Fresh from the success of his fighting game Karateka in 1984, the game designer Jordan Mechner decided to devote body and soul over the next three years to the development of Prince of Persia, a title that would later see the light in 1989. After a Prince of Persia 3D crushed by critics and audiences, Ubisoft decided to buy the exploitation rights of the brand, with the intention of making the Prince of Persia one of the reference franchises of the software house.
Thus was born Prince of Persia: The sands of time, the first chapter of the denominated Sands of Time trilogy that made millions of gamers fall in love all over the world thanks to its innovative gameplay and unforgettable atmospheres. From that first chapter, dated 2003, however, the saga did not manage to impose itself as it would have done instead what was initially planned as a spin-off of the series (we are talking, of course, of Assassin's Creed).
After Warrior spirit e The two thrones, which failed to replicate the success of the first chapter, Ubisoft decided to refresh the saga by completely renewing the basic concept. In 2008, it made its debut in stores Prince of Persia, discussed reboot of the franchise criticized by most for its excessive simplicity, albeit appreciated for its art design. Having cashed in this further failure, Ubisoft tried to run for cover by taking a step back and riding the wave of the release of Prince of Persia - The sands of time, film starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the role of the famous Prince.
In 2010, in conjunction with the aforementioned film, it was released in stores Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, set during the seven years between Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia: Warrior Spirit. In terms of sales, this return to origins managed to do worse than the reboot of 2008, and in parallel the film directed by Mike newell did not convince the critics and flopped at the box office.
The Prince of Persia was then discharged, and Ubisoft decided to invest its resources in far more profitable brands, such as the aforementioned Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. But in this historical period where nostalgia is king, the French company may have in mind to resurrect the brand. Will it really be so?
What we know
There is currently very little information and rumor on an (alleged) new chapter of the Prince of Persia saga. A few weeks ago on the forum ResetEra alleged leaks had been published concerning a remake of de The Sands of Time. As reported on Reddit, in fact, in a post published by a user who asked how he could easily retrieve the three titles developed by Ubisoft, the aforementioned insider replied: "Wait for the remake, not long".
A few weeks ago, Ubisoft also kicked off the Blades of Persia, an event of For Honor theme Prince of Persia. Harker, in this regard, expressed himself in a rather cryptic way: “I wonder if they want to allude to something“.
In addition, other rumors would see the voice actor Yuri lowenthal ready to return to play the Prince again, after the recent experience with Marvel's Spider-Man. Finally, Ubisoft recently updated the domains of two sites related to the saga, and this is perhaps the only real clue that could suggest a return of the series, although this update could only mean that the French company does not want to lose ownership of its products, however disused.
What we would like
As already anticipated in the introduction of our article, in this historical period the various software houses are focusing fiercely on the nostalgia effect. This generation in particular is full of titles that are remakes of old classics, or sequels to historical sagas. In this scenario, the real questions to ask are: there really is a need for a return of Prince of Persia? Ubisoft really does intend to bring the brand back? And especially, we really want a return of the Prince?
As mentioned above, after The Sands of Time the saga began to attract less and less the public, up to a Forgotten Sands which recorded very low sales figures. Given this situation, are we sure Ubisoft wants to take the risk? In the cinematographic field, the 20th Century Fox has been stubborn for years in wanting to relaunch the brand over and over again Terminator. Result? Each new "relaunch" was worse than the previous one. Are we sure that Ubisoft really wants to invest funds in a successful project that is anything but certain?
So far, remakes of titles have been produced that would certainly have found the public's favor in economic terms, just think of Final Fantasy VII or to the two remakes of resident evil. Of course, it could create a situation similar to what happened with Crash e Spyro, which are literally reborn after a very dark period thanks to the remakes, but in the case of the two platforms the funds invested are much lower than a hypothetical grand-style remake of Prince of Persia, which would certainly require a greater economic effort. The games are no longer what they used to be, the development times have only lengthened considerably, as well as the economic resources required.
Finally, let's talk about the fans. How many have complained about the changes and cuts in Resident Evil 3 Remake? How many are still shouting at the scandal for the finale of Final Fantasy VII Remake? We specify, fans do well to make their opinion heard (of course, arguing). The point is: are you really sure you want a remake of one of the titles that most marked your videogame "career"? If you have, rightly or not, so much criticism of these remakes, what tells you that a new chapter in the Prince of Persia series (or a remake of it) does not disappoint you in the same way.
Ultimately, what we would like is for Ubisoft to take all the time in the world to actually understand what fans really want. Because in the end, a new chapter of the saga starring the Prince of Persia would be aimed almost exclusively at them, and could hardly attract a new type of audience; but of course never say never. The word now passes to you. Do you really want Ubisoft to bring the Prince of Persia saga to life? And if so, would you prefer remakes of the Sands of Time trilogy, a reboot or a sequel? Let us know yours via the comments!
