There are so many things to love about UbiSoft's 3D Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time. It's one of the most visually stunning games I've ever seen with animation that is to die for. The quest is long and involved, not to mention extremely interesting all the way through. So what on Earth could be wrong with this game?

How about the fact that it completely rips off Buffy the Vampire Slayer! In order to get of an enemy once and for all, the youngest son of King Shahraman has to use the Dagger of Time. But the Prince doesn't just cut their throats or take a finger, oh no, he has to be dramatic and shove it into the heart turning them to sand.

Now, if that sounds familiar, then it's because it's part of the whole vampire myth. Writings about Dracula, Nosferatu, and other popular vamps all had them meeting their demise to some small, spiked piece of wood. Joss Whedon's popular show Buffy the Vampire Slayer took the fatality one step further by giving it a unique look, something that resembled an explosion of dust.

We can probably argue all night about whether or not the dustings in Buffy are wholly original, but the one thing we can't argue is how similar it looks to what you do in the new Prince of Persia! Sure they turn to sand over there in Persia (compared to dust in California), but c'mon, sand and ashy dust isn't all that different, they both suck when they get into unwanted areas.

I suppose there are some differences, such as the Prince getting part of his time meter recharged every time he dusts one of the bad guys, but even that isn't too different from Faith who was physically turned on by the act of slaying. Part of the problem is that Buffy and the Prince look almost the same when they are finishing their enemies, no matter if it's in the air or on the ground.

Perhaps this shouldn't get to me; perhaps it's one of those little quirks I should just be able to live with. But I can't help but wonder if the Hellmouth is to blame for all that weird stuff happening in Persia.