Prince of Persia - Alive and well in the next generation

[Romier S]

With the completion of the Prince of Persia trilogy last generation, it looked like the Prince was finally going to take a break. Of course we are talking about Ubisoft and they won't let a good franchise rest for too long. With that in mind it looks as though there is a brand new Prince of Persia game in the works for the Xbox 360 with an entirely new story and artifact (a gauntlet?). Here's the story:

 

http://www.oxm.co.uk/articles/news/3rd_person/prince_of_persia_shadows_assassins_creed

 

After the Prince saved his Kingdom from the ravages of the Sands of Time across last generation’s Prince of Persia trilogy, many thought that the character and the action adventure series had finally been to rest, with Assassins Creed inheriting the mantle of Ubisoft’s platformer of choice for the new generation of consoles.

 

But Ubisoft has decided two pairs of legs are better than one and has announced development of a all-new Prince of Persia title for the Xbox 360; and while details are extremely thin on the ground artwork that has been released to coincide with the announcement indicates that this is a fresh approach to the series, building the mythology of the Prince and his battle with the Sands of Time from the ground up.

 

While the gestation between Sands of Time, The Warrior Within and Two Thrones saw the tone of the trilogy darken as the Prince was stripped of everything he loved and had to constantly cheat death (in the form of the Sands of Time guardian Dahaka), this new iteration will re-focus on the roots of the series, with bright vivid landscapes and a Prince that’s more about footwork than sword work.

 

The previous Prince touted the Dagger of Time, which allowed him to draw time-reversing sand from his enemies; this iteration is wielding a rather groovy armoured gauntlet, which is rumoured to be customisable throughout the game for different weapon configurations.

 

Some concept art:

 

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[JFo]

I like the artwork. I wouldn't mind seeing something a little more akin to The Sands of Time again. The Two Thrones was a step in the right direction, but none of the other games quite captured the magic like that first game.

 

...and a Prince that’s more about footwork than sword work.

 

Yes, please. The platforming was always the best part of this series and I'd like to see even more emphasis on that. Don't try to turn this series into Devil May Cry. Keep the combat to a minimum and I will be very happy.

[King of All Cosmos]

I agree, the platforming was much more fun than the combat.

[Mark E]

I could definitely do with seeing another Prince title, so color me mue happy about this announcement. Despite the 'oh ye gods' wrongness of Warrior Within, I really, really dug the way Two Thrones played out, especially the ending, which was very clever.

 

I do agree, Jeff, that the prince ought to be all about platformin' and jumping around much moreso than the combat sections. Jordan Mechner was downright devious in the original two titles with some of the crap he had you pull off.

[Dimness]

It's sad to say this, but I haven't been playing Prince of Persia since Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame. I'm sad they didn't continue that story.