The Differences Between The Prince Of Persia Remake And The Original

On Sept. 10, 2020, Ubisoft confirmed the rumors about an updated take on an iconic Prince of Persia game. During an Ubisoft Forward presentation, the company announced Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, a new version of the 2003 title. Given the extensive gap between the two, there's plenty about the original game that could be improved for modern audiences. 

It seems Ubisoft is banking on nostalgia to sell the remake on current and next-generation systems. The narrative will remain the same, telling the tale of a prince trying to save the kingdom from an evil Vizier. To do so, he leverages not only his parkour skills, but a magical Dagger of Time that lets him freeze and rewind critical moments as he endeavors to return sands to the Hourglass of Time. The characters are familiar, too, with original voice actor Yuri Lowenthal returning as the prince.

So, what makes The Sands of Time Remake worth what will undoubtedly be a modern price tag? Take a look at what Ubisoft has established about the differences between the new game and the original release.

In rebuilding The Sands of Time from the ground up, developers Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai decided to put the game on the Anvil engine — the same engine used for Assassin's Creed: Origins. "We wanted to revisit the three Cs [character, camera, and controls], because the game was a masterpiece. It's still a masterpiece, but to reach the new audience, we definitely wanted to include the cameras and the combat. That was our top priority," game director Pierre-Sylvain Gires said in an interview.

The developers are using motion capture technology to bring depth to the character animations. Gires told IGN that the navigation is also being reworked and the lines of dialogue have all been re-recorded. During the Sands of Time Remake reveal, Gires explained that a new targeting system has increased the prince's velocity. Additionally, the official website advertises new enemy character models, new cinematics, and enhanced sounds and voices, along with modernized mapping. You can apparently choose between original or modern mapping styles.

Authenticity seems to be a big factor this time around. According to Gires, pattern, color, and architectural details reflect the primarily Indian developers' work with "so much patience and so much love to reflect the true India." Some of the gameplay takes place in Azad, Persia as well, which also required extensive research.

"The energy of the team, and the passion the team has for this game, were definitely thrilling, and it helped us to move forward in the production," Gires reflected. "It's an amazing experience for all of us, and we are very proud to actually bring you that first full-scale remake for Ubisoft."

The passion may be there, but excitement over the original innovative title has been tempered so far by graphics that many gamers don't view as up to par, especially if realism is the goal. While Ubisoft has promised that graphics will be updated as part of the remake, a look at the comments on the Reveal Trailer makes it clear that the early footage has left many prospective players unimpressed.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake releases Jan. 21, 2021, reviving what many fans saw as a dead series.