Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time Remake

About the Game

In this game, you can control time itself as you battle sand-cursed enemies, solving puzzles and using the magic dagger that started off the whole problem (see below for more). Time manipulation includes being able to freeze time, move in slow motion and, usefully, rewind time completely.

Needless to say, this promises a fresh approach to combat, as the time manipulations give the prince a narrow edge, and also making him light on his feet and lightning fast in his movements.

The game comes with a nod to traditional fans, with Back to Origins in which you can choose the original prince’s costume and weapons, applying Classic Filter that gives the game a retro look just like the original. In another nod to the original game, the prince talks to himself so you get to know his thoughts and motivations.

This game is a full and complete remake, with every scrap of programming and footage built from the ground up, just in the image of the original.
They have even brought back Yuri Lowenthal to voice the prince, although Farah’s voice is now acted by Supinder Wraich, as the original actor has left the business and is now a highly successful lawyer in the real world.

The camera, which was clunky in the original, tending to jam into corners on occasion, needing a zoom out to reset it, is much more cinematic, following the action rather than being fixed in one point. Navigation, like the camera, has been revamped so the gameplay is smooth and does not disrupt the playing experience.

The combat too, is more fluid, with various parkour moves (running along the walls, somersaults and flips, swinging from poles and all sorts of exciting jump combos) incorporated into the prince’s skillset. This was all created using motion capture, for realism, while the improved targeting system means that accidental flubs are dramatically lessened.

What’s the Story?

Deep in the desert of ancient (ninth century) Persia, there is a legend told in an ancient tongue. It speaks of a time of blood and deceit. Drawn to the myth by the dark powers of a magical dagger, a young prince unleashes evil upon the world.

The prince is, needless to say, horrified once he realises what he has done by unleashing the Sands of Time from their hourglass prison, and immediately sets about fixing what he has done, ably assisted by Farah, who seems to know a bit about how the dagger works, which is useful for the prince!

Join the prince as he seeks to outwit the evil vizier and recapture the sands of time to put them where they will do no more harm.

Ways to Play

There are three different modes to play through, all incorporating puzzles and various tricky bits that require some solving. The puzzles, while intense and tricky, are always logical, meaning they can be solved with careful thought.

• Story Mode – this doubles as the ‘easy’ mode and gives you the entire backstory and narrative arc to play along
• Normal Mode – this is an average way to play, removing some of the cut scenes, giving you a bit more leeway in your path to success, even as the challenge of the levels is upped
• Hard Mode – probably better described as ‘intense’, playing this mode means that you must think three moves ahead at all times, be really good at puzzling while on the move, and think about which moves you want to make before you twitch!