During Ubisoft Forward, the publisher confirmed the long-rumored attempts have been made in the past, this remake will bring the first game back to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Prince of Persia originally started life in 1989 as a cinematic platformer for the Apple II as developed by Jordan Mechner. The influence of that game stretched out to the platformers at the time like Another World and Flashback, and also set the stage for action games like Tomb Raider years later. The Ubisoft Prince of Persia games led directly to the Assassin's Creed series, which was initially a spinoff of Prince of Persia during its development. Outside of this year's VR Escape Room experience, this is the first time that Ubisoft has launched a Prince of Persia game since Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands in 2010.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake was announced with an official trailer and several details about this return to one of Ubisoft's most beloved franchises. The game is built from the ground up on the engine used to power Assassin's Creed: Origins, and it does a lot to modernize the systems introduced almost two decades ago. Both combat and platforming from the original were redesigned with modern games in mind, but the epic story of the original was retained alongside the Prince's original voice actor reprising his role.
Announced for a January release date, The Sands of Time Remake will not be full-priced, retailing at just $40. Those who are excited to once again hop into the shoes of the Prince can grab a few interesting extras with their pre-order. The Origins Set features The Prince's original costume for use in the game as well as a set of weapons modelled after those on the PS2. The first item is a "Classic Filter," which seems to make the game less colorful. Whether that makes players fondly their time with the franchise is anyone's guess.
It's been a long time coming, but Ubisoft has finally brought back Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in a big way. While players were tired of the formula back in the days of the Xbox 360, modern game series go far longer than they used to, and modern-day designers could do a lot to change things up with a new series of single-player action adventures. While it's likely that a new game would go the route of an open world like its spiritual successor, perhaps sticking to the roots of Prince of Persia could provide a unique experience that ensures that the series never goes away for two console generations once again.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will hit on January 21, 2021, on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
Source: Ubisoft - YouTube
