotten Sands's experience system. This guide strongly recommends that you fully max out your health and energy meters before doing much else, then grabbing Whirlwind and crossing over to get Battle Rage.Skeletons have a habit of holding up their swords very slowly before actually attacking with them, but they only show up in groups of a dozen or more. Dodge out of the center of the group before attacking, then plow into them with power attacks.Use the side of the stable gate to leap to the flagpoles along the side of the room, then leap up onto the balcony with the closed gate. Wall-run from ledge to ledge, then jump from pillar to pillar until you can reach the overhead switch. Pull it to permanently open the exit gate. From there, just drop back down to the floor and head back the way you came.Roll underneath the gate to find a couple of the swinging traps. Depending on your individual skills, you can get past these by either running in as they swing back and rolling underneath them, or jumping over them as they swing towards you and rolling past them. Either way, they're the trickiest traps in the game, so don't be surprised if you take a hit or two before you get the hang of them.Smash the urns for any health you might need, then dispatch another mob of skeletons. Once they're done, use the nearby wall to reach the flagpole by the wall, which is actually a switch that activates the next series of obstacles.Wall-run up to the flagpole you just activated, then turn around and flip up to the ledge overhead. Shimmy over to the right a bit, then run up and jump to the next flagpole, and then the three beyond that, to get to the ledges above the door.Run off the last ledge to the brickwork and climb up, then jump to the broken beams in the ceiling. Use the beams and overhead flagpoles to cross the room, then use either of the banners to reach the balcony safely.The next hallway marks the first appearance of the time-honored swinging axe trap, which is dealt with here in the same way it's always been dealt with: run like hell.In the next room, crank the lever 270 degrees clockwise from its starting position to rotate in a vertical platform close to the entry door, then use the nearby flagpole to swing to and run up to its top. Leap to the switch and pull it to reveal a large column, then descend using the nearby banner. Crank the lever back about 180 degrees to get another vertical platform in place, this one on the opposite side of the latticework. Triangle-jump up between the new platform and the wall to reach the beam overhead, then leap to the switch and drop down with the banner. Skeletons will punch their way in about now. Destroy them, then triangle-jump up to the next ledge using the two columns you just caused to appear.The next room holds the first sarcophagus in the game, which is practically given to you. Destroy it, then outwit a series of axe traps.After you speak to Malik, drop down via the banner, then wall-run and jump to the flagpole to activate a pillar. Use it to cross the gap and pull another flagpole, raising another pillar. Wall-run to the switch, leap off, and quick-jump back across both pillars to reach the gate before it closes.
The Works
The Fortress Courtyard
Your first challenge is a mob of skeletons, backed up by several stronger members of Solomon's Army. A Power Attack will knock the larger soldiers off-balance for a second, allowing you to quickly finish them off.Once they're done, wall-run and jump to reach the flagpole overhead, then jump from flagpole to flagpole to reach the ledge. Evade the sawblades and use the columns and flagpoles to reach the balcony well above.Run past the sawblades and leap to the columns, then defeat the enemies and roll underneath the rolling blade trap. Wall-run past another pair of sawblades, then wall-run past the sawblade and leap to the beam. Use the banner to reach the floor safely, then look to your left; the second sacophagus is in plain sight, right underneath the switch you need to hit.Destroy the sarcophagus and hit the switch, then backtrack to the balcony and wall-run to the next landing. From there, wall-run to the switch and jump to the flagpole. Quickly flip over to the balcony and roll underneath the gate before it closes.In the next area, the Titan below you will cause a number of the walkways to collapse. Fortunately, you can rewind time, and you may need to several times. Either way, preemptively wall-run to avoid the collapsing floor, then defeat the group of enemies by the closed gate. Bounce off the wall to pull the switch and open it, then wall-run over another collapsing floor and evade a couple of sawblade traps. Run to the switch on the wall and jump off of it, then roll as you hit the ground and run through the gate before it shuts.A collapsing balcony in the next room serves as your formal introduction to the Titan, which is essentially a giant demon bull. Let it charge and take out the skeletons that spawn alongside it, then dodge out of the way. When it hits a wall and stuns itself, come in from behind with a Power Attack and a series of slashes to whittle away at its health.When the Titan dies, it shatters a gate that was covering a wall switch. Run up the wall to hit the switch, then press jump at the last moment to leap to the next wall. Keep holding the wall-run button and the Prince will run up the wall upon making contact, allowing you to do a higher triangle jump and reach the next ledge.From here, wall-run and jump to one of the broken pillars, then leap from pillar to pillar to the broken beam. Jump and wall-run up to the balcony, then wall-run and jump to the overhead switch. From it, flip from flagpole to flagpole to reach the next balcony.Another old-school Prince of Persia trap manifests here, as the next hall is lined with pressure-sensitive spikes. Simply run straight across them to get through without injury, as you'll take a hit if you hesitate for even a second. Defeat a group of sand warriors halfway through, then run through the next set of traps. While you're at it, though, keep an eye out below you for the third sarcophagus, which you can reach by dropping down from one of the ledges near the end.In the next area, turn the lever ninety degrees, then activate the switch to rotate the gear, moving a platform towards your position. Leap onto the platform and let it carry you across the room, then wall-run up to the next balcony.Here, the left lever rotates the L-shaped piece on the wall, while the right lever moves the topmost gear along its track. Rotate the L-shaped piece twice, moving it out of the track entirely, then move the gear to the end of the track. Rotate the L-shaped piece again so it blocks the track, then move the right-hand lever to spin the mobile gear. This removes the blockage from the largest gear, allowing you to press the switch on the floor.Now leap to the climbing stones across the gap and wall-run left. Leap onto the platform, and the Prince's weight will rotate the gear, propelling you towards the next ledge. Jump and wall-run up to the exit.
To close the drawbridge, you must solve a puzzle involving the bridge's locking mechanism.The left-hand lever spins the gear all the way on the bottom right, moving it along its track. The middle lever spins the left and middle L-shaped pieces ninety degrees. The right-hand lever spins the middle and right L-shaped pieces ninety degrees.You must get the gear all the way to the other end of the track to close the fortress's drawbridge. The trick to this puzzle is that what may look like the obvious solution - using the right lever to adjust the middle L-shaped piece's rotation so you can rotate all three of them out of the way at once - doesn't work. You can't solve this all at once, and must instead take it one step at a time.Turn the right lever ninety degrees clockwise, rotating the right L-shaped piece off the track.
- Now send the gear along the track as far as it'll go with the left lever
- Turn the right lever another ninety degrees clockwise.
- Push the gear along the track again.
- Pull the right lever ninety degrees counterclockwise
- Push the gear again, as far as it'll go.
- Pull the middle lever ninety degrees counterclockwise.
- Push the right lever ninety degrees clockwise.
- Push the middle lever ninety degrees counterclockwise. This should rotate both L-shaped levers on the top track into the center of the device, clearing the gear's path on the track.
- Turn the left lever as far as it'll go.
- Turn the middle lever another ninety degrees counterclockwise to clear the rest of the gear's path down the track.
- Another turn of the left lever should complete this puzzle.
Leap to the platform on the gear, then jump onto the wall next to it. Scale the wall until you can wall-run to the switch, then bounce off the switch to grab the flagpole and flip onto the platform. As before, your impact rotates the large gear, spurring a cutscene. This also unlocks the "Just us and them" trophy/Achievement.
After that, you must fight two more bulls and a host of skeletons in the courtyard below. Use the pillars to your advantage to keep one bull at bay while you focus on the other.Smash the barrels to refill your life and energy, then head down the open tunnel and evade a series of spinning blade traps. Your reward for doing so is another trip to the djinns' dimension, where Razia gives you the power you'll use the most for the rest of the game: Flow.Use the next series of waterspouts to get used to how Flow works. One thing to take particular note of is how fast the Flow meter recharges when you take your finger off of L2/LB; just releasing the button for a second is enough to refill the meter significantly. At the end of the hall, climb the waterspout up to the balcony, then trigger the floor switch and quickly run past the spikes.
Wall-run along the right wall to the ledge, then drop and slide down the banner. Dispatch the sand soldiers that ambush you, then use the lone column to climb up and jump to the nearby ledge.Wall-run right and leap to the flagpole, then freeze the water jet and swing over to the broken beam. From there, cross the room by leaping from column to column to the beam, then freeze the water jet and swing across the beams to the ledge.Wall-run off the ledge to the next flagpole, swing onto the water jet, and run up the wall to the balcony. You're halfway home.Climb up to the ledge and shimmy over to the climbing stones, then leap off to pull the overhead switch. Flip off the switch onto the ledge and follow it around the edge of the room, then wall-run and leap off onto the column. Use it and the water columns you activated just now to reach the suspended cells, but hurry; you only have a limited time before each cell collapses under the Prince's weight.Leap from cell to cell, using them and the water columns to cross the room before using the banner to slide down to ground level. Overcome another pack of sand creatures, then use the wall switch next to the banner to activate a nearby platform.That platform stays in existence just long enough to allow you to reach a nearby switch, which activates a water jet. That's enough to get you to the two switches on the room's central support column, which summons a few monsters and starts up a series of water jets on the other side of the room.Use the water jet to propel yourself far enough up the wall to reach the ledges above the door, then leap from beam to pole to column until you can pull the second switch on the support column. This turns on most of the rest of the water jets in the room, which allows you to reach the Prison's exit.Before you leave, though, there's a sarcophagus hidden just past the timed gate, up a climbable wall. Be sure to grab it while you're here.Get through another gauntlet of various traps and you've escaped the Prison.
The Sewer
Freeze the two waterfalls with the Flow and triangle-jump up to the overhead waterway. Grab the ledge, then wall-run past the sawblade traps and freeze the waterfall to get across the mouths of the sewer tunnel. A final water jet lets you flip onto the broken beam and exit the area.This next chamber is your introduction to a frequent headache for the rest of the game. Some of the water columns reduce their flow at predictable intervals, to the point where they're not thick enough for you to grab onto them.Use the columns to cross the room to the balance beam, but take a look above you. There's a very well-hidden sarcophagus above you. Climb the next column as high up as you can and take a blind leap towards the camera. When the Prince lands on a hidden beam, you'll be face-to-face with the sarcophagus.Drop back down to the lower beam, then continue along the tunnel. In the next large room, you'll have your first encounter with the wizards, who are a frequent pain in the neck for the rest of the game. They themselves can throw fireballs or unleash a short-ranged force wave to knock you flying, and can actually punt the Prince over a ledge if you don't watch your positioning.The wizard's more dangerous power, however, is the ability to summon a theoretically infinite number of other enemies. While they aren't hard to beat, and can easily be dispatched by kicking them over and stabbing them while they're prone, they're very good at hiding behind a bunch of cannon-fodder monsters. The monsters they summon are never worth any experience, but they count as enemies for various Achievements (i.e. Sand Nemesis, Death from Above).With them defeated, triangle-jump up to the indicated lever and turn it counterclockwise, activating a bunch of water jets on the far wall. Use them as parallel bars to reach and pull the switch that opens the gate.Return to the lever and turn it clockwise to activate a pair of water columns in the middle of the room; freeze them and use them to reach the open gate.Use the rough stones on the sides of the tunnel to reach its end, then leap down into the next room for another fight with a sand wizard and its posse. Run up the closed door and leap to grab the overhead switch, which activates another pair of water columns. Run up one of the walls and leap to grab them, then use them to reach the lever in the alcove. Turn it ninety degrees to rotate the mechanism that the water columns are emerging from, then leap from column to column to leave the room.Turn left and freeze a couple of water jets to reach the next sarcophagus, then turn right to leave the Sewer. You'll need to use the Flow to wall-run across a couple of waterfalls, then leap right at the end of the run and deactivate the Flow in mid-air, allowing the Prince to sail through the waterfall instead of slamming into it. Get used to this gimmick, as it shows up a lot for the rest of the game.
The Baths
Activate the switch on the floor, then use the Flow to freeze the water in place. Use it as a wall, then run up it and jump off to grab the overhead switch.This opens the next door, but lets an army of sand creatures into the room with you. Take them out any way you can, focusing on the wizards first, before you continue onward.Take them out, then use the two overhead switches in the room they came from to activate a pair of parallel waterfalls, perfect for triangle-jumping with the Flow. Follow the upper balcony around, then go back downstairs and freeze the water jets before they disappear. Swing across the room to catch back up with Malik.Freeze the water jets on the wall before they disappear, then swing across them to reach the landing in the opposite corner of the room. From the landing, wall-run and jump to the overhead switch, which turns on a series of water columns throughout the room. This lets you reach and activate a second overhead switch, which turns on more water columns. Use them to reach the exit.Once you're through there, jump to the parallel bar ahead of you, then activate the Flow and run up the frozen waterfall, using it to bounce to the bar overhead. Deactivate the Flow, then leap through the waterfall to the ledge just behind it.Evade a series of rotating-blade traps, then use the banners and flagpoles to descend to the floor below.
Use the wall switch to activate a pair of water jets, then activate the Flow and use the jets and the waterfall to reach the overhead balcony. Push the switch up there and use the frozen jets to swing up to the ledge across the room, where you can reach a beam. Jump off, grab the flagpole, and activate the Flow just after you pass through the waterfall, right in time to catch the water jet as it solidifies. It's just a few jumps from there to reach the balcony.As Ratash blasts the palace apart around you, wall-run to the water jet and swing off it to the beam below you. Grab the water column and slide down it, then jump to the floor.After the next explosion, wall-run and jump to the column, then freeze the various water jets and use them to get back inside.Drop down into the palace's bedroom via the banners and dispatch the sand creatures that appear, then check out the water column in the background. It's easy to miss, but you can use the column to hit a pair of wall switches and open a secret door. Behind it, you'll find another sarcophagus.Leave the bedroom, and freeze the first water jet. As before, you have to let the Flow go long enough to swing through the waterfall, then immediately hit L2/LT again to freeze the second water jet. As you hit the floor, Ratash will reappear, and once again, hilarity ensues. Run along the right-hand wall and grab the water jet. Swing over to the surviving chunk of the balcony, then freeze the left-hand waterfall so you can run along it. Jump off to the columns and use them to get back to solid ground.Wall-run to the beam, then jump and wall-run up to the next landing. As before, swing from water jet to water jet, letting the Flow button go in mid-air so the waterfall stops being solid for a second, then hit Flow again to grab the last jet and swing to safety.Take out the enemies haunting the royal bath, then freeze the waterfalls on the far side of the room and use them to climb up. Along the way, snag the eighth sarcophagus from a hidden landing behind the right waterfall.At the top, follow the balcony around and bounce off the wall to the overhead flagpole. Use it and the one next to it to cross over to the next balcony. From here, you can wall-jump up to the overhead switch, opening the next gate.You're outside again, of course, with Ratash firing at you from the distance. Fortunately, this is our last run-in with him for now.Run along the wall and leap to the water column, using it and the jets to reach the landing. Triangle-jump up the wall and waterfall to climb up to the level above you, then jump off the beam to the water column. Hop from there to the banner on the wall and slide straight down into a cutscene.Run past a few swinging axes and pressure plates, and take out a few sand creatures at the base of the waterwheel. Freezing the water with the Flow also stops the water wheel in place, allowing you to wall-run between its spokes to the next area, but you can also climb up the wall next to it to find a hidden sarcophagus.
The Observatory
Right as you enter, turn left and climb the stones to the right of the door, then wall-run left and jump to find two water jets. Freeze them and flip over to a platform where a sarcophagus is hidden, then slide down the banner.For your next trick, freeze the water jets on the left side of the room, and keep your finger on the Flow so you can run up the waterfall at the end and perch on the beam. Leap across the gap to the other side of the hall, then climb up to the ledge and wall-run right to the banner. Slide down it to the crack in the wall, then wall-run left to the water jet and swing to the next beam.Leap off the beam to the column, then jump over to the next column. From there, grab onto the stones at the base of the throne room's stairs.Ratash is big, slow, and hits like a train. At range, he'll toss hard-hitting fireballs to knock off large amounts of your health. Close up, he'll try to stomp you or crush you with his sword. Either way, dodge with the circle/B button and counterattack, but don't mash the button so hard that you aren't able to get out of the way of his inevitable counter.There is an Achievement/trophy, Untouchable, available here if you manage to beat Ratash without getting hit. Mostly, this will involve abusing your dodge roll and hitting him only sporadically. You'll do better if you wait until you've filled out most of your upgrade grid, including Battle Rage, or if you use the Power of Ice to do extra damage.Once Ratash's health is at about 50%, he drops to one knee and starts regenerating health. This is your cue to jump on his back and land an aerial attack, which disarms Ratash and starts the next phase of the fight.Ratash jumps to a distant ledge at this point and starts harrassing you with fireballs. Keep moving at all times, and climb up the stones near the throne to reach the overhead landing. Swing on the water jet to get over the hole Ratash blasts in the walkway, then climb up the stonework and wall-run right to get some more height. Once you're here, jump onto the switch and flip onto the slope, then leap onto Ratash's platform.The second verse is much the same as the first, except that this time, Ratash creates a bunch of skeletons to get in your way. Either beat them or trick him into crushing them for you, then take him on the same way you did before. Defeating Ratash earns you the Achievement/trophy "Not what it looks like."Leave the throne room via the doorway behind the throne, where you'll find a few spinning blade traps and swinging axes to deal with. After running the newest gauntlet, you'll find another gate into Razia's realm, where she'll reward you with a new power: Flight. This is the ability to basically shoot yourself like a bullet at distant enemies.The TerraceFly across the gap and take out the group of skeletal soldiers, then wall-run across the switch to trigger a platform. Fly off the platform and take out the enemies on the next landing.Run up the wall in the recessed alcove to trigger the switch, then leap off the switch to grab the nearby flagpole. Before the wall retracts again, turn around and jump back onto the wall, run up, and jump to the stones on the opposite column, then jump from the stones onto the ledge.Wall-run to the next ledge, then leap across the gap and shimmy around to the other side of the wall. From here, jump from column to column and use the flagpoles to get close enough to the sand creatures in the distance that you can lock onto them with Flight and take them out.As the dust settles, run up the wall in the alcove again to trigger the wall. Jump onto the flagpole, turn around, jump, run up the wall before it retracts, and leap to the overhead beam. Jump off the end and use the flagpole to leap towards the skeleton on the tower, then Fly over and take him out. Turn the nearby lever to descend a level.Fly over and dismantle the skeletons across the gap, then run up and grab the gouge to the right of the door. This next part gets a little tricky.The basic idea is to keep doing a blind wall-run across the switches on the side of the tower, because hitting the switch activates a plate on the tower and gives you something to grab onto. Move quickly from plate to plate and column to column, then use the climbing stones to get up into the tower. This involves a close-quarters fight with a pair of armored bulls and their posse of skeletons, which is likely to be bloody.Victory opens the exit door. Leap across the chasm and Fly over to the soldiers waiting on the other side, then jump off the edge and grab the flagpole. Swing over to the ledge and run up to hit the switch, then drop down and run over to the sliding plate before it retracts. Once it does, carrying you along with it, drop down and shimmy around the corner.Triangle-jump up to the switch, then leap off and immediately follow the ledge around to the right before the plate slides back. Once it moves, wall-up up and jump to hit the switch, then immediately wall-run up again and jump to the other side of the tunnel to grab the plate. Ride it up and leap off to grab the gouge in the wall, and follow it around.Wall-run up off the ledge to hit the switch and immediately jump off. You have to jump from flagpole to flagpole as quickly as possible here before the timer runs out, or the poles fold back up into the wall. Just hammer jump the moment you safely grab the next pole in line, and don't wait to swing around a pole a couple of times. After the last jump, Fly over and smash the skeletons that are waiting for you at the end.Slide down the banner, then jump off at the end and use the flagpole to reach the next banner. Repeat the process until you hit the last banner, then jump off near the end and Fly to the enemies on the landing. Before you head down the next tunnel, be sure to climb the ledges to the right and grab the sarcophagus that's hidden there.Evade a last few traps and you've made it out of the Terrace.
The Rooftop Gardens
Hit the switch on the floor and activate the Flow. That should keep the waterfalls going long enough for you to triangle-jump between them. Release it again once you're back on solid ground, then freeze the waterfall and run across it to the first water jet. Swing off of it and bounce off the wall to the jet directly overhead, then turn back around, jump, and wall-run up to the top.Slide down the next tunnel, and jump across the gap to avoid getting stuck by the pressure plates. When you get back out to open air, slide down the slope ahead of you and jump at the last second, using Flight to tag the distant sniper.Jump across the gap and run up to the overhead switch, activating the waterworks all throughout the Rooftop Gardens. Swing to the ledge directly ahead of you, then freeze the water jets throughout the area. Swing off the jets and Fly to the next sniper.Freeze the waterfall and run along it, then leap off and Fly to tag the sniper. The next jump is a bit trickier, simply because it's just a jump; there's no hidden mechanic to make the jump easier, strangely enough. Just take a running start and Fly to the sniper.You should catch up to Malik right about now. Swing over to where you spotted him to find a sarcophagus barely hidden behind a palm tree.Try to chase Malik, for all the good it'll do. Jump down onto the incline and slide down it, jumping off at the last second so you can Fly to the sniper. Jump from its perch to the overhead switch to activate the local waterworks, then swing over to the next platform and Fly to the sniper.Freeze the waterfall and run along it to the first water jet, then drop the Flow in midair so the next water jet activates, right in time for you to grab it. Swing off onto the column, then slide down the ramp and veer left, allowing you to wall-run on the frozen waterfall and leap to the water jet. You'll need to time your use of the Flow so the first water jet is on at the time, then release it in mid-air again so the next one's available. The timing's tricky, so don't be surprised if it takes you a couple of tries.Leap across the next gap by flying to the sniper, then wall-run and jump to the water jet. Fly to the next sniper, then use the wall and the water jets to climb up to the ledge overhead. Quickly shimmy left and don't stand still, as the sniper on the distant platform can knock you off the wall with a lucky fireball. Freeze the waterfall and swing across both jets, then Fly to the sniper.Slide down the ramp, jumping across the gap, and slide down the banner. On this slope, veer left and freeze the waterfall, then wall-run and triangle-jump up to the top.The next tunnel is full of flagpoles and swinging axes. The trick to getting through this area in one piece is to avoid swinging on the flagpole as much as possible, allowing the Prince to make each jump with minimal lead-up. This makes it much easier to time a jump past the axes.Once you're back outside, move as quickly as possible to avoid getting pegged by the snipers' fireballs. Defeat the sand creatures ahead of you, then use a simple wall-run and jump to get over the first gap. Fly to the first sniper, then either defeat or avoid its backup and Fly across the gap to hit the second sniper. Here, take out the soldiers, then freeze the water column and climb up it so you can reach the water jets. Flip onto the second water column, quick-jump off of it, and Fly to the next sniper.Once again, use the water jets to get close enough to the sniper that you can Fly the rest of the way, then run through the waterfall. Jump over to the parallel wall, run up it, freeze the waterfall, and use it to get the rest of the way up to the next level.Use the water columns to reach the central dias, where you'll wind up in one of the largest battles yet. Take out the wizards first, or this can last literally forever, and make liberal use of any powers you've gained via the upgrades menu. Whirlwind is particularly useful here, allowing you to knock down most of the soldiers and get a clear shot at the wizards.Before you leave, though, be sure to jump across the gap to the waterfall. There's a sarcophagus hidden behind it.After you grab that, ace the sniper that's been shooting at you the whole time with Flight, then use the water jets above his platform to swing across the wall to the exit.
Use the water columns to move forward, then jump off the last one and Fly to the sniper. Swing off the first water jet, run up the nearby wall, and bounce off it to grab the second, higher water jet. That allows you to reach another, higher series of jets, and cross them to get to the aqueduct wall. Freeze and run across the waterfall, then wait for the sawblade to get out of the way before climbing up the ledge to the wall.Freeze the waterfall, then run across it to the jet to reach the balcony. Freeze and climb the column, then quick-jump off of it to fly into the sniper.Slide down the incline and veer right, then run off the edge of the slope and leap to the water columns. Use them to get to the overhead walkway, where you'll finally catch up with Malik. As is becoming a habit, it won't end well.Get past a few axe traps and pressure plates to move further into the Aqueducts. It's time to learn another new trick: the vulture jump.The sand vultures don't actually attack. Instead, they're sort of like grapple points, which you lock onto using Flight. Any vulture the Prince flies into is about to get stabbed to death, so once you grab it, you should jump away as quickly as possible.The next part of the Aqueducts is a sort of vulture-jumping tutorial, and should be fairly self-explanatory. Use the vultures to navigate through the area, and get used to the timing.Your next stop is a large semi-circular dias where you must fight another detachment of Solomon's army. Again, go after the wizards first, using powers or aerial strikes to evade their meatshields.Once they're all gone, a couple of vultures will spawn nearby, giving you a way to progress. Before you do, however, drop down off the edge of the platform and use the water jets to get down to the ground. There's a sarcophagus down here, hidden in an alcove.The trick to this next sequence mostly has to do with timing, as you need to use the buckets on the Aqueducts' water wheel as handholds, and there's a relatively narrow window in which you can jump away safely. Use the sand vultures to reach the flagpoles overhead, then grab the ledge and wait for the first bucket to get in range. Jump onto it quickly, then leap onto the first suspended cage as soon as you're high enough to reach it.Leap onto the second cage once you have enough height, then grab the second bucket. The moment you have hold, inch around to the side and leap off onto the wall, then wall-run to the water jet and swing off. Fly to the soldier on the balcony, then defeat its confederates.Grab the vulture from the balcony, then grab the next one and leap onto the wall. Run up it and Fly to the next vulture, then follow the trail of birds all the way around the building until you can Fly to relative safety.Wall-run over and climb the frozen waterfall, then take out the soldiers on the landing. Break all the urns to refill your health and energy, then use the nearby vultures to climb onto the roof of Solomon's Tomb.
King Solomon's Tomb
Ruins of Rekem
Getting here in the first place unlocks the Welcome to Rekem trophy/Achievement.After you speak with Razia, recall the cliff to the left and triangle-jump up to its top. In the statue room, you'll meet your first titan, a miniboss that fights a lot like Ratash does. It doesn't have any fireballs, but it usually shows up with a batch of lesser sand creatures. You can deal with it the same way you fought Ratash. Once you've gotten half its life down, it often drops to its knees; jump onto its back and press the attack button to finish it off, or simply keep attacking.Recall the stonework in the corner, then wall-run and jump to the flagpoles. As you land on the beam, recall the flagpole ahead of you and use it to climb to the landing. Recall the next flagpole, swing to the beam, and recall the next flagpole to reach the next platform.Wall-run and jump to the column, then use the row of columns to cross over to the other side of the room. Wall-run to the platform, then recall the wall ahead of you and triangle-jump to the overhead ledge.From the ledge, wall-run and jump to the broken column, and recall the parallel bar ahead of you. Recall each object in your path as you go, then leap to the beam. The platform to your left leads to a sarcophagus, while the platform to the right leads out of the statue room.Slide down the banner, then recall the platform and triangle-jump to the top. Wall-run across the switch and slide down the banner to open the exit door.Run past a few sawblade traps, then climb the wall up to reach the throne room.
After you take out the roaches and soldiers that are attempting to stop you, your goal is to find a way to open the throne room's secret escape hatch.Step one: climb up the wall near the throne and recall the parallel bar nearby. Use the bars to swing over to the recallable beam near the entrance, then use the beam and the overhead bar to reach the ledge. Recall the next ledge, then wall-run over to the landing.Climb up the wall to the topmost ledge, then run and jump to the ledge opposite the wall. Shimmy along it to the recallable platform in front of the gate, then drop down and, um, "un-recall" it to find a sarcophagus.From the sarcophagus platform, jump to the broken beam jutting off one of the support columns, and jump across the gap to the beam opposite it. Climb onto the landing and roll under the stuck gate, where you'll find a pair of ledges next to it. Recall part of the ceiling and shimmy across the room to reach the landing behind the closed gate, where you'll find an overhead switch. Pull it to open the secret door.From the landing, use the ledges to reach either of the banners behind the throne, and slide down them to get back to the floor. Use the stonework in the escape tunnel to climb down.The escape tunnel's seen better days, frankly. Activate the gate switch and roll underneath the arrow trap before it closes, then defeat a pack of roaches while dodging fireballs from a distant sniper. Once you have a clear shot, KO the sniper with Flight, then swing across the water jets to another landing. Freeze the waterfall long enough to triangle-jump most of the way up, then let go of the Flow and Fly through the waterfall to knock out the enemy on the next landing. Fly to the next landing, then freeze the waterfall so you can run along it and jump off to the next one. Finally, freeze the water jets and swing across them, then unfreeze them so you can Fly through the waterfall towards the enemy on the other side.Take out a titan and its roach posse, and Razia will open the next door for you.
The Sacred Fountain
As Razia explains the history of the area to you, some sand soldiers will arrive to offer their opinion. Retort via stabbing.Once Razia opens the next door, recall the nearby chunk of the wall and freeze the waterfall. Run along it and jump to the landing, then take out the roaches that are lying in wait.Recall the second waterfall and freeze it, allowing you to triangle-jump off of it and the archway to reach the landing above you.
Rekem Reservoir
Solomon's Hall
After you take out the opposition, recall the structure in front of you to open up a water pipe. Climb up the column and use it to get enough height to Fly to the shieldman on the nearby landing. From there, take the vulture express across the room and Fly to the sniper.Recall the water jet and use it to swing over to Flight range of the second sniper, then Fly to the last enemy to get into the Hall proper. Dismantle the roaches and soldiers guarding the place however you like.Before you climb up, there's a sarcophagus in plain sight in front of you, but opening the gate can be a little tricky. Hit the wall switch to the right of the gate to activate the water jets nearby, then use them to reach the crack in the wall. Shimmy along it and wall-run across the switch above the entryway, then jump off the switch, roll when you hit the ground, and run like hell to get to the gate before it closes.As for the reason you're actually here, get back outside the gate and recall the walls on either side as you triangle-jump up to the stairs. As indicated, run up the wall by the tomb door and use the columns to reach the ledge above the doorway.Turn the lever to aim the statue of Solomon at the door, as Razia instructed. Stepping on the switch opens the door, but as you may be able to tell, the mechanism is powered by water. Use the Flow to hold the door open long enough for you to swing back across the columns and enter the tomb.Pass through another hallway filled with traps to find the final gate to Razia's realm. Inside, she gives you the last power-up in the game, which dramatically increases the power of your basic sword attacks. For the rest of the game, you can drop normal sand creatures in one hit, while larger creatures die after three or four slashes. You are now a wrecking machine.After you plow through a few hallways filled with monsters, run up the rune-covered part of the wall and flip onto the flagpole. Leap off of it and go vulture-hopping again, then take out the sand creatures that spawn when you land.Recall the nearby ledge, then recall and jump to the nearby column. Vulture-jump to and recall the doorway, then take the vulture/column express to the next landing. Hop down to the circular area for a fight with a Titan, among other things.
King's Tower
Start your climb by recalling the nearby wall. Run along it and jump to the flagpole, then swing and run up the wall to grab the ledge. Wall-run right and triangle-jump up to the columns overhead, then run through the doorway.Recall the wall ahead of you so you can start a triangle jump, then recall the wall you just came through to finish it and reach the ledge above you.Use the vultures to reach the columns, then recall them in mid-air and get to the distant ledge. From there, swing across the flagpoles on the side of the tower to reach the stones, then scale the wall.At the top of this spire, recall the nearby platform and go back inside. Wall-run and grab the nearby column, then recall the archway so you can use it to triangle-jump up to the next level. Grab the flagpole and recall the closest wall, so you can bounce off of it to get to the column. Recall the exterior platform as you're sailing towards it, then jump across the gap and recall the next ledge right before you reach it.Use the vultures hovering above you to reach the next flagpoles, then sail from vulture to vulture to reach the top of the King's Tower. You'll see a sarcophagus in the background as you're bird-hopping. Instead of climbing up the closest wall when you reach the end of the gauntlet, jump across the gap and use the vulture in the background to climb up to the tower's roof. Once there, destroy the final sarcophagus in the game, then use the switch to open the gate.With that done, climb up the recalled gate and jump across the gap. Now, all that's between you and the Palace are a series of rotating pillar traps. You're officially in the home stretch.
As you get into the Palace proper, a trio of wizards on a balcony above you attack with an army of respawning soldiers. This may look bad at first, but considering your normal attack cuts them in half instantly, it's just not that big of a deal. Once the first wave is dead, you can quite easily murder the soldiers one by one as they respawn, which makes this the best room in the game for working on various combat-related trophies/Achievements. For example, this is the single easiest area for getting Sand Nemesis, since the soldiers appear one at a time and can be killed with one hit each.When you're done messing around with these guys, wall-run to activate the two switches on either end of the room, then wall-run to pull the overhead switch and open the gate. Kill or simply outrun the wizards, then duck through the gate before it closes.Climb up to the ledge above you and fight through the horde of soldiers that come to get in the way. At the end of the hall, Fly across the gap to the lone soldier waiting there, then bounce off the wall switch and run through the gate.At the dead end, wall-run and jump to grab the first beam, then jump across the gap and wall-run up across the switch. Leap off at the end to grab the overhead beams, then leap across them quickly before the door shuts.Jump to the chandelier, just before a couple of the armored bulls knock it down. Fight through the ensuing ambush; with your new sword, the bulls are a bad memory in two swings tops.Wall-run to grab a flagpole, then bounce off the flagpole to the wall to hit the exit switch. Jump from the switch to the beam, then leap onto the balcony and run through the gate.Next up: wall-run to hit the switch, then jump off the switch to the ledges across the hall. Drop down twice, then wall-run and grab the edge of the platform. Pull yourself up and run before the gate shuts. (A certain odd trend has developed here.)In the next area, take out a group of sand soldiers and their titan buddy. (If you're looking for the David and Goliath Achievement/trophy, be sure to kill the titan with an overhead slash rather than just cutting it to ribbons.)On either side of the room, stand on the floor switch to activate a nearby waterfall. Freeze it with the Flow and use it to run up to the nearby water jet, then bounce off the waterfall to reach the flagpole. Swing off the flagpole and use the vulture to reach and turn the lever, then slide down the banner to get back to the floor without breaking your neck.Go through the formerly-barred door and wall-run to the crack. Shimmy along it and jump to the ledge across the hall, then scale to the hole in the wall using the ledges.Run past the traps in the next hallway to reach the ground floor of your last and greatest challenge.
There are a number of vases on the ground floor, and if you're low on energy, be sure to smash them all. You're likely to need to rewind time quite a bit before you reach the top of the Climb.To begin your trip, use the switch on the center of the ground to activate two waterfalls on the dias in front of you. Freeze the waterfalls and triangle-jump upwards, using the left waterfall first, and as you approach the top, leap off the right-hand wall and unfreeze time. You want to sail right through the left waterfall and grab the flagpole.Leap from the pole to the beam. Your next challenge is the first in a series of difficult horizontal triangle jumps, where you need to repeatedly and quickly change the waterfalls ahead of you from solid to liquid. The trick is to release L2/LT as the Prince begins his jump animation, so he's just moving away from the wall by the time the water becomes a liquid again. It's very difficult and requires extremely precise timing, moreso than anything you've done in the game so far.Use the column next to the landing to make a series of easy jumps, then do another horizontal triangle jump to reach a beam. Grab the water jet and swing onto the waterfall, freezing it first, and run up the waterfall to jump and grab the flagpole. Repeat the process again to gain even more height, then flip onto the last water jet to reach a much-needed checkpoint. Shatter the urns to recoup any of the energy you spent on rewinds.The next leg of the trip adds a number of extra waterfalls to the horizontal triangle-jumping you've been doing so far. If you play your cards right, you can "cheat" on the last leg by jumping straight to the broken beam, but you can't depend on having enough height to reach it. Either way, once you're through, climb the column to get enough height that you can jump to the next flagpole.Use the next waterfall and the vertical row of water jets and flagpoles to climb up to the next level, with a well-deserved checkpoint. Destroy the urns, then stand on the switch on the ground to open the exit gate.This adds a time limit to the last and hardest of the horizontal jumps. Fortunately, if you weren't doing this quickly, you weren't going to be able to do it at all. Once you reach the balcony, you get a cutscene and another checkpoint, and frankly, you've earned both.There's a small army of skeletons waiting to stop you on the exterior walkway, and even though you've got your new sword, there are enough of them that this can be tricky. This is a good area to work on the Acrobat Achievement/trophy, as there are dozens of enemies and they're very densely packed.Once you make it back inside the tower, it's time for a bit more platforming, although nothing is quite as punishing as those waterfall jumps were. Use the vultures to move between the platforms and further into the tower, culminating in a triangle jump between waterfalls.As the tower begins to shake itself apart, use a fresh wave of vultures to keep climbing it, then Fly off the last flagpole to wreck a nearby skeleton. From there, keep climbing, mostly going from bird to bird, until you wind up clinging to the wall.The camera angle's the big killer here, as the waterfalls' position doesn't quite look right until you're actually in the middle of them. Run left off of your handhold, then jump off and do another horizontal triangle jump between the waterfalls. Grab a vulture in mid-air, and ricochet from bird to bird until you've reached relative safety.That, of course, doesn't last.Apparently, somebody at Ubisoft played Bayonetta.Jump from platform to platform within the heart of the storm, using vultures to propel yourself whenever you have nothing better to grab onto. With your new sword, the intermittent ambushes from skeletons shouldn't be a serious problem. Mostly, you'll have your hands full just staying alive.At the end of this sequence, you're up against Ratash in his final, most powerful form, and you've unlocked the Eye of the Storm trophy/Achievement just for making it here in one piece. This is a multi-stage fight that's mostly about staying alive, and Ratash's first move is to drain some of Razia's magic. You can still use your earth, fire, ice, and wind powers, but you cannot rewind time during this fight.Ratash initially summons a bunch of normal soldiers to harrass you, which can be mowed down readily just like everything else you've been fighting. Ratash himself tends to try to claw at you, either with just one hand or one right after the other, which you can avoid with a well-timed dodge roll. It looks like you can evade the claw swipes by sticking to the bottom of the platform, but sadly such is not the case.Ratash also likes to go for a heavily-telegraphed overhand punch. When he throws this out, he also brings the medallion on his chest close enough to the platform that you can get a couple of hits in. Activate the Power of Ice to get a little extra damage, then run in as quickly as you can and slash at the medallion. Once you have a feel for the timing on this fight, you can start moving preemptively once you see Ratash's fist go back, so you're in position to knock off some of his health right as the fist lands.When Ratash reaches 75% health, he begins firing bolts of energy at the platform, which home in on your current position and explode shortly thereafter. He also summons another wave of goons, and harrasses you with the energy bolts while you're dealing with them. The goons allow you to quickly refill your health and energy during the fight, but don't let them get too many hits in.At 50% health, Ratash begins using a heavy axehandle punch that will knock you into next week if it connects, as well as all of the other moves in his repetoire. He also occasionally drops both hands onto the platform and begins rearing back for a big wave of flame, but you can preempt that with a series of hits to the medallion.At 25% health, Ratash summons a titan and withdraws from the fight completely. Take it out, the same way you've been fighting titans for most of the game so far, and live through another wave of sand soldiers. If you play your cards right, you can let Ratash claw them all to death for you, then go back to dodging his punches and claws until he leaves himself open.At roughly 5% health, Ratash rears back entirely, but a pair of sand vultures give you the opportunity to reach him and land a final, killing slash. At this point, it's all over bar the screaming. Congratulations on beating The Forgotten Sands.
