- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the series’ first entry in over a decade.
- It marks a strong comeback with a refreshing take on the formula.
- The Lost Crown has raised the bar high for the franchise.
- Following this release, Ubisoft needs to ensure an even more high-quality remake for Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
Prince of Persia dominated as an action-platformer from Ubisoft in the early 2000s but was later phased out after the publisher built Assassin’s Creed using its foundations. Much to everyone’s surprise, this series was brought back with a surprise announcement in 2020, confirming the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake.
The game, originally slated for release three years ago, faced delay after delay due to development issues. While the remake is still under development, last year, a new Prince of Persia game was announced but wasn’t received well due to its 2D and Metroidvania-esque gameplay.
However, The Lost Crown was quick to change the minds of many, including my own, as we got to see its depth and gameplay that takes inspiration from Dark Souls and Devil May Cry, all while keeping the core of a Prince of Persia game.
Following this release, expectations are higher than ever since The Lost Crown has raised the standards for the franchise suddenly.
Why it matters: The remake could be judged more critically after Prince of Persia’s recent success. With everyone realizing what this franchise is still capable of, audiences might not be willing to overlook small problems for the sake of another nostalgic remake.
A Turning Point For The Franchise
It’s safe to say that Ubisoft’s experiment and gamble with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown paid off. The game has an excellent combat system, a map filled with exploration opportunities, and customization surprisingly deep for a 2D Metroidvania.
Taking the series back to its roots from the 1989 Prince of Persia game, The Lost Crown was nothing short of a love letter for this franchise. With an amazing art style and a new protagonist, the game is almost perfect and has me questioning: What will the future of Prince of Persia look like?
One thing that I can say for sure is that The Lost Crown’s success is more than enough of a reason to explore the franchise even further and could potentially mark a new beginning for the IP.
However, this will now depend on Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Arguably the most well-known game of the bunch, the remake will decide the fate of this series.
Troubled Development of the Remake
The remake of 2003’s Sands of Time was announced in late 2020 with a 2021 release date. However, the response to the early gameplay footage was poor because the footage hardly looked remade, let alone remastered.
The visuals did not do this classic justice, and the gameplay looked unpolished. As such, the remake was pushed back, with development handed over to Ubisoft Montreal from Ubisoft Pune.
The project was scrapped and restarted from scratch, something I have rarely seen and appreciated at the same time, as Ubisoft seemed to have retained faith in the franchise.
The Remake Needs To Be More Than Acceptable
I believe a great remake not only honors the original game’s legacy but expands upon it. Resident Evil 4 is the perfect example. At its core, this remake is every bit as great as the original, making it easy to see why it became a fan favorite from a newcomer’s perspective.
However, it also tweaked various elements. Being an older entry, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time undoubtedly has elements considered dated by today’s standards that can be reworked.
This is something Ubisoft needs to address apart from the obligatory graphical facelift. Elements like the parkour should exhibit all the lessons Ubisoft has learned from Assassin’s Creed in nearly two decades, highlighting this team’s evolution as game designers.
Perhaps the combat can also take a page out of The Lost Crown’s book, making the prince more agile and flexible against multiple enemies.
The remake can use all the momentum created by The Lost Crown to catapult the series to popularity once again. At the same time, the current success means that fans worldwide will go into the remake with higher expectations.
However, with development led by Ubisoft Montréal, an experienced developer who created the original Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, I believe the game is in safe hands.
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[Staff Writer]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheerzahid03@gmail.com
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