Prince of Persia 3 New screenshots and game information

[Romier S]

These are the first screenshots I've ran across for Prince of Persia 3. Some information has been released about the game but very little. What has been released is that the game will continue immediately after The Warrior Within. The Prince will return to Babylon to further his adventures. The "dark" atmosphere of the sequel will return here and according to the director of game content, a good deal of adjustment and focus is being placed (yet again) on the open ended combat system. The developers will also be adding a new stealth element to the game allowing the Prince to perform stealth kills and sneak about the environment. (though the content director has noted that the stealth elements are completely optional.) You can take a look at the screenies here:

 

 

Final screen shows of a sequence of fight animations:

 

The Prince sneaks up on a guard

[Dan B.]

What has been released is that the game will continue immediately after The Warrior Within.

Blah.

The "dark" atmosphere of the sequel will return here and according to the director of game content, a good deal of adjustment and focus is being placed (yet again) on the open ended combat system.

Blah.

The developers will also be adding a new stealth element to the game allowing the Prince to perform stealth kills and sneak about the environment.

:barf

There's more tidbits from Jeux France: Kaileena, Dark Prince, 2 playable characters :, blah blah blah.

 

Just shoot me.

[Romier S]

Pretty much captured most of my sentiments well Dan. I'm still going to try and keep an open mind regardless. The platforming in Warrior Within was still excellently done and the Dahaka was a great villain. The gameplay was still good which is what mattered to me. The only thing that I really detest hearing is the addition of a stealth element. You hit the nail on the head on that one. :barf

[Robot Monkey]

I loved the acrobatics-based puzzles of the first one and even the cheery demeanor the game seemed to have. It sounds like everything I enjoyed in the first is slowly being shuffled off the stage in favor of flavor-of-the-week style gameplay (stealth?!).

 

Do any comics fans here remember how the capes-and-tights genre was taken over post-Dark Knight and post-Watchmen with brooding, surly anti-heroes? This strikes me as analogous.

 

Still, I hope to be proven wrong. I just don't have my hopes up.

[Dan B.]

Here is the full PR in English:

Today Ubisoft, one of the world?s largest videogame publishers, announced that it is developing Prince of Persia 3 (working title) for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft system, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment, the Nintendo GameCube and the PC-CD Rom. Scheduled for release in the second half of 2005, Prince of Persia 3 is the third volume in the award-winning Prince of Persia franchise.

 

Blending the best features from the first two installments (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia Warrior Within) with the talent, vision and ingenuity of Ubisoft?s development teams, Prince of Persia 3 will enliven the franchise with a vitality ? and plenty of unexpected twists ? that will impress and satisfy long-time fans and newcomers alike. Prince of Persia 3 will be showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo May 18 - 20 at Ubisoft?s booth, #1300 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

 

?Prince of Persia 3 promises to be THE best instalment in the legendary franchise,? said Tony Kee, vice president of marketing for Ubisoft. ?By combining two playable characters in a masterly balanced gameplay, with the perfect mix of acrobatic moves and a compelling storyline, the Prince of Persia will appeal to both Sands of Time and Warrior Within fans alike. The Prince is back to reclaim his kingdom, and he has a few surprises in store??

 

The Prince of Persia, a seasoned warrior, returns from the Island of Time to Babylon with his love, Kaileena. Instead of the peace that he longs for, he finds his homeland ravaged by war and the kingdom turned against him. The Prince is rapidly captured and Kaileena has no choice but to sacrifice herself and unleash the Sands of Time in order to save him. Now cast out on the streets and hunted as a fugitive, the Prince soon discovers that past battles have given rise to a deadly Dark Prince, whose spirit gradually possesses him.

 

Game features include:

 

* Play and master two distinct characters: Wield the powers and weapons of two master warriors with different combat styles, attitudes, and histories.

 

* Choose your way to fight: Master the expanded Free-Form Fighting system to destroy enemies in your own style; strangle enemies from afar with the deadly Daggertail; or surprise them with full-speed one-shot kills using a brand new stealth art. The choice is yours.

 

* Battle freely through Babylon: Dominate enemies on the perilous rooftops, dodge through chaotic streets, and ambush pursuers in dark, underground passageways.

 

* Immerse yourself in a dramatic story: Experience unparalleled depth in storytelling as you fight your way through a twisting tale filled with adrenaline, tension and discovery.

 

* Manipulate time to surprise enemies: Execute powerful attacks against entire armies by slowing down or rewinding time, or surprise them by using some all-new Sands of Time powers.

 

* Experience a masterful blend of gameplay: True to the Prince of Persia franchise, the game provides a variety of action combat, agility and story-driven puzzles ? all masterfully blended together into a rich gaming experience.

 

Despite the vomiting and skepticism, I'll still be buying this one, because I loved Sands of Time and the second one had some great gameplay buried under the bug-ridden and clich?d dark attitude. I wish for more...Persia...and more of the smart writing and characters that Sands of Time featured, and less combat, or shorter combat. More quick kill options like grabbing enemies & throwing them off ledges in the last game would be nice. I just wanted to get the combat over with as quickly as possible....and no more roaring & silly "my blade calls for you" crap. :bh

[Romier S]

and less combat, or shorter combat

Exactly. As much as some folks disliked the combat in The Sands of Time (I wasn't one of them), at the very least it was kept to specific areas while the remainder (and majority of the game) was spent solving the multi-layered environmental puzzles. That's really what I want to play when I play Prince of Persia. The sequel was not a bad game (though the music and Prince's one liners were). I would have just preferred a bit less focus on having combat all over the place.

[Mark E]

Yep, encapsulates my thoughts in a nutshell. Combat is SO not the primary focus of the Prince of Persia series.

[JFo]

Having just replayed Warrior Within in an attempt to unlock the "good" ending, I'm disheartened to hear that third installment will retain the "baditude" of the second. The first game had so much charm that it actually felt like it had a distinct identity amidst all the generic action/adventure titles out there. Penny Arcade summed it up best when they said that Warrior Within was a good game despite the fact that the developer tried to ruin it. I sort of feel the same way. If I remember correctly, I called a really well made bad game.

 

I think the stealth elements are an interesting idea, and I'm not as pessimistic about it as many of you guys seem to be. In fact, I think it's a great addition to the series. Read the press release, and you'll see that if you perform a stealth move successfully, you can instantly kill the bad guy. If you don't, you just have to fight him like normal. That would help alleviate some of the trial-and-error gameplay that most people associate with stealth games in addition to bringing an interesting new bit of strategy to the mix. Plus, it would make the combat go by quicker.

 

Most importantly, I hope Ubisoft doesn't rush this one out the door like they did with Warrior Within. It's clear after playing the Xbox version of that game that there were a number of significant bugs left to be hammered out, especially in the audio department. Not only would the music skip on a regular basis, but I had deal with two cinematics in which I couldn't get any sound at all. It just felt very sloppy, especially after The Sands of Time, which was a graphical and audio showcase.

 

 

If they can create a more polished product, reduce the combat a tad, and retain the excellent platforming of the first two games, I'll still gladly buy this when it comes out. Otherwise, I'll hold off until it drops in price or I can buy it used.

[Romier S]

Read the press release, and you'll see that if you perform a stealth move successfully, you can instantly kill the bad guy. If you don't, you just have to fight him like normal. That would help alleviate some of the trial-and-error gameplay that most people associate with stealth games in addition to bringing an interesting new bit of strategy to the mix

That same "It's your choice" mumbo jumpo is in every press release under the sun when it comes to adding a stealth element to a game. Rarely does it actually come to fruition. I'll not be suprised to see a "stealth" oriented level or two inserted into the game just for kicks since it will supposedly "add variety". Am I being cynical here? Yes, but I guess I could never understand the need to stick a stealth element into every game under the sun. Here's an even better idea: Just don't bother adding it all. This is Prince of Persia, not Splinter Cell.

 

EDIT: Here's a new piece of art from the game showing off Babylon:

 

The Gardens of Babylon

 

The folks behind the game say they are going for a balance of the brighter type of environments in the first game and the darker more gothic environments of the Warrior Within, which is encouraging given the shot above.

 

Also, the director of content has alluded to the fact that the third game will see the return of a real score this time around and not the death metal from the second game. ( :rock )

[Graeme]

Even though I never got around to playing the 2nd one (although I really probably should), I feel the same way as you guys. The platforming element and humour of the first game was what I loved, and the fact that they may be taking even more of that out is a shame.

 

I also agree with the stealth, they won't be able to resis the temptation to add in a stealth level or two.

[Tom]

It's too bad about the darkness of the prince, the addition of stealth, and the ever increasing focus on the combat engine. I was a release-day purchaser of Sands of Time and loved the light-hearted feel it maintained the whole way through. Sands was good, because the combat engine was simple, fun, and secondary to the game itself.

 

I didn't touch The Warrior Within mostly because of how it was played up mostly by its combat system, and I didn't want a mean vengeful prince. So most likely I won't go near this game, either, short of renting to see if it has anything to offer me.

 

I just don't get it. Is Ubisoft doing market research to determine the direction to take these games? Not every game has to become a hack and slash combat engine to build future games upon.

[Camp]

I can't wait to hear how bad the soundtrack is.

[Romier S]

Well, read my post on that Camp. They are moving away from the hard rock stuff in the second game. That right there is an immediate improvment. From some of the hints a Ubisoft guy is dropping over at IGN (he usually posts thier often about POP), I wouldn't be suprised to see music more in line with the first game this time around.

[EnemaEms]

I always felt the new "darker" prince looked like Trent Reznor from his Downward Spiral days.

 

-Dean-

[foogledricks]

II have only played the demo for the first game. But I have followed this series with great interest...just haven't had time to play it. What jumps out at me about this discussion is the discontent with the darker, less cartoony look. Because it is precisely this evolution that has got people excited, not discouraged, about the next Zelda.

[Mark E]

What jumps out at me about this discussion is the discontent with the darker, less cartoony look.

 

Yeah, but they're not the same thing (and I liked the cartoony Zelda, for that matter). Sands of Time doesn't look like a cartoon, it has a realistic look, but it has a heavy Arabian Nights motif and it captures that gauzy, dreamy quality of living through a tale of that particular genre. It has a very unique voice in the realm of the platformer.

 

Take that uniqueness, strip it away, and drag the whole thing through a pond of grime and muck and you would end up with the new version of the Prince, basically.

[Chris F]

I guess I'm the only one who actually enjoyed TWW. I really enjoyed the darker tone of it. I found the platforming elelments of it to be better than the original, and the cobat was much better. I was hoping the third would be a bit lighter hearted though as a throwback to the first - sort of like Jedi is to A New Hope, as opposed to Empire which is what I equate to TWW.

[Romier S]

What jumps out at me about this discussion is the discontent with the darker, less cartoony look. Because it is precisely this evolution that has got people excited, not discouraged, about the next Zelda.

The new Zelda did not all of a sudden give Link a black costume, nor does it have him running around spouting off repetitive one liners about how much a bad ass he thinks he is, nor does it replace a wondeful score with GodSmack. I don't think you understand the complaints folks have against Warrior Within.

 

The Sands of Time never felt cartoonish in nature. It had a distinctive look and feel that worked to establish the Arabian Nights motif the series is well known for. The Prince as a very likeable character in the first game. A young man that finds himself in a perilous situation that he created that cost him the lives of those he loves. Every little component of the game from his conversations with himself, all the way up to to his interactions with Ferrah, were meant to drive that point home and create a sympathetic character.

 

The sequel was nothing but a character assasination for the most part. People seem to think that Ubisoft taking the Prince in a darker direction was a problem. Not at all. I thought the storyline setup for Warrior Within was excellent. A Prince on the run from a demon that he knows will eventually kill him. A man who has to find a way to cheat death. It's sounds great. You soon realize that the real problem was in the execution. Creating a dark character apparently means having him spout those afformentioned one-liners, turning him into an unlikable prick, and having a crap ton of repetitive hard rock music blaring every other minute.

 

It was, for the most part, the teenage definition of "cool". The developers all but ignored any of the traits that made the Prince such a stand out character in the original. After being on the run from the Dahaka, the Prince is inevitably going to change, but what was presented was hogwash. It didn't feel like a natural evolution (unlike the new Zelda you mentioned). It felt forced and it felt marketed to the lowest common denominator with g-string wearing bimbos and "ultra-cool" Gothic environments.

 

It's worth noting again that the gameplay saves it all in the end. The platforming was still as great as ever and the free-form fighting system was indeed well put together (despite the frequency of the combat). The Dahaka was also an excellent villain and the chase sequences were some of the most entertaining in the game. With that said, I am hoping with this third installment that Ubi is looking to create more of a balance between the charming atmosphere of the first game and a more evolved sense of "darkness" than what was featured in the second. After reading some of the comments from the devs working on the game, I'm quite hopeful that is indeed the case.

 

I guess I'm the only one who actually enjoyed TWW

I'm not sure why criticism of a game necessarily equates to someone utterly disliking it? I would not have run through Warrior Within if I was not having a good time with the play mechanics Chris. I did however dislike aspects of it as mentioned.

[Chris F]

I'm not sure why criticism of a game necessarily equates to someone utterly disliking it? I would not have run through Warrior Within if I was not having a good time with the play mechanics Chris. I did however dislike aspects of it as mentioned.

Reading over the majority of posts regarding TWW definitely gives off the vibe of people disliking TWW, whether or not it's the case. It has nothing to do with criticism, as you can level criticism towards any game, good or not.

[Romier S]

It has nothing to do with criticism

It has everything to do with criticism. I can critique the parts of Warrior Within I disliked, but that suddenly means that I dislike the game as a whole? No, not at all and I've stated that as such many a times in this thread. I don't feel as though I need to be lumped into the "majority" as you put it. I do agree that there is an overly negative vibe toward Warrior Within in this thread, but when it comes to the changes made to the character, that's been case for a long time. Several have stated the gameplay was still worthwhile.

[Chris F]

I was never pointing out that criticism was the problem here. You can criticize something until you're blue in the face, but when a sequel is announced, and the first posts are all about how TWW failed in certain respects, and people didn't like the direction it went it, I felt the need to speak up that not all of us felt that way. My whole take on TWW just from the posts here is a very negative one. I think anyone reading this thread would just flat out assume (and they'd be wrong) that TWW is not enojoyable and a failed attempt at a sequel to the original.

 

My post was made in an effort to show that there are people who liked TWW, some even more than the original.

[Romier S]

I think anyone reading this thread would just flat out assume (and they'd be wrong) that TWW is not enojoyable and a failed attempt at a sequel to the original.

If anyone wants to make assumptions based off of what they read here, they should blame themselves for missing out on a good game Chris. Furthermore, I want to state for the record that I am in fact not blue in the face as Chris put it. Simply a bit brown. A sideaffect of my "mexican" heritage as Joel would put it.

 

My post was made in an effort to show that there are people who liked TWW, some even more than the original.

Everyone be on the look out for a new forum section we are creating for Chris. It will be called "The Warrior Within Cheering Divison". We have some great stuff planned for it including Chris's own rendition of the GodSmack main theme.

[Chris F]

As newly appointed King of the "The Warrior Within Cheering Divison" I would like to thank everyone for their continued support. I look forwared to the three imaginary members that make up the rest of my division.

 

And in honor of this grandiose occasion, I will post the video I made of me in pure Goth fashion, running, jumping, and eventually dying of a heart attack as I run around, snapping one-liners with a bevy of underdressed, g-string wearing bitches.*

 

Anyways... As with two previous PoP games, I'll be looking forward to the third installment. The stealth aspect does scare me a bit, but we'll see how it turns out. I usually suck at stealth. Ubisoft don't let me down!

 

* Said video may or may not exist.

[JFo]

What jumps out at me about this discussion is the discontent with the darker, less cartoony look. Because it is precisely this evolution that has got people excited, not discouraged, about the next Zelda.

 

I'd also like to point out that the look of the new Zelda is very reminiscent of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask for the N64. So, in some ways it's less of an evolution and more of a return to what it once was.

 

Besides, it's not as if Nintendo is betraying the essence of what makes a Legend of Zelda game great. True, I expect new gameplay elements to be thrown into the mix, but I still expect much of the game to revolve around exploration, puzzle solving, and an engaging story. Similarly, The Prince of Persia has always been about platforming, puzzle solving, and avoiding traps. Combat has always played second fiddle to those elements. Ubisoft's insistence that we spend more time fighting enemies takes an otherwise fun and unique style of gameplay and degenerates it into a me-too Devil May Cry clone, which is not what people want from this series. We'd rather have them spend their time developing killer platforming levels rather than trying to create a more complex fighting mechanic.

[JFo]

There's a pretty good story and interview at IGN regarding the new Prince of Persia. If you're a fan of the series, I highly recommend you check it out. Overall, it doesn't really tell you a whole lot about the game that we don't already know, but it does give you a sense of where Ubisoft is hoping to go with this one.

 

In particular, I found this passage interesting:

 

Returning the Prince to his besieged homeland of Babylon has allowed Ubisoft to construct a city environment that will deliver freedom instilling rooftop rumbles, outdoor escapades, underground lairs, tight streets, claustrophobic sewers and even lush gardens that do not conform to the typically cavernous interiors of previous Prince adventures.

 

Does anyone else take that to mean that the game will feature a free-roaming city Grand Theft Auto style? It never says you can go wherever you want directly, but it does give that impression.

 

Frankly, I really do like the idea of giving the Prince a huge, open environment in which he can run, climb, and jump his way from one end of the city to another. Done the right way (i.e. without an endless need for back tracking) I think that this could really open up a lot of fun gameplay possibilities. At least it will if it's done as it was in Sly 2. I'm not one despises games with a linear path, and therefore I didn't mind that aspect of The Sands of Time and Warrior Within. However, I do think this could add a sense of newness to the series. We shall see, I guess.