PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME SPEED RUN GUIDE Version 1.00 (August 27, 2004) By: Todd Belton (ThermoDragon) ------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) Introduction 2) Important Combat Moves 3) Enemy Weaknesses 4) Other Notes 5) Game Walkthrough 6) Miscellaneous 7) Version History 8) Contact 8) Legal Notice ------------------ =============================================================================== (1) INTRODUCTION =============================================================================== Hello, one and all! If you're reading this now, you're probably a fan of the latest Prince of Persia, and you're looking to improve your completion time. Well, look no further! In this guide I'll share all I know about getting to the end of this game quickly. Before you use this guide, there are a few things you should know: for starters, this isn't meant for people who haven't beat the game yet. To be able to finish the game quickly means you have to be familiar with the puzzles; in fact, you may need to have gone through the game more than once. Since I'm assuming that you've done the whole thing, I'm going to gloss over the majority of the game, except to point out where you can save time. If you don't know or forget how to get past a certain area, there are plenty of other FAQs that will tell you what you need to know. Also, I'm going to set the bar at 3 hours for getting from start to finish. I've done the game several times in three hours or less, so I know it can be done. The target times for the sections assume you're doing a 3 hour run. If you don't want to go that fast, just ignore the times and pick up a few tips instead. With that said, to reach the targets for each section you'll have to be quick and efficient. When you arrive at a room with a puzzle, attack it with the minimum steps needed. No swinging 3 or 4 times around each flagpole; just jump on and jump off. Besides, it looks more impressive when you don't make any major stops. In any case, whether you want to push your time down as far as it will go or just want to save an hour or two, I hope you'll find some useful info here! -ThermoDragon =============================================================================== (2) IMPORTANT COMBAT MOVES =============================================================================== The various moves you can make are listed in the instructions, but I just want to point out the ones you'll want to master for a speed run: 1) Haste - I have no idea why they changed this to Mega-Freeze in the final game, but Haste sounds cooler, and it more accurately reflects the fact that it's a power of time, so I'm going with the manual on this one. Anyway, by using this you'll tear through the enemies, and since we're doing minimum item collection (more on that in a sec), you'll be able to use this ability in almost every battle towards the end. 2) Vaulting Attack + Retrieve - The in-game tutorial doesn't go over this one, but if you read the manual (crazy, I know) you'll see that if you swing your sword once after vaulting over an enemy and then hit the Dagger button before you land, you'll absorb the foe as he stands. This doesn't work on everyone, but it's a one-hit kill, plus you don't leave yourself open when you retrieve the enemy. An awesome move, and a fast one. I'll be calling this the Vaulting Retrieve for short. 3) Vaulting Attack or Wall Rebound Attack - Basically, if you don't have Haste and you can't Vaulting Retrieve someone, you'll be to knock them down fast with one of these moves. You'll still have to collect the sand, but it won't take long. =============================================================================== (3) ENEMY WEAKNESSES =============================================================================== Wondering which attacks work on which creatures? This part will spell it out for you: (Note: I included the other special moves for completeness. Check your manual if you want to know what the other moves are.) The preferred method for eliminating each one will be marked Sand Man w/ Hand Axe - These guys wear turbans, if you're wondering. ====================== -Vaulting Attack : Yes -Vaulting Retrieve : Yes <--- Best bet -Counter Attack : Yes -Counter Retrieve : Yes -Wall Rebound Attack : Yes Sand Man w/ Spiked Club - These guys have little brown hats. ====================== -Vaulting Attack : Yes -Vaulting Retrieve : Yes <--- Best bet -Counter Attack : Yes -Counter Retrieve : Yes -Wall Rebound Attack : Yes Sand Man w/ Hook ====================== -Vaulting Attack : Yes -Vaulting Retrieve : Yes <--- Best bet -Counter Attack : Yes -Counter Retrieve : Yes -Wall Rebound Attack : Yes Red Guard w/ Polearm ====================== -Vaulting Attack : Yes -Vaulting Retrieve : Yes <--- Best bet -Counter Attack : Yes -Counter Retrieve : Yes -Wall Rebound Attack : Yes Blue Guard w/ Polearm ====================== -Vaulting Attack : no -Vaulting Retrieve : no -Counter Attack : Maybe (usually counters back) -Counter Retrieve : Yes -Wall Rebound Attack : Yes <--- Best bet Sand Woman w/ Daggers ====================== -Vaulting Attack : Yes <--- Best bet -Vaulting Retrieve : Maybe (must be weakened first) -Counter Attack : no -Counter Retrieve : Yes -Wall Rebound Attack : Yes <--- Best bet Sand Man w/ Chain ====================== -Vaulting Attack : no -Vaulting Retrieve : Yes <--- Best bet -Counter Attack : Yes -Counter Retrieve : no -Wall Rebound Attack : no Sand Man w/ Sledgehammer ====================== -Vaulting Attack : Yes <--- Best bet -Vaulting Retrieve : Maybe (must be weakened first) -Counter Attack : no -Counter Retrieve : Yes -Wall Rebound Attack : no Armored Soldier w/ Sword ====================== -Vaulting Attack : no -Vaulting Retrieve : no -Counter Attack : Maybe (usually counters back) -Counter Retrieve : no -Wall Rebound Attack : Yes <--- Best bet =============================================================================== (4) OTHER NOTES =============================================================================== In order to save time, you'll have to skip a few unnecessary things. Like all of the life-giving Magic Fountains, for instance. Also, Sand Clouds will be ignored for the most part. This has an added benefit: with only the 4 original Sand Tanks, you'll acquire Haste earlier than normal, and you'll be able to use it again by finishing off as few as 8 enemies. With that said, on to the show! =============================================================================== (5) GAME WALKTHROUGH =============================================================================== =================================================== (Game Intro) -to- The Maharajah's Treasure Vaults CHECKPOINT 1: 2% GOAL TIME: 0:04 =================================================== OK, we've got 4 minutes to get to the vault entrance. The Prince says that spilling blood won't be his way, so let's take that idea and run with it. Literally. You don't actually have to fight any of the guards in the palace at this point, so ignore them and keep on moving. As long as you don't take any detours, you'll have no problem making it. ============================================================================= The Maharajah's Treasure Vaults -to- "You Have Unleashed the Sands of Time" CHECKPOINT 2: 5% GOAL TIME: 0:10 ============================================================================= Now that you've arrived at the hallways leading to the Dagger, you have 6 minutes to grab it and get out. Nothing special to do here up to the Dagger - just zip on through. After you escape, you'll have to fight through your first battle with the Sand Creatures. ENEMIES: 12 Sand Men w/ Hand Axes Red Guards w/ Polearms This will be a quick battle. All the enemies here are susceptible to a Vaulting Retrieve, so you should have them all sucked up in no time. ===================================================================== "You Have Unleashed the Sands of Time" -to- "Had I Really Seen Her?" CHECKPOINT 3: 7% GOAL TIME: 0:13 ===================================================================== Head into the next hallway and turn left to chase after Farah. The hallway will soon collapse in front of you, so just duck into the room on the right at the top of the stairs. After you leave this room, head left and follow Farah once more. Take the necessary detour across the poles on the side and go right into the second room. When you get to the bottom here, there are more Sand Creatures waiting for you. ENEMIES: 6 Sand Men w/ Hand Axes Sand Men w/ Spiked Clubs Again, you can retrieve all of these guys during a vaulting Attack, so kill them and swing up the poles to the next save point. Note that when you need to change directions while swinging, you don't have to come to a stop. Hit Up (or Down as the case may be) when the Prince has swung to a point above the bar and he will flip around and drop down the other way. The trip up the wall here should be a fluid series of moves, without any real stop in the motion. =============================================== "Had I Really Seen Her?" -to- A Secret Passage CHECKPOINT 4: 10% GOAL TIME: 0:20 =============================================== Alright- seven minutes for this next section, and quite a bit to do. After you bust through the furniture blockade and head left to continue, don't bother climbing the step to reach the bar. Just run up the wall on the very right side and jump to the bar. Change directions mid-swing and jump off to the hole in the rubble. From here, get down the rocks as fast as you can, ignoring the hole in the wall leading to the Magic Fountain. You'll soon reach the cutscene where you catch up to Farah. Afterwards, you'll be confronted by some scarabs, so do the natural thing... run. Just make your way past them and go into the big room to the right. They won't bother you after that. When you get past the cutscene outside and come back indoors, you'll have a lot of running around to do. When making your way across the many columns, remember that you don't have to inch around the sides of the columns to line up with the next one. Just press the joystick in the direction of the next column as you jump off and you'll automatically swing around the one you're on to make it. There are several platforms with scarabs along the way; all of these little critters can be ignored. When you reach the bottom, it's time to kick sand zombie butt. ENEMIES: 16 Sand Men w/ Hand Axes Sand Women w/ Daggers OK, you won't have it so easy this time. The veiled women won't fall for a Vaulting Retrieve, so use a normal Vaulting Attack or a Wall Rebound Attack to knock them down fast. Afterwards, dive into the save point to secure this area. Phew! That wasn't so bad, right? =================================================== A Secret Passage -to- The Palace's Defense System CHECKPOINT 5: 12% GOAL TIME: 0:26 =================================================== Onward we go! Move the cabinet to the left of the save point (if you're facing the center of the room) to reveal the secret passage. Past the door ahead we know the bridge will collapse, so just stick to the right and hit the wall running. Next, we have - the security system puzzle. Oh goody. Uh... I'm just going to assume you know how to solve this. Afterwards: a small skirmish. ENEMIES: 2 Red Guards w/ Polearms Two words: Vaulting Retrieve. 'Nuff said. ============================================================ The Palace's Defense System -to- A Booby-Trapped Courtyard CHECKPOINT 6: 14% GOAL TIME: 0:28 ============================================================ Wasn't it nice of that guard to leave us with such a lovely parting gift? Nah, I didn't think so either. No real tricks here, just make your way past the traps the best you can and prepare for a battle in the courtyard. ENEMIES: 10 Sand Men w/ Clubs Red Guards w/ Polearms I don't even need to say it by now. Leap around and retrieve 'em all. =========================================================== A Booby-Trapped Courtyard -to- Death of a Sand King CHECKPOINT 7: 17% GOAL TIME: 0:35 =========================================================== Believe it or not, speed is your friend here. For instance, the second slicer here surrounded by spiky poles can seem intimidating, but if you start to run as soon as you land on the ledge where this trap is, you can weave through the whole thing before it's fully up and running. Again, don't bother taking the detour to the Fountain, and you shouldn't have picked up any Sand Clouds, either. You can pretty much run right past the first saw blade in this area as soon as it moves; you'll probably have to stop to time the others. When you get inside, there's still more traps to avoid. Run across the left wall over the pit as soon as you pull the lever to open the door, and you should just miss the saw blade coming up. After this room, you'll end up back at the reception hall, where you get to off your old man. Lovely, isn't it? ENEMIES: 17 Red Guards w/ Polearms Blue Guards w/ Polearms King Shahraman w/ Scimitar OK, the free ride ends here. The battles from here on out aren't going to go so quickly. The red guards are easy enough, but the blue guards are a pain. Try to back up towards a wall or column so you can do a Wall Rebound Attack to knock them down in one hit. When fighting the King, a Vaulting Attack seems to work best, although it will take several hits before you can knock him down. If you can do this section in 7 minutes or less, you'll still be on track for 3 hours. ======================================================= Death of a Sand King -to- "I'll Try to Find a Way In" CHECKPOINT 8: 19% GOAL TIME: 0:38 ======================================================= Nothing fancy here. Just run along the wall to... another fight! ENEMIES: 16 Sand Men w/ Spiked Clubs Sand Women w/ Daggers Provided that you've been absorbing all the enemies so far and not slicing them up after Restraining them, you should get your fourth Power Tank at the start of this battle, and with it - Haste. Use it. There's another battle soon, so hopefully you can refill at least half of your tanks before this fight ends. ===================================================== "I'll Try to Find a Way In" -to- Climbing the Tower CHECKPOINT 9: 21% GOAL TIME: 0:40 ===================================================== Flip across the flagpoles in rapid succession on your way to the bottom. After you open the door, there are a few vagrants to take care of. ENEMIES: 15 Sand Men w/ Spiked Clubs Sand Women w/ Daggers Red Guards w/ Polearms If you can, finish off the guys first with a Vaulting Retrieve so you can do Haste again in this battle. Two minutes should be plenty for this part. ======================================= Climbing the Tower -to- The Warehouse CHECKPOINT 10: 24% GOAL TIME: 0:47 ======================================= This next section has a bit to it, but hopefully there won't be any major problems. Swing across all of the hanging bars without stopping to get up the tower. Skip the section to the left with the saw (as it just leads to another fountain) and continue up the ladder. If you wait one second after the first pair of saw blades above move before crossing, you can keep running and be safe from the second set as well. After this, we'll have to go down the stairs and let Farah in to help us with the next part. When you run down the first ramp in the warehouse, you want to make it to the symbol on the wall and jump off to the lever; this way, you won't really have to worry about the pincers. Make the round trip to return to the warehouse and head toward the second pair of pincers. When you see them appear, start running across the wall. They'll be gone before you land, and you'll be able to take off before they show up again. At the bottom of the room, you'll find - more enemies. Yeah, it always surprises me as well... ENEMIES: 15 Red Guards w/ Polearms Sand Men w/ Sledgehammers The quickest way to take down the hammer guys is with a regular Vaulting Attack; you already know how to deal with the red guards. Finish them off and solve the little block puzzle so you finally get that next save point. ===================================== The Warehouse -to- The Sultan's Zoo CHECKPOINT 11: 28% GOAL TIME: 0:49 ===================================== One of the easiest sections in the game. Cross a few pits, kill a few guys... ENEMIES: 4 Sand Men w/ Sledgehammers I think you'll live. ======================================== The Sultan's Zoo -to- Atop a Bird Cage CHECKPOINT 12: 28% GOAL TIME: 0:53 ======================================== Open the gate for Farah to begin. Unfortunately, you'll have to kill all the birds, as Farah won't go on until you do. Inside the cage, climb the first set of small poles and head to the platform to the right. Take the next series of perches up to another platform with a ladder on the right. At the top, run left around to wall to get to the bar that leads out. This cage has many different ways to get to the top, but this should get you there quickly. ============================================ Atop a Bird Cage -to- Cliffs and Waterfall CHECKPOINT 13: 33% GOAL TIME: 0:58 ============================================ After getting to the door and letting Farah up, go ahead and finish off the scarabs. After Farah heads through the crack in the wall, head down to the door below so you'll be ready when it opens. In the next room, pull the lever and run past each slicer after it swings toward you. If done correctly, you'll reach the blades as they're coming down the wall, so run over them. It's easier this way because the first blade will be lower. If you have to wait for them to go back up, there's a sort of line in the rock that the first saw should hit before you try to go across. Don't bother going to the save point yet; immediately head across the rocks to the left of the door you came through. At the top of this section, a few birds wait for you. Block the first attack and then run to the next part, it's a waste of time to stay and fight. Make your way to the waterfall and keep going. If you keep moving and get down to the bridge quickly enough, you shouldn't have to deal with the birds here at all. When you get down to the door, go ahead and hit the save point as you've done quite a bit here. ===================================== Cliffs and Waterfall -to- The Baths CHECKPOINT 14: 33% GOAL TIME: 1:01 ===================================== Run. Seriously, these bugs aren't worth a second of your time. The real party is waiting in the baths. ENEMIES: 20 Sand Men w/ Chains Sand Women w/ Daggers There's definitely an opportunity to use Haste here. For the most bang for your buck, wait until the second wave before you try it, though. Also, you can use a Vaulting Retrieve on the chain men, so take advantage of it. ===================================================== The Baths -to- "There's Something Glowing Up There" CHECKPOINT 15: 33% GOAL TIME: 1:04 ===================================================== Go past the traps to the next beatdown. ENEMIES: 20 Sand Men w/ Chains Sand Women w/ Daggers Again, refill your Haste and use it on the second wave of enemies. ================================================================ "There's Something Glowing Up There" -to- The Baths (2nd time) CHECKPOINT 16: 33% GOAL TIME: 1:09 ================================================================ There's no special shortcut to doing this next puzzle, so just attack it as quickly as you can. You should be to get the block and get it to the save point in the baths in 5 minutes. Go ahead and save here. =========================================================================== The Baths (2nd time) -to- "There's Something Glowing Up There" (2nd time) CHECKPOINT 17: 33% GOAL TIME: 1:13 =========================================================================== Again, there's no trick to finishing the next part other than doing it right the first time. There'll be another skirmish up ahead, but interestingly enough you can run away from these guys by heading up the stairs. You'll skip a save point, but so what? Head on over and grab your new shiny sword. Skip the Magic Fountain on the way down and head deep into the earth. Go ahead and save in the main room again since we skipped the last save point. =============================================================== "There's Something Glowing Up There" (2nd time) -to- Daybreak CHECKPOINT 18: 43% GOAL TIME: 1:18 =============================================================== Head down the stairs and cross the ruins as fast as you can. Go ahead and pick up the Sand Cloud in the middle; ideally, this should be your first. You'll have to fight the scarabs beyond the door, but luckily there's not many. There's a large skirmish at the end. ENEMIES: 20 Blue Guards w/ Polearms Sand Men w/ Hooks Start off with Haste; try to refill your tanks by the end of this. ************************ TIME SAVER - FOR EXPERTS ************************ If you want to shave a minute or two off your time here, you can avoid this battle. Make your way to the weak wall and attack. If there are enemies nearby, they'll draw your attention, so you may have to knock some down. Try not to use any tanks; you'll want them for the next room. If you make it to the switch for the mess hall, the battle will end. Note of course that this means you can't use the nearby save point, so make sure you don't die in the next fight. ************************ ===================================== Daybreak -to- A Soldier's Mess Hall CHECKPOINT 19: 46% GOAL TIME: 1:21 ===================================== Enter the mess hall and waste everyone. You can't bypass this battle; although it's possible to run away, Farah will be slaughtered if you do - even if you make it outside. ENEMIES: 15 Blue Guards w/ Polearms Armored Soldiers w/ Swords Again, lead off with Haste here. Wall Rebound Attacks are the best way to take out blue guards and armored soldiers that remain. =========================================== A Soldier's Mess Hall -to- The Drawbridge CHECKPOINT 20: 46% GOAL TIME: 1:25 =========================================== No real shortcuts here - just make your way up to the top and lower the bridge. Grab the Sand Cloud by the bridge lever if you don't have full Power Tanks; you'll definitely want them for the next fight. ENEMIES: 15 Blue Guards w/ Polearms Armored Soldiers w/ Swords Use Haste at the beginning and if you're lucky, you'll finish them all off before your 10 seconds are up. ************************ TIME SAVER - FOR EXPERTS ************************ Again, you can run past these guys if you want to save some extra time. Just make it to the door switch and you can lock them all out. If you don't mind not saving here, then go for it. ************************ =========================================== The Drawbridge -to- A Broken Bridge CHECKPOINT 21: 50% GOAL TIME: 1:29 =========================================== Climb to the top of the tower and to the bridge outside. There are some vultures waiting here for you, but we'll show them. Run to the end to trigger the cutscene where the bridge collapses, and give those featherbrains the slip. Hey, we're halfway through the game! As you can see, you should be clocking in at just under 1 1/2 hours. That wasn't so bad, was it? Well then, on to part 2! =================================================== A Broken Bridge -to- "I'll Meet You At the Baths" CHECKPOINT 22: 52% GOAL TIME: 1:31 =================================================== Work your way over to the next save point past the circling vultures. You should be able to make it here while the Prince is still delivering his amusing monologue. ============================================= "I'll Meet You At the Baths" -to- Waterfall CHECKPOINT 23: 55% GOAL TIME: 1:38 ============================================= When you pull the first lever at the bottom here that switches the gates and releases the scarabs, don't even bother fighting the pests. Head to the timed lever and start your race back to the top. ************************ TIME SAVER - FOR EXPERTS ************************ If you're feeling adventurous, you can bypass most of the birds as well. Just keep moving along the tops of the walls, stopping when a vulture is about to attack and striking at him first. ************************ In the caves below, you can cross the planks a bit faster by making forward jumps on them if you're lined up. Ignore the scarabs on the way down. As suggested in the time saver above, you don't have to stop to face all the bats you meet. Defend yourself whenever they attack, but keep moving while they circle in between attacks. This section will be about seven minutes total: another long one. Just try not to lose your patience with all the balancing acts you'll be doing. ==================================== Waterfall -to- A Cavern of Ladders CHECKPOINT 24: 57% GOAL TIME: 1:40 ==================================== Wow. Row after row of wooden platforms spending years in the darkness awaiting your arrival to suddenly give out and collapse. Not to mention the beautiful stalactites formed painstakingly over hundreds of years that you'll destroy in a matter of seconds. I hope they insured this place, because by the end of this you'll have reduced everything to rubble. Jerk. Anyway, you've got two minutes. =================================================== A Cavern of Ladders -to- An Underground Reservoir CHECKPOINT 25: 60% GOAL TIME: 1:44 =================================================== Oops, I see there are still some rock formations hanging from the ceiling up ahead. We can't have that, can we? Break 'em all! OK, in the next section with the platforms, try this: run to the ladder, fending off bats along the way, and head down. Run left across the wall and take the next ladder down. Run right here to the next platform. There's a pole on the wall blocking attempts to wall run, but there's just enough room beyond to start running if your aim is good. The next platform will lead you to the water at the bottom. You'll be in the reservoir in no time! (And by no time, I mean four minutes.) =============================================== An Underground Reservoir -to- Out of the Well CHECKPOINT 26: 62% GOAL TIME: 1:50 =============================================== The biggest way to save time down here is by not getting the extra items here, which we aren't doing anyway. When you head into the first side room with the traps, head straight up as the side path is a dead end with a Sand Cloud. However, do grab the second Sand Cloud that you reach with the block, as you'll need it for the battle to come when you escape. Ignore the passage to the Magic Fountain at the final rope and head up to your freedom... or doom. ENEMIES: 20 Sand Men w/ Spiked Clubs Blue Guards w/ Polearms Armored Soldiers w/ Swords Lead off with Haste, then clean up whatever comes after. Try to fill up your tanks by the end. ========================================= Out of the Well -to- The Sultan's Harem CHECKPOINT 27: 65% GOAL TIME: 1:53 ========================================= An annoying little trap section follows shortly. Note that you can skip one of the slicers on the stairs by climbing up over the rail on the side. Get ready to kill again... ENEMIES: 20 Sand Men w/ Chains Sand Women w/ Daggers Blue Guards w/ Polearms As is the standard at this point, lead off with Haste to thin out the crowd a bit. ================================================= The Sultan's Harem -to- "What Did You Call Me?" CHECKPOINT 28: 65% GOAL TIME: 1:57 ================================================= Quickly, to the next area to save Farah! ENEMIES: 25 Sand Men w/ Chains Sand Women w/ Daggers Blue Guards w/ Polearms Haste if you got it. Actually, you'll probably be able to do it twice here. ================================================= "What Did You Call Me?" -to- The Hall of Learning CHECKPOINT 29: 69% GOAL TIME: 2:02 ================================================= Sigh. This is the last of battles for a bit, so enjoy it, I guess. ENEMIES: 30 Red Guards w/ Polearms Blue Guards w/ Polearms Slice and dice. ======================================================= The Hall of Learning -to- Hall of Learning Courtyards CHECKPOINT 30: 75% GOAL TIME: 2:16 ======================================================= Alright, now this is the longest segment of the game. It's not overly difficult; it just takes a while. When you get to the mirror on the second floor, go ahead and turn it towards the center of the room to save a bit of time. You can pick up the Sand Cloud on the way to prepare for the next room. Don't follow the path with the saw blades that leads to the Magic Fountain; it's way too much off the beaten path. Eventually, you'll get the next sword. Normally I'd keep going as saving here again takes a minute, but if you're not confident you'll finish the next part without problem then go ahead and save. In the observatory, you'll find: ENEMIES: 15 Red Guards w/ Polearms Blue Guards w/ Polearms IMPORTANT NOTE: The reason this part will last so long is that we won't be saving here in the observatory. So DON'T SAVE! If you want to know why - it's because of a glitch here that can ruin your game. So just wait on the platform for Farah to raise you up. Then there's a puzzle... and some traps... blah blah blah outside to the next fight. ENEMIES: 5 Armored Soldiers w/ Swords And finally, we can save again. ================================================== Hall of Learning Courtyards -to- On the Ramparts CHECKPOINT 31: 75% GOAL TIME: 2:21 ================================================== After you get through the initial part of this section, you can run past all of the scarabs. At the end you'll have clean-up duty. ENEMIES: 14 Sand Men w/ Hooks Armored Soldiers w/ Swords Following this you can pick up one of the nearby Sand Clouds. Then go for a little trip. =================================================== On the Ramparts -to- A Prisoner Seeking an Escape CHECKPOINT 32: 79% GOAL TIME: 2:28 =================================================== Ah, the prison - possibly my favorite part of the game. Run around in circles to get to the welcoming party at the bottom. ENEMIES: 20 Sand Men w/ Hooks Sand Men w/ Sledgehammers When you do Haste here, try to move a bit forward if you can. Otherwise, an enemy might appear on the other side of the nearby wall, and you won't be able to reach him because you can only attack in straight lines while Hasted. ========================================================= A Prisoner Seeking an Escape -to- "At Last We're Here!" CHECKPOINT 33: 81% GOAL TIME: 2:32 ========================================================= Four minutes to get out of here... just keep moving. Go ahead and get a Sand Cloud on the way - this should be number 6. At the end, you'll be reunited with Farah, provided you take care of: ENEMIES: 25 Sand Men w/ Sledgehammers Armored Soldiers w/ Swords ========================================== "At Last We're Here!" -to- The Hourglass CHECKPOINT 34: 83% GOAL TIME: 2:38 ========================================== Get the Sand Cloud before the bridge - this is the last time we'll need it. Ignore all the vultures perched before you and run right to the elevator. Now for one of the biggest fights in the game... ENEMIES: 26 Sand Men w/ Sledgehammers Blue Guards w/ Polearms Armored Soldiers w/ Swords ======================================== The Hourglass -to- "Farah, Come Back!" CHECKPOINT 35: 90% GOAL TIME: 2:46 ======================================== Now it's time to go through some long cutscenes and a really weird puzzle. When you finally get to the bath scene... skip it. Sorry, there's no time for a swim now. Get the final sword and fight for the save point; you don't want to have to redo this whole section. There are about 20 enemies here... since the last sword pretty much obliterates all, the only thing you need to know is that the enemies block and counter more aggressively, so keep your guard up between attacks. ===================================================== "Farah, Come Back!" -to- Climbing the Tower of Dawn CHECKPOINT 36: 93% GOAL TIME: 2:49 ===================================================== OK, these last few minutes will definitely try your patience. Without the Dagger of Time, dying means you have to retry - and since retrying doesn't reset your time, failure at this point = reloading. When you land on the beam with the bat flock, you can get down and exit before they attack. Beyond that, 20 enemies guard the next save point. ************************ TIME SAVER - FOR EXPERTS ************************ If you're confident, you can ignore the enemies and start climbing the tower immediately. Note that if you die trying this, you have to start all the way at the bottom. Skip these guys only if you have nerves of steel. ************************ ================================================= Climbing the Tower of Dawn -to- The Setting Sun CHECKPOINT 37: 95% GOAL TIME: 2:55 ================================================= The bats up here won't stop hounding you, so don't push it. Attack whenever they get too close; you DON'T want to fall now. You've got 25 Sand Creatures waiting for you at the end, and it's a nasty combo of Blue Guards and Sledgehammer guys. There's little room to maneuver, and you'll be knocked off your feet by a hammer swing while you're blocking a blade thrust. Luckily, the big guys with the hammers can't take it like they dish it. No matter how hard they try, they can't really block your attack, unlike the blue ones. Are you excited yet? Only one more save point to go! ************************ TIME SAVER - FOR EXPERTS ************************ If you're confid... crazy, you can keep going and skip this save point too! Definitely not for the faint of heart! ************************ ====================================== The Setting Sun -to- Honor and Glory CHECKPOINT 37: 98% GOAL TIME: 3:00 ====================================== Here we are at the final stretch! Hurry now, you've only got a few minutes! When you get to the mini tower where the bats first attack, quickly jump to the next one to escape to... another swarm of bats! However, if you keep running, you'll just avoid these guys as well. All that remains is to reach the top and fight the horde of armored soldiers. 25 of them in fact. Keep moving so you don't get surrounded, and fight quickly but not recklessly. If you're lucky, they'll take each other down, and you can absorb one or two to give yourself a precious rewind. There's no saving after the final battle, so the end of this fight will determine your final time. How did you do? If you made it in 3 hours or less, give yourself a pat on the back. You are now a Master of the Sands of Time! =============================================================================== (6) MISCELLANEOUS =============================================================================== In case you were wondering how well I fared at this game, my current best run as of v1.00 of this guide is 2:46. If you want to see the breakdown by %: 2% - 0:03 43% - 1:12 79% - 2:15 5% - 0:08 46% - 1:14, 1:18 81% - 2:20 7% - 0:11 50% - 1:22 83% - 2:25 10% - 0:18 52% - 1:24 90% - 2:33 12% - 0:23 55% - 1:30 93% - 2:36 14% - 0:26 57% - 1:32 95% - 2:41 17% - 0:32 60% - 1:34 98% - 2:46 19% - 0:34 62% - 1:40 21% - 0:36 65% - 1:43, 1:46 24% - 0:42 69% - 1:52 28% - 0:44, 0:48 75% - 2:05, 2:09 33% - 0:53, 0:56, 0:59, 1:03, 1:07 =============================================================================== (7) VERSION HISTORY =============================================================================== v1.00 - August 27, 2004 - First version. =============================================================================== (8) CONTACT =============================================================================== Comments? Drop me a line by e-mailing thermo_faq at yahoo.com - I won't answer questions that can be found in this FAQ, but if you see any typos or have something to add, let me know and I'll give you credit in the next update. =============================================================================== (9) LEGAL NOTICE =============================================================================== Copyright 2004 Todd Belton. The information contained herein is for non-commercial purposes only, and may not be sold for profit. All trademarks and copyrights referenced in this guide are the property of their respective owners. As of this time, only GameFAQs has permission to carry this guide on their site.