Prince of Persia is the remake we (didn't) need

Prince of Persia is the remake we (didn't) need

Fresh from the success of his fighting game Karateka in 1984, the game designer Jordan Mechner he decided to devote himself 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, 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).



Prince of Persia is the remake we (didn't) needAfter 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 has finally decided to bring the brand back to life. How? With the fashion of the moment, or that of the remake.

In recent times the rumors about a possible remake have in fact become more and more insistent. In the last few days, in addition, numerous leaks have revealed information on the remake of the first chapter entitled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. In the end it was the same Ubisoft to confirm everything during theUbisoft Forward with an announcement trailer.

Prince of Persia: The sands of time, therefore, will return the 21 January of the 2021 to PCPlayStation 4 e Xbox One in the form of a makeover, bearing the word Remake in the title itself in order to further cement the nature of the project. But will the first images have convinced us?

A prince out of shape

We're not here to sweeten the pill: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Remake from the first images it shows in a very bad "state of form". There are already those who have stood up as defender of the Ubisoft product, saying that you can't judge a game by a trailer and that the graphics It's not all. I would like to emphasize the fact that the undersigned is a console player, and therefore I have never demanded anything from the technical component as regards fps e resolution. The grain, therefore, is not to be linked solely to the bad technical sector shown in the launch trailer of the title, because this would not be basically a problem.



Prince of Persia is the remake we (didn't) needThe problem is that if you decide to create a remake of a historical title like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and you want to sell it just like "Remake", if this is the best that we have managed to do ... then something is wrong. Because let's face it clearly, the tale of "it's an old build"Does not hold. We have already gone through it with Halo Infinite, which after being shown in a somewhat embarrassing state (for a new generation console), earlier it was said that it was an outdated version of the title and then it has been postponed.

Of course, we can always have the benefit of the doubt but, given recent events, the suspicion is legitimate. Because if with Halo we could also believe the story of the "old build" having been shown a full-bodied 10 minute gameplay, because Ubisoft for a trailer of just two minutes with only movies and some sporadic clips of the game didn't show the world the latest version of the title? I mean, why shoot yourself in the foot like that? Ubisoft is certainly not new to "deceptive" trailers, just think of the most emblematic case that takes the name of Watch Dogs. So why not do the same with the good Prince of Persia? Let's face it clearly, there is something rotten in Denmark.

A Remake out of time

The term Remake, in the videogame field, has now obtained a certain value thanks to the excellent work done with Resident Evil 2 (and partly also the 3), Final Fantasy VII, Shadow of The Colossus, Crash Bandicoot e Spyro. The first three titles mentioned, as far as the original versions are concerned, have aged, both for mechanical and technical sectors. What Capcom e Square they managed to do with those titles in the 90s was the maximum that could be aspired to in that era, a historical period where the limitations were so technical but above all of gameplay.



Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3 and Final Fantasy VII they lent themselves perfectly to a modern makeover, and indeed no one has ever cried scandal in this sense. Rethinking past titles undermined by the technical limitations of the time with a more current gameplay is good and right, when done right and with love for the original titles. Such operations can make historical fans happy and introduce newcomers to great masterpieces.

Prince of Persia is the remake we (didn't) needDifferent speech for operations like Shadow of The Colossus and the two remake trilogies of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Here the play structure has not been modified because it is still perfectly usable even todayi, and to justify these remaking operations it has rightly aimed at an excellent technical sector, especially regarding the work done by Bluepoint games.

Well, in all of this the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time where it fits? Because it has been confirmed that the gameplay has (rightly) remained unchanged, and having ascertained this, it is inexplicable that Ubisoft did not focus on the technical sector so as to justify the operation. Because if, as many say, the graphics do not count for anything, then we might as well play the original directly, which remains playable even seventeen years later.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Remake, on balance, shows itself as a title of seventh generation, which will come out at the end eighth generation during the first months of ninth generation. And already the fact that Ubisoft has entrusted such a project to Ubisoft India, a team that debuts in the world of consoles with this title, says a lot about the value that the saga currently has for the French company.

The real questions to ask are therefore: is there really 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? Sagas are born and die, and carrying them out even after the natural expiration date never brings good results. Ubisoft is trying to bring the brand back to life, but if this is the best it has been able to do it is evident that it is an attempt for its own sake. And finally it is always good to be attentive to our wishes, because it's easy to be disappointed with something you've wanted for a long time. The undersigned says this, considering Prince of Persia one of the most important titles of his videogame career.

Ultimately, then, who is this title aimed at if not just nostalgics, who will close both eyes to this operation? Remakes are operations that should appeal to both brand lovers and a new type of audience, but this Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - Remake threatens to alienate both. If a good morning starts in the morning, a hurricane can be seen on the horizon.

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