REVIEW: Prince of Persia 7572 Quest Against Time

[Svelte]

Theme: Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time

Set: 7572 Quest Against Time

Pieces: 506

Price: $US49.99; $CAD69.99

Resources: Shop @ Home, Bricklink, Brickset

Introduction

The second largest set in the Prince of Persia theme doesn't seem to be looked on with much enthusiasm by AFOLs, perhaps because it doesn't have the eye-catching design of the Battle of Alamut or any of the unique animals in the smaller sets. However with 500 pieces in very useful basic bricks, this is a great value set with some fun play features. Join with me into a dark and mysterious journey into danger as explore the very lair of the Sands of Time...

** All pics link to high-res flickr versions for detail fans **

Box, Parts & Instructions

The front of the box. 506 parts is pretty good for a $US49.99 Licensed set, and it's 99% bricky goodness - only a very few Technic pieces - just one of the reasons I am loving the Prince of Persia line so much.

The side of the box again shows character names. The Hassansin leader is called 'Zolm', which sounds like the noise a brass gong makes when hit. Maybe that's why he's hiding out in a desert cave with snake friends who can't call out his name mockingly.'ZOOOOOOOOLMMMM!'

The back of the box shows all the traps and tribulations Dastan will face whilst Princess Tamina stands at the entrance looking impatient! (And beautiful.)

Two instruction books, with the usual US-printed colour issues. In Book 1, dark bley looks black and in Book 2, it looks light bley!

Some poster art from the back of the book. Oddly this echoes the actual promo pic from the Jan Aus/ NZ catalogue, except that was built with real bricks. Maybe they render and CGI-fiddled with it afterwards. This is a nice call-back to the Indy line which had similar stylised art.

Random instruction page showing the front section. The shape of the lovely gate is actually obscured by all the rocky stuff and traps which is added later, but it's a nicely executed and very architecturally-different little mini-model in itself.

People interested in the parts inventory look here - Page 1 Page 2

There are 5 polybags, no loose parts.

This is the first LEGO set I've ever seen where *just* the minifigs get a whole bag unto themselves. I wonder why this is?

All 500+ lovely parts spilled out seductively. The primary accents are dark bley, dark tan, and medium nougat, with smatterings of trans-yellow and tan. (There are also lots of the new 1x1 brick with stud on 1 side in black, but I didn't notice these until I was building )

Lots of trans-yellow parts with some plates and 1 round brick. Glowy!

More dark brown spears, carrot torch, and some nice gold pieces. We also get an extra Dagger in this set.

In medium nougat, we receive 6 arches, some bricks, and 2 exclusive Lion head pieces.

Lots of dark tan 8x8 plates and some tiles.

Minifigs!

Dastan and Tamina - we've seen these 2 already.

Zolm the snake-wielding Hassansin Leader has milky, blinded eyes. Spooky-do! This set would have been more appealing to collectors if they didn't dump him in a magnet set too.

The head in full and the torso print. No rear printing on the head or torso.

The Nizam has golden-embroided long robe with rear printing on the back of his torso. Beautiful print! Dastan does look like a scruffy scrubber next tio the sharp-featured Nizam, I'd probably give him the Dagger of Time too!

The Build - Part 1 - Gate section

The first section to be completed is this spiky-edged gate with accents of gold and medium nougat - a visually impressive treat in itself - I would quite like to see a whole set done in this harder, more menacing architectural style than what we see in the Battle of Alamut set.

The wooden spikes don't do anything apart from turn - maybe this is in the movie since they don't act as a trap here.

As you pass through the gate, beware a swinging scimitar which scythes southwards! The Technic pins connect this section of the build to the rear module.

There are two traps on either side of the front of this playset. Both are activated by pushing the curved submodel on the right of this picture into the model. It only moves forward one stud but they do work very smoothly. The dark tan 2 x2 tiles with 1 stud are there for 'parkour' play and are actually pretty good for holding your fig in position just strongly enough to be knocked over or beheaded!

When you push the bley section as marked by the red arrow, two swords swing down and shred the foolish victim. GAME OVER!

The bloody blade! Again, pushing the area marked by the red arrow flips the blade solidly down into the middle of the main model.

GAME OVER, Dastan! Mwahaahah!

Build Part 2 - Rear section

The second part of the build constructs the rear section of the set. There are only 2 of those rocky mini-BURPs in this set The trap here is a 4x4 plate which sits on only a few studs and which can easily be flipped up by pressing a 2x4 bley tile downwards.

GAME OVER , Tamina!

The finished penultimate submodel. A random skele head and torch add some detail. I do really like all the rocky detail included in this set. Look at all those dark bley slopes and cheese! The similarly-themed subterranean 7199 Temple of Doom minecar chase set suffered from having too many colours and no real consistency in design - this set looks a lot more naturalistic and useful for MOCers. Pirates and Castle fans will love it as a source of basic dark bley for mountainous landscapes Nizam helpfully indicates where the final submodel will sit, surrounded by modified plates for easy removal.

And here we go. The final submodel contains the Power Function brick and lots of yellow, representing the Sands of Time (I'm guessing)! There are splashes of medium nougat too.

The Sands of Time a-glow! This is a great feature for a $US50 Licensed set and I bet kids will love it. When the Dagger of Time is pushed into a 1x1 Technic brick, the Power Function brick lights up in this beautiful display. The light stays on when you leave the Dagger in, too, unlike other models where you personally have to depress the light brick to keep it going.

A darker and more sinister view. The yellow glow represents the swirling miasma of the mysterious Sands of Time!

The finished model

(I recommend clicking for larger versions of these pics; they look much better this way )

The finished model is one continuous cave, unlike the box art, which has broken it up to show more detail. It is a lot less random-looking and probably more appealing arranged this way, I have to say.

Looking up from ground level at the entrance to the cave shows just how far Dastan has to travel to reach the Nizam.

The size of the model is pretty good in my opinion - not too long (like the Temple of Doom mine car set which is difficult to display) and with the right amount of detail for its size. The play features are all pretty good, work well and are easily re-setted for repeat enjoyment. GAME ON!

Rear view. There is some empty storage space below the Sands of Time model, but there are a few rocks here too, which is a nice touch. Maybe the Nizam has a chillout lounge down here.

Side view!

Finally, extra parts. I missed a few spots where the dark bley was meant to go, and added them after taking this pic

Conclusion

Minifigs - 8/10 - the only unique minifig here is Zolm the Hassansin Leader, and he's available in a magnet set. This is the only other set to feature Tamina and I don't mind having an extra Nizam with his gold disco duds.

Parts: 9/10 - A MOCer's delight! A treasure trove of dark bley slopes and cheese, with generous helpings of other colours too. The medium nougat lion heads are exclusive to this set. Maybe a bit dull if you already have lots of rocky parts, but I imagine Pirates and Castles fans will enjoy this set!

Build: The traps are all well executed (haha!) and there are some fun techniques which you could replicated in your own creations. The light-up feature is a big bonus and the dark tan 2x2 tiles with 1 stud really do help minifig poseability for parkour play!

Overall Rating: 8.5/10. Like a lot of others, I found this the most visually unappealing of all the sets, but what it lacks in unique design or animals, it more than makes up for in parts and playability. I couldn't imagine getting all the other sets and not this - it really does add a different locale to the Prince of Persia LEGO universe of desert traps, mad markets, and the Alamut fortress

[Inconspicuous]

Hooray! Another fantastic review, by mister Prince of Persia Svelte himself! I do agree, I like this set much more after seeing it better. However, since I'm not really going to play with it, and probably not break it up for parts, I don't think this set is worth it to me.

Thanks for the great review!

[dabulls03]

Great review as always Svelte!

Although I have to say I'm not very fond of this set.

I don't find it very visually appealing at all.

The only part of the set that I think is designed well is the gate with the lion heads.

And I hate the big saw piece. It doesn't fit in well at all.

I guess the light brick is a nice touch, but I think it looks out of place.

Nearly everything this set has to offer is availible in other Prince of Persia sets.

All the minifigs are in other sets except for the Hassassin leader, who is availible in a key chain. (I don't really like him anyway though. His torso isn't very detailed and his headwrap comes with other figs.)

And there is plenty of dark nouget and dark tan in other Prince of Persia sets.

I just don't see any reason to pick this one up.

Edit: spelling

Edited March 31, 2010 by dabulls03

[Jar Jar]

Beautiful.

[Ricecracker]

Very nice review, Svelte! I'm loving all of that new colour brick. I refuse to call it Medium Dark Flesh, and I still don't like any of the Nougats.

Anyway, I think you've really shed light (har, har) on this set, and while I think it has some amazing parts, I won't be getting this ($70 CAD!?) unless it's on a heavy discount.

[Svelte]

I won't be getting this ($70 CAD!?) unless it's on a heavy discount.

I have a feeling that is likely. It seems almost noone is interested in this set

[Ricecracker]

I have a feeling that is likely. It seems almost noone is interested in this set

It's not that I'm not interested in the set; in fact I'm quite interested in it. I also understand the licensing mark-up. I just think there're better sets at the same price point.

[lightningtiger]

Another PoP review 'Svelte' - thanks again for doing it.

Reminds me of some of I.Jones sets with the swinging swords, now a spinning saw blade - cool !

Not sure if I'll buy this one or not, I'll look at it - only because of the light upbrick.

I'm a conformist! !

[BlueDragonZ]

Awesome review. I have to get this set.

[Etzel]

I have a feeling that is likely. It seems almost noone is interested in this set

I am!

Because of the reasons you stated in the parts conclusion, it's a MOCer's delight! I love to get more dark bley slopes and bricks to use for landscaping and other stuff. I find this set really unique and like the approach to the rocks. Then the new sand orange/medium nougat colour seems to be well represented in this set too and that's nice. One disappointing thing about the set would be the big saw piece, really not my cup of tea but I guess just one is acceptable.

Thanks for another stunning review, Svelte! To bad there are so few sets in the PoP line, I would gladly read more of your reviews!

[Ras 74]

Nice review as always Svelte!

I am certainly one of those who am not to fond of this set.

I am not much for those high playability sets. This one also reminds me alot of the Indy one 7623.

I bet kids will enjoy it ( ) but also you MOC´ers Like Etzel pointed out.

[LuxorV]

Great set, and nice review Svelte. Thanks again for sharing!

I'm not sure I'll get this lone, but you sure know how to lure a poor AFOL in wanting it

On the this-reminds-me-of-an-Indy-set line, it indeed reminds me of the 7196 Chauchilla Cemetery Battle, with the arrangement of the traps and archway to reach the treasure/goal. Only, it looks much more solid.

LuxorV

[gunm]

Thanks for the review!

I agree with those who said this set isn't really visually appealing, and even the play elements (while pretty neat on the surface) will probably not have much staying power with the kiddies. However, I have to admit, it's quite complimentary to the other sets in the series and even beyond in other themes with some customization. And I really like the light up brick, which was great in the Agents set that I saw it in last.

I would love to pick this one up sometime down the road at a lower price point/sale/clearance.

[Alldarker]

Great review as always!

My first thought: all the minifig parts in one bag... that's making it mighty easy for minifig thieves

I'm suspecting there will be a LOT of these sets bought, opened and returned and resold without the minifig bag, and I'd say it's a big FAIL.

Apart from that, this review made me like this set a whole lot better. I too thought it was a bit random, but looking at it, I get the itch to whip out the old PlayStation 2 and start playing PoP: the Sand of Time. Which is good! Minifig selection could have been better, I suppose, with this set not containing any unique minifigs, but it looks fun none the less.

[drdavewatford]

Like the design, colours and use of a light brick. Thanks for the nice clear review.

This is so reminiscent of the Indiana Jones "Temple Escape" set it's spooky. No doubt now when the Indy theme went - it metamorphosed into PoP !

Dr. D.

[I Scream Clone]

A lovely review of another fine addition to an AFOL's collection. You are indeed right about parts for this Pirate/Castle fan.

Sign me up for one of these (and more on discount later )

Great stuff and thanks for the review buddy

[Jack Bricker]

I have this set myself already and I have to say that like the other Prince of Persia sets it is awsome. I was really impressed with the blade traps and the light-up sands of time. Zolm or the snake guy is my favorite of the new Prince of Persia minifigs except for the Prince himself of course. Thanks for a Great review and some nice pictures of this set.

[mikey]

This is the set I am least interested in, although it does look a bit better in the review than how I had thought about it. I will buy this just for parts, lots of Dark Tan, and some Medium Nougat in usable 1x2's.

[Big Cam]

Svelte!! What an awesome review. I am definetaly going to have to get some of these sets, ans this one looks pretty tempting.

Thank you so much for the great review.

[1st Lieutenant Jed]

Nice review! Loving that gate. Are those new BURP's I see? They don't look very ugly compared to the old ones. I'd even call them just BRP's.

-Jed

[jerba]

This set should have been Indiana Jones discovering the Holy Grail. So where is the knight? :)

While I am extremely disappointed we didn't get a few sets to round out Indy (the Tank, anyone?), PoP seems to be making up for it. Great review!

[ziljin]

I might get this set to have a complete Prince of Persia set. It looks pretty good in the pictures though. Much better than the box art at least. I guess having a cave couldn't hurt. Not interested in the power function though, assuming it requires batteries.

[Rick]

Thanks for the review. Unbelievable that there are actually 500 elements in this set. I just can't get myself to pay the premium on licensed sets. And then there's the fleshies...

[Dadster]

Thanks for the nice review! Nice to hear that about the dagger and a continuous light-up feature...

[LegoDad42]

Excellent review! You do such a thorough job with text and good/clear photographs.

A well designed set and love all the traps and light up finale'.

This would be a good kit to 'mod' into an Indiana Jones Grail Temple.

$50bucks U.S. is great nowadays for a license set with 500+ parts and light up brick.

It's on my list...;)...amongst soooooooo many others coming out this year.