Turning into the dark prince isn't just window dressing, though. In gameplay sequences in which the prince is his evil self, you'll find that you're much more powerful in combat, thanks to a new weapon called the daggertail. The daggertail is a chainlike weapon that can be swung around to attack multiple enemies, or lashed out like a whip. It also comes in handy for swinging across bars or lamp fixtures, kind of like in Bionic Commando. Unfortunately, this added power comes at a price. Much like playing as the sand wraith in Warrior Within, the dark prince loses health constantly, and it must be replenished periodically by recovering sand from defeated enemies or from breaking jars or furniture in the environment. Unlike the sand wraith, though, the dark prince doesn't get unlimited use of sand powers. The sequences in which you play as the dark prince let you be much more aggressive in combat, as health is never really a concern (you basically get recharged fully with each downed enemy), but the puzzle-solving and acrobatic sequences can be stressful because you have a time limit to get from point A to point B. Fighting as the regular prince is very similar to the previous two games in the series. You can pick up dropped weapons for use in your offhand, which lets you do more powerful weapon combos against enemies. Or you can vault off walls and poles, and even use the enemies themselves to augment your attacks. The fights are as violent as ever--you can behead or even cut enemies in half with the more powerful moves.