The Prince of Persia franchise has changed a lot through the years; after the original’s release, a 2D platformer developed by Brøderbund in 1989, the game saw one sequel from the original developer and a 3D instalment from Red Orb Entertainment before the rights were handed over to Ubisoft, who developed a trilogy of multi-platform titles featuring a dazzlingly acrobatic prince. While Ubisoft are also responsible for this 2008 reboot which features a protagonist with a similar talent for l’art du déplacement, that is the only similarity between this game and the earlier titles.

While the game introduces us to the nameless prince by showing him stumbling through a desert alone, calling out the name “Farah”, a character from Ubisoft’s earlier trilogy, we shortly discover that this is in fact the name of our protagonist’s missing donkey. Entirely disoriented, the prince soon spots Elika, an attractive young lady in an evident hurry; as any gentleman would when ignored and abandoned by such a person, he hurries after her and ends up her bewildered saviour in a violent confrontation.

It’s in the ensuing conversation that we find out more, not just about this mysterious girl, but also about our own character. The game can be considered more of a spiritual successor to the Prince of Persia series than a reboot, as it shortly becomes evident our protagonist is in fact a thief with no apparent ties to royalty, and most likely not even of Persian descent.

The game is, however, set in an overtly Zoroastrianist Persia, a religion which dictates that there is one universal and transcendental god to which all creation is credited. In-game, this god is referred to as Ormazd, a common transliteration in New Persian, which could be considered an anachronism due to the game’s ancient setting. A thousand or so years prior to the game’s opening, Ormazd and his followers fought the rule of Ahriman, who was eventually sealed away and left in the protection of the Ahura. Unfortunately, a thousand years is a fairly long time, and inevitably, the Ahura have neglected their duties and Ahriman is freed.

Thus begins the main plot of the game: you and Elika are forced to traverse throughout the country to special healing spots called “fertile grounds”. As a result of Ahriman’s return, a deadly and evil substance identified as “the Corruption” has begun spreading. By activating each of these fertile grounds, the Corruption in each area is fought off, and Ahriman is weakened. Of course, reaching these areas is not easy, as they are protected by the Corrupted, who were once human, but sold their souls to Ahriman to help achieve their individual goals.

While visually excellent thanks to the beautifully detailed cel-shaded graphics and carefully designed architecture and character appearances, Prince of Persia is fairly repetitive when it comes to gameplay. The smooth combat and cinematic boss battles, while creating a great atmosphere, particularly when combined with the cued music, restrict the player’s control, and some actions require rapid button combinations so precise that they are ridiculously difficult and frustrating to repeat. Combat combinations are also frustrating to memorise, although are usefully listed and accessible at any time. The game is somewhat streamlined by Elika’s role as the protagonist’s protector; you can’t actually die in the game because your companion will continue to save you any time death threatens you, cutting out the annoying interruption of a “Game Over” screen.

While the game does seem to be sacrificing gameplay for a strong narrative and impressive visuals, it seems unfair to say that Prince of Persia is all style and no substance; the boss battles are indeed fun and exciting, and the cinematic camera and linearity of the game’s structure make for easy exploration with the real challenge being in combat,  which feels right.

Flaws aside, Ubisoft have certainly developed an interesting addition to the franchise; while the series’ next instalment will take place shortly after the Sands of Time trilogy’s conclusion, it’s not entirely unlikely that this “prince” will return to the small screen in the future.