Michael Crider
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was released way back in 2003. It was one of the first games that really showed off the new generation of hardware (PS2 era), enabling smooth and interesting gameplay that hadn’t really been possible before. It’s still fondly remembered today—fondly enough that Ubisoft will be bringing it back in remastered form next year.
Update: Alas, the official Prince of Persia account announced in a tweet that the game is indefinitely delayed. We have some alternatives to consider while you wait.
Ubisoft made the announcement yesterday, during its Ubisoft Forward presentation. The new game is coming out January 21st. And this is a full remake, not just a remaster—it looks like everything’s been redone from the ground up, following the combat, level design, and story of the original game, but otherwise including all new elements. It’ll be coming to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with no word on next-gen consoles.
The original Sands of Time was the second 3D reincarnation of Prince of Persia, after a lackluster attempt on the PC/Dreamcast. It’s considered a classic, smartly weaving time-bending gameplay into both precarious platforming and innovative, multi-enemy melee combat. The story was also uncommonly good for the time, with critics and players praising the expressive Prince hero and his dynamic love interest Farah. Later entries in the series never reached the same level of acclaim, and the last time a 3D game in the series was released was in 2010.
All the visual elements of the game have been enhanced in both technical and design terms, but those who want to see the original (and somewhat cartoony) costumes and weapons will need to pre-order the game.
