Prince of Persia Video Game Series
A series of productions bordering on platform and action adventure games, inspired by the culture and history of the Middle East. The brand was created by Broderbund SoftwareHowever, it is currently being developed by Ubisoft. The father of the series is American programmer Jordan Mechner (author of, among others, the game Karateka).
Brief history of the series
The first item from under this banner - Prince of Persia - was a classic platformer. It was released in 1984 on Apple II computers and soon lived to see ports for other hardware platforms. For the full-fledged sequel - Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame - gamers had to wait until 1993. After another six years, the third installment of the series appeared, namely Prince of Persia 3D (1999), and there was a major change in the way the gameplay was shown.
The brand then came under the wings of Ubisoft, which opened a new chapter in its history. In 2003, the game was released on computers and consoles Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, the year 2004 brought the debut of the game Prince of Persia: Soul of a Warrior, in turn, in 2005 the game hit store shelves Prince of Persia: Two Thrones. In 2008, the series received a reboot simply titled Prince of Persia, but already in 2010 it was decided to return to the lineage started by the Sands of Time, releasing the game Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands.
For the next major production from under this banner, fans had to wait until January 2024, when the game came to PCs and consoles Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - again in the form of a side-scrolling platformer. And before that, in 2020, Ubisoft announced Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake, which, however, fell into so-called production hell.
Along the way, the series received a number of spin-offs. In 2005, a tactical game appeared on the Nintendo DS handheld, titled Battles of Prince of Persia. In 2008, the platformer also debuted on the same platform Prince of Persia: The Fallen King. In addition, over the years the first installments of the series lived to see refreshed versions - we are talking about the games Prince of Persia Classic (2007) and Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame (2013).
Characteristics of the series
The action of the games in the series Prince of Persia is set in the fairy-tale realities of the medieval Middle East. The plot often features themes of rescuing the beloved and revenge, and among the villains the treacherous vizier leads the way. Another common denominator of almost all productions under this banner is the character of the main protagonist - the titular Prince, who is excellent with white weapons and endowed with unusual acrobatic skills that allow him to overcome obstacles in parkour style.
The gameplay, depending on the installment presented from the side or from a third-person perspective (TPP), combines elements of a platformer and an action adventure game.. The player's task is to overcome obstacles, avoid traps and fight enemies. From time to time there are also puzzles, usually requiring finding and acquiring certain items or manipulating elements of the environment.
Many installments of the series Prince of Persia are characterized by high-quality audiovisual design. The first Prince's adventure is to this day sometimes considered a milestone in character motion animation in games (Mechner used filmed scenes of his brother's movement and the rotoscopy technique). Early installments of the series offered two-dimensional graphics, and with the release of Prince of Persia 3D the series entered the third dimension.
The success achieved by Prince of Persia did not escape the attention of creators from other spheres of pop culture. The brand lived to see, among other things, a graphic novel by A.B. Sina with illustrations by LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland, and its own LEGO series. In 2010, a rather successful film was released in theaters Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, in which Jake Gyllenhaal played the title role.
Prince of Persia Series Evolution
2026
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake
2024
The Rogue Prince of Persia
2024
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
2013
Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame
2010
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
2010
Prince of Persia Trilogy
2008
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
2008
Prince of Persia
2007
Prince of Persia Classic
2007
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords
2005
Prince of Persia: Revelations
2005
Battles of Prince of Persia
2005
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
2004
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
2003
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
1999
Prince of Persia 3D
1993
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame
1989
Prince of Persia (1989)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake
Action
2026
Remake of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Compared to the original Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake stands out thanks to its prettier graphics, improved controls and better combat system.
The Rogue Prince of Persia
Action
May 27, 2024
An action platformer with roguelike elements, developed by Evil Empire studio known for the post-launch support of Dead Cells. The Rogue Prince of Persia offers combat, puzzles and the feature to manipulate time. Levels are procedurally generated and change with each run.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Action
January 18, 2024
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an action adventure 2.5D platformer. The player must explore different stages, solve puzzles, avoid traps and fight enemies. The time control mechanic is a big part of the game.
Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame
Adventure
July 25, 2013
Remake of a 1993's classic platformer and second installment in the cult series from Broderbund Software studio, redesigned for mobile devices. Plot of Prince of Persia: The Shadow and The Flame continues the story of the first part of the franchise. Happiness of the Prince of Persia and the daughter of the Sultan is interrupted by the vengeance of Vizier Jaffar. With the help of magic he sways all guards of the kingdom to capture Prince and steals his position, forcing him to flee through several locations, including not only palace dungeons, but also open spaces. Gameplay itself does not differ significantly from mechanics known from the original, just as in the Prince of Persia Classic. However, the title features modernized, completely redesigned visuals and a whole range of improvements concerning mechanics and level design. Developers deleted several scenes from the base game, introducing brand new ones in their place.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Adventure
May 18, 2010
Another major installment in the famous action adventure game series. In terms of story, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is set between The Sands of Time and Warrior Within, and focuses on the events that caused the drastic, dark change within the Prince. Upon reaching his brother’s realm, the Prince finds the capital city about to fall, besieged by an enemy army. In an attempt to protect the citizens from a massacre, the city’s ruler resorts to using a powerful, yet dangerous magic that eventually turns against him. The game itself is based on the core mechanics of the series. Therefore, we can expect multiple platforming sequences, environmental puzzles, and battles against powerful enemies. An interesting addition is the ability to control the forces of natures, which comes in handy both in combat and when traversing subsequent locations. Of course the series’ landmark feature — the ability to reverse and slow down time — is back. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is powered by the Anvil engine, the technology previously used in the two first Assassin’s Creed games.
Prince of Persia Trilogy
Action
March 22, 2010
Compilation of three parts of Ubisoft's bestselling Prince of Persia series, refreshed for the PlayStation 3 users. The package includes games released originally in 2003-2005: The Sands of Time, Warrior Within and The Two Thrones. The story of these productions, referred to as the new Prince of Persia trilogy, revolves around the mythical Sands of Time and the consequences that, as a result of their release, the main protagonist of the series is forced to face.
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King
Action
December 2, 2008
Prince of Persia: The Fallen King is another game that is aimed at adventurers of the Persian Prince. As usual he has to overcome a lot of obstacles and enemies.
Prince of Persia
Adventure
December 2, 2008
Another installment in the bestselling Prince of Persia series, developed by Ubisoft since 2003. In terms of plot, the game is independent of the previous installments - it tells a completely new story. The protagonist has to face Ahriman - a Persian god of evil and darkness. The prince has to save the mythical Tree of Life by healing subsequent parts of the land poisoned by Ahriman and his allies. The protagonist is accompanied by Elika - daughter of the antagonist. She is a skilled magician and offers help during exploration, puzzle solving and combat. The gameplay emphasizes platformer elements - a typical aspect of the franchise. The protagonist can jump and climb almost anywhere, and he is capable of performing spectacular combos thanks to the improved combat system, useful especially when fighting more powerful enemies. The game offers an unusual art style, distinguishing it from its predecessors. This was achieved using the cel shading technique.
Prince of Persia Classic
Adventure
June 13, 2007
A refreshed version of the classic platform game developed by Broderbund Software in 1989. The player assumes the role of a prince who must stop the evil vizier Jaffar who intends to take over control of Persia by marrying a kidnapped princess. The protagonist must escape from a prison, save his beloved and defeat the usurper. The problem is, all these actions must be completed in less than an hour – otherwise the game ends in failure. The gameplay mechanics in Prince of Persia Classic are similar as in the cult original. During the game player jumps from platform to platform, avoids various obstacles and traps, and fights against the vizier’s guards. Sometimes the prince will also have to solve a simple puzzle. This version of the game has completely new, more colorful visuals and brand new audio tracks.
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords
Action
April 3, 2007
Extended port of the 2005 release of Prince of Persia: Two Trones. The action of the game takes place in the area of Babylon, where after returning from the Time Island, the title prince faces his dark counterpart, created by the action of the mythical Sands of Time. During the game we have an opportunity to direct the actions of two heroes with different characters, fighting styles and special abilities.
Prince of Persia: Trilogy
Action
October 27, 2006
Prince of Persia: Trilogy is a special compilation, released on the occasion of the third anniversary of the triumphal return to the world of electronic entertainment of the Prince of Persia series, whose roots date back to the late 1980s. This kit is available only to PlayStation 2 landlords and contains games released between 2003 and 2005.
Prince of Persia: Revelations
Action
December 6, 2005
A third-person perspective action-adventure platform game developed for PSP. The game is an expanded port of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. In the game the player assumes the role of the titular prince who learns that he is meant to die because he released the mythical Sands of Time. The only way to avoid fate is to travel to a mysterious island where the powerful artifact that caused all the trouble was originally created. As one can assume, the road will be filled with traps and enemies. The latter, prince will defeat with his weapons and unique ability to manipulate time. In comparison to the original version of the game released in 2004, the gameplay mechanics haven’t changed. However, Prince of Persia: Revelations offers exclusive additional content – four new locations that weren’t available in the basic game.
Battles of Prince of Persia
Strategy
December 6, 2005
Battles of Prince of Persia is a tactical game reminiscent of Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. This product is combat-oriented, showing the events taking place between Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Adventure
December 1, 2005
Another installment in the highly-rated action adventure game franchise following on the eponymous Prince, who in the past carelessly unsealed the mythical sands of time. After events of the previous part of the game, the protagonist return to his home – Babylon – plunged in the chaos of war. Soon it turns out that the previous actions of the hero led to the birth of his dark alter ego, whose spirit gradually takes over control over the protagonist's will. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones expands the mechanics implemented in the two previous installments and introduces new improvements to the combat system, as well as some innovative uses for the dagger of time and skills unavailable before, like sneaking. The biggest novelty offered by the game is the possibility of controlling two characters different with personalities, fighting styles, and abilities.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Adventure
November 30, 2004
Sequel to the 2003’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, rebooting the story of the hero from the classic 2D platformer from Broderbund Software studio. This time the prince has to deal with consequences of his reckless actions. He managed to turn back time and prevent releasing The Sands of Time, but he did not change his destiny, resulting in Guardian of Time chasing him to seal his fate. He travels to the mysterious island where, according to the legends, the Sands were made; the prince attempts to change the past and prevent their creation, thus saving himself from the fate. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within has a much darker atmosphere, but the gameplay is similar to its predecessor. Our hero must overcome many obstacles and traps, not to mention enemies. Game introduces a new, expanded fighting system, with prince himself becoming stronger and gaining new abilities.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Adventure
October 30, 2003
An action adventure game which is a remake of the 1989's Prince of Persia, one of the most popular platformers of all time, originally developed Broberbund Software. The game was created by Ubisoft Motreal and Jordan Mechner – the father of the original game, who worked on The Sands of Time as consultant and lead designer. The game tells a story of the eponymous Prince who accidentally releases the legendary Sands of Time, a mystical artifact that poses a terrible threat to the world. With the help of the beautiful princess Farah, the protagonist has to make up for his mistake and bring back order to his land by facing various creatures and dangers. Gameplay of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is seen from the third-person perspective and features fully 3D graphics. During the course of the game, the hero makes use of the supernatural power to control the time. The creators emphasize their effort to recreate the characteristic elements of the original title, like realistic animations and combat system.
Prince of Persia 3D
Action
September 16, 1999
The first attempt to transfer the mechanics of the cult Prince of Persia series into a 3D environment, made by Red Orb Enertainment studio working within the structures of Broderbund Software. The action of Prince of Persia 3D (also known as Arabian Nights) takes us back to the 12th century Persia known to fans of the series, where the prince becomes entangled in a convoluted plot involving the Sultan and his brother Assan.
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame
Arcade
August 6, 1993
A continuation of the bestselling platformer from 1989, which tells a story of the eponymous Prince of Persia, who is trying to save the beautiful Princess from the evil vizier. The action of Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow & The Flame takes place several days after the events of the original game. Seeking revenge on the hero, Jaffar – the vizier – steals his identity and takes his legitimate position, while the lives of Prince and his beloved are once again hanging by a thread. In order to regain peace and good reputation, the Prince has to conquer 15 long levels, deal with a number of traps, and face enemies sent by the vizier. Mechanically, the game largely follows its predecessor, but this time more emphasis is put on the plot and combat. The controls have been modified and the visuals have been considerably improved, making the game’s world interesting and diversified.
Prince of Persia (1989)
Adventure
October 3, 1989
A classic two-dimensional platformer game developed by Broderbund Software. The game set the direction for the genre, and many later platformers were trying to follow it. The player assumes the role of the eponymous Prince of Persia, whose task is to rescue a beautiful princess held by the evil vizier Jaffar who has kidnapped her in order to take over the kingdom ruled by her father. Unless the princess decides to marry Jaffar, she will die. The protagonist has only an hour to free the princess who is being held in the dungeons under the palace. In the game, the protagonist traverses nearly three hundred chambers filled with different traps and armed guards. The gameplay is diversified with puzzle solving and the already mentioned time limit, requiring the player to develop their skills in order to make a progress. The game offers relatively simple visuals, but it stands out with exceptionally realistic character animations. The action is displayed in the classic side-view camera angle, and the game features Middle East-inspired music.
Prince of Persia Series News
Ubisoft Disbands Team Behind PoP: The Lost Crown and Reassigns Devs to Other Projects, Including Rumored BG&E2 and Rayman Remake
The team responsible for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has reportedly been disbanded. Ubisoft was also said to have stopped work on the game's sequel.
video games
Maciej Gaffke
October 23, 2024
Sands of Time Remake in 2026. Ubisoft Celebrated 35th Anniversary of Prince of Persia With Three Announcements
The Prince of Persia brand made three announcements at this year's Ubisoft Forward. Among them was a new release date for the remake of The Sands of Time, which is unlikely to please fans.
video games
Christian Pieniazek
June 10, 2024
Sands of Time Remake in 2026. Ubisoft Celebrated 35th Anniversary of Prince of Persia With Three Announcements
The Prince of Persia brand made three announcements at this year's Ubisoft Forward. Among them was a new release date for the remake of The Sands of Time, which is unlikely to please fans.
video games
Christian Pieniazek
June 10, 2024
Sands of Time Remake in 2026. Ubisoft Celebrated 35th Anniversary of Prince of Persia With Three Announcements
The Prince of Persia brand made three announcements at this year's Ubisoft Forward. Among them was a new release date for the remake of The Sands of Time, which is unlikely to please fans.
video games
Christian Pieniazek
June 10, 2024
Ubisoft Delights Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Players. Two of Three Promised Portions of New Free Content Now Available
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown received an update that introduces modes focusing on bosses. You'll receive 2 new costumes for finishing them.
video games
Martin Bukowski
May 21, 2024
Forget About Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake. According to Tom Henderson, Game Was Completely Reworked
According to believable rumors, Ubisoft Montreal studio is developing its own version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake from scratch. We can expect heavily revised graphics, gameplay, and even a script.
video games
Adrian Werner
April 10, 2024
The Rogue Prince of Persia Is New Game From Co-creators of Dead Cells (Rumor)
If rumors are true, Ubisoft is preparing something special for Prince of Persia fans. The co-creators of the cult Dead Cells are to work on The Rogue Prince of Persia game.
video games
Adrian Werner
April 3, 2024
Lots of Free Content Coming to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown; New Modes Expected by Players Included
Ubisoft has unveiled a „roadmap” for the game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It turns out that a bunch of free content is headed to this year's platformer.
video games
Marcin Przała
March 14, 2024
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Will Get Free Updates, Including New Modes
Highly rated platform game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will receive more updates. The first free update is coming soon.
video games
Kamil Kleszyk
February 26, 2024
New Prince of Persia Designer Dreams of Zelda Spin-off
A spin-off of The Legend of Zelda is the dream project of one of the creators of Princeof Persia: The Lost Crown. Meanwhile, new leaks have hit the web regarding the debut of the Nintendo series in LEGO form.
video games
Jacob Blazewicz
January 23, 2024