I've played the fastrom version of this so that might affect my opinion on this a little bit. Similarly I can't really compare this to other versions of 1 (as this is the only one I've played and finished). Anywho:

Prince of Persia is one of those cinematic platformer games with an emphasis on puzzle solving and one on one combat. It's one of those games I had as a kid but never was able to beat until just recently, and I had a good time!

The controls can feel quite awkward at first, as movement feels like there's delay to it. Cinematic platformers try to imitate a feeling of realism (or something like that) to the movement and jumps, so it takes some time to get used to. I wouldn't blame anyone for being offput by it because wrong timing can mean an easy death, and there are a lot of ways to die in this game. I don't really mind it too much personally, the most annoying thing will always be jumping from ledge to ledge. Combat controls are a bit easier to handle since you're primarily guarding and attacking with your sword; the game eases you into more difficult enemies with faster attacks, so with enough practice you'll do fine.

The actual platforming, puzzles and levels are fun. It starts off pretty basic and for the most part the puzzles revolve around making use of your run and jump to get across platforms or anything related to pressure plates that open doors; add in some enemies scattered here and there for battle spice. Eventually more and more levels have some sort of interesting gimmick or event to them that keeps things refreshing. The level settings are also pretty nice, and distinct from each other, which also keeps from making the game feel too dull.

On that point, I'm very fond of the sprite work and music in this game. It just looks real nice, and the music is a vibe (especially the dungeon levels' music, imo. I love it.)

The story is pretty simple where the prince has to defeat Jaffar to save the Princess and Persia within a 2 hour limit. It's portrayed well in visuals and music. Not much else to say really I just enjoyed it lol.

Don't have much else to add, but I would recommend the game if you're interested in classic Prince of Persia. It's gonna be a lot of trial and error due in part learning the controls, but if you can deal with that then you're good to go.

I've heard this was one of the best versions of Prince of Persia to play. But there's probably no changing the fact that this isn't the kind of game for me.

The controls are the whole point of the game. Making careful decisions, avoiding fall damage, adhering to a more realistic sense of parkour than most games of its time. Unfortunately, there's some sort of delay on the jump, and it makes it really difficult to gauge the right timing to hop across a gap. This led to multiple deaths that I thought weren't in my control.

Even if I were to adapt to the awkward controls - which might've been doable - attaching a time limit to level design that requires this kind of careful precision is not something I like. Speaking of the level design, not my jam either. A lot of it blends in, relying too much on mazes with occasional nonsensical solutions. A particular standout was having to jump into a random ceiling to knock off a tile that allows you to go up. When the levels are not unintuitive, or the time limit isn't stressful, the game just feels bland. It's fucked up that I had more fun in the training levels than any of the main ones.

The combat feels like it was a last-minute throw-in. Once you figure out the strategy, you can use it against every single enemy you encounter. It removes all challenge from it, and becomes busy work.

I wanna give this game some credit. The rotoscoped animations are really impressive, and I do kinda like the concept of exploring a dungeon like this. But, I didn't have fun with the execution. I'm not good or patient enough for this.

It takes some time to get even the loosest grip on the controls, and even then you'll still die to unfair traps and unforgiving checkpoints.

but when you do nail that running jump or finally win that duel, it is extremely satisfying.

just uh, don't be hard on yourself if you decide not beat it