| Prince of Persia | |
|---|---|
 Cover art used for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and MS-DOS versions
| |
| Developer(s) | Brøderbund |
| Publisher(s) | Brøderbund,
Riverhillsoft (Japan), Ubisoft (iOS, XBLA, Virtual Console) |
| Designer(s) | Jordan Mechner |
| Artist(s) | Riverhillsoft (updated character design) |
| Platform(s) | Apple II (see Ports) |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Cinematic platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Prince of Persia (1989)[]
Prince of Persia is a platform game, originally developed by Jordan Mechner and released in 1989 for the Apple II, that represented a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games.
After the original release on the Apple II, Prince of Persia was ported to a wide range of platforms. The game managed to surprise and captivate the player despite being at first glance, repetitive.[2] This was achieved by interspersing intelligent puzzles and deadly traps all along the path the player-controlled Prince had to take to complete the game—all this packaged in fluid, life-like motion.
Prince of Persia influenced a sub-genre, which imitated the sprawling non-scrolling levels, fluid animation, and control style.[3]
Plot[]
The game is set in Ancient Persia. While the Sultan is fighting a war in a foreign land, his vizier Jaffar seizes power. Jaffar's only obstacle to the throne is the Sultan's daughter. Jaffar locks her in a tower and orders her, under threat of execution, to become his wife. The game's nameless protagonist, whom the Princess loves, is thrown into the palace dungeons. To win the game the player must lead the protagonist out of the dungeons and to the palace tower, defeating Jaffar and freeing the Princess in under 60 minutes.
The character of Jaffar is loosely based on Ja'far bin Yahya Barmaki, a Persian vizier who was executed for allegedly having an affair with a princess. He is a recurring character in the Arabian Nights and elsewhere in film and literature.[original research?]
| Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame | |
|---|---|
 Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame U.S. Cover
| |
| Developer(s) | Brøderbund |
| Publisher(s) | Brøderbund |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS, Mac OS, SNES,Xbox (as feature) |
| Release date(s) | 1993 |
| Genre(s) | Cinematic platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame[]
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame is a platform game released by Brøderbund in 1993.
Plot synopsis[]
[edit]Setting[]
The game takes place eleven days after the events of the first game, in Persia as well as various other locations. During this period of eleven days the Prince was hailed as a hero who defeated the evil Jaffar. He turns down all riches and instead asks for the Princess's hand in marriage as his reward, to which the Sultan of Persia reluctantly agrees.
[edit]Plot[]
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame begins as the Prince enters the royal courts of the palace. Before he enters, however, his appearance turns back into that of a beggar. Nobody recognises him, and when he attempts to speak with the Princess, a man who shares his appearance (Jaffar, who is magically disguised) emerges from the shadows, ordering him to be thrown out. With guards pursuing him, the Prince jumps through a window and flees the city by way of merchant ship.
The ship is struck by lightning, cast by Jaffar, just as a mysterious woman appears in the barge and asks the Prince to find her. He regains consciousness, and finds himself on the shore of a foreign island. He comes to a cave full of evil skeletons that fight him. He finally escapes on a magic carpet.
The Prince arrives in another strange mountainous land far away. He first heads into the blue ruins, a large ruined temple filled with screaming head creatures and snakes as well as booby traps. At one point the Prince's mother,[1] revealed to be the mysterious woman on the ship, shows herself, and explains about her husband's death, and her plight to abandon the Prince so that he might live. He escapes on a magic horse statue which comes to life.
The prince goes to a red temple inhabited by birdmen, who wear bird helmets/masks and worship a bird Goddess. In the temple, the Prince finds that he can separate from his body, transforming into the shadow that Jaffar's magic mirror created in the events of Prince of Persia. The Prince uses this move to steal the sacred flame of the temple, and then travels back to Persia on the magic horse statue. Here he immediately encounters Jaffar who transports the prince to a chessboard like place as a final torment. The Prince confronts Jaffar, who flees. The Prince transforms into the shadow bearing the blue flame once again, and casts fire at Jaffar, killing him for good. The Princess awakens from the spell Jaffar set upon her, and the Prince orders the former Vizier's ashes be scattered. As the Prince and Princess ride into the distance, however, it is revealed that an old woman is watching them through a crystal ball.
| Prince of Persia 3D | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer(s) | Red Orb Entertainment (PC)Avalanche Software(Dreamcast) |
| Publisher(s) | The Learning Company (PC)Mattel Interactive(Dreamcast) |
| Engine | NetImmerse |
| Version | 1.1 (Patch 1) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows,Dreamcast |
| Release date(s) | Microsoft Windows
Dreamcast
|
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T |
| System requirements | |
Prince of Persia 3D[]
Prince of Persia 3D, developed by Red Orb Entertainment and published by The Learning Company for Microsoft Windows, is the third game in the Prince of Persia series. The game debuted in 1999, 10 years after the original, and incorporated 3D graphics in its gameplay.
In 2000, a Dreamcast version under the name Prince of Persia: Arabian Nights was developed by Avalanche Software and published by Mattel Interactive, which had previously purchased both Red Orb Entertainment and The Learning Company. Many of the control flaws from the original PC version were corrected and other notable bugs were fixed, improving the gameplay of this port, although it still suffers the same camera problems. This version was only released in North America.
Plot[]
Prince of Persia 3D begins with the Prince and Sultan of Persia visiting the Sultan's brother, Assan. Soon enough, the Prince's personal bodyguards are killed, himself locked in the dungeon, and the Sultan taken by Assan. The Prince escapes the dungeon, and it is revealed that the Sultan of Persia promised Assan many years ago that his daughter would marry Assan's son, Rugnor, not the Prince. The Prince finds the two, but Assan kills the Sultan by mistake, while trying to kill the Prince. Assan runs, but the Prince decides to pursue Rugnor, who has taken the Princess of Persia captive. The Prince and Rugnor have many standoffs, but when it becomes clear to Rugnor that the Prince won't give up, and the Princess won't submit to him, he decides to kill her. He ties her to a large gear machine, attempting to crush her. The Prince, however, arrives before this happens, kills Rugnor, and deactivates the machine. The Prince then escapes with the Princess, via a flying beast, but the Prince takes the Princess in the opposite direction of Persia, rather than towards it.
| Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time | |
|---|---|
 North American box cover
| |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft, SCEJ |
| Designer(s) | Jordan Mechner |
| Writer(s) | Jordan Mechner |
| Series | Prince of Persia |
| Engine | Jade[1][2] |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox,Nintendo GameCube,Game Boy Advance,Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 3 |
| Release date(s) | November 21, 2003[show] |
| Genre(s) | Platformer, action-adventure, hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | *CERO: B |
| Media/distribution | Optical disc, Cartridge |
| System requirements
Windows*Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP
| |
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time[]
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action-adventure computer and video game published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 21, 2003 and is a reboot of the landmark video game series Prince of Persia, created by Jordan Mechner in 1989.
The Sands of Time, developed internally at Ubisoft Montreal, successfully captures the mechanics of the original platformer and extends it to the 3D generation.[3] An earlier attempt by The Learning Company to transfer the game to 3D (Prince of Persia 3D) was released in 1999, but despite its initial good reception failed to sell enough and the company's responsible behind that original trilogy was already closing doors. The game was praised for its visual design, finely tuned game mechanics and intriguing storyline, winning the game several awards and cementing its status as one of the greatest video games of all time.[4][5][6][7]
The game was developed for the PC, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, and later a 2D-version for the Game Boy Advance and mobile phones. The success of The Sands of Time led to two sequels, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and an interquel, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands in 2010. A remastered, High-Definition, version of The Sands of Time was released on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 on November 16, 2010.[8]
Synopsis[]
[edit]Plot[]
Set in the year 1000 King Sharaman of Persia and his son, known only as the Prince, pass through India en route to Azad and conquer a city with the aid of the local Maharajah's traitorous Vizier. During the battle the Prince seeks to win honour and glory in his first battle and heads straight to the Maharajah's treasure vaults, where he discovers the mythical Sands of Time safely contained within their Hourglass and the Dagger of Time, which he quickly learns can turn back time a short amount. When the Prince presents the dagger to his father, the traitorous Vizier demands it as payment, but is refused by King Sharaman. The Persians then continue on their journey to Azad with the wealth taken from the Maharajah as well as the Maharajah's beautiful daughter, Princess Farah, as a prisoner.
In Azad, the Vizier, now in the service of King Sharaman, tricks the Prince into using the Dagger to release the Sands of Time from the Hourglass. A horrific sandstorm engulfs the kingdom and the Sands of Time turn all the occupants of the palace into monsters. Only the Prince, Farah, and the Vizier remain unchanged due to their possessions; a dagger, a medallion, and a staff, respectively. Amid the catastrophe, the Vizier demands the dagger from the Prince, who refuses and manages to escape.
The Prince soon teams up with Farah in an attempt to return the Sands of Time to the Hourglass, which the Vizier moves to the top of the Tower of Dawn. As they progress through the palace the pair are constantly waylaid by Sand Monsters and the deadly network of traps set in motion in the hopes of killing the creatures. The Prince becomes steadily more worn until his princely armor is mere shreds and his body covered in bloody wounds.
While initially the Prince does not trust Farah because of the Persians' mistreatment of her, the two begin to grow closer as time goes on. After a terrific battle in the ascent of the Tower of Dawn, they reach the Hourglass and are about to complete their mission when the Prince hesitates, suddenly suspicious of what Farah's motives really are. Before Farah can convince the Prince otherwise, the Vizier confronts the pair and uses his magical powers to trap Farah and the Prince in a tomb.
As they wait to die in the tomb Farah tells the Prince, who similarly reveals his claustrophobia, a story she had never told anyone before, about a time when she was little, when her mother told her about a secret magic word which would help her escape anything that scared her: "Kakolookiyam".
As soon as the Prince repeats the word, as if by magic, the pair find a secret tunnel beneath one of the sarcophagi, which winds down into a mysterious, dreamlike bathhouse which resembles the magic fountains that the Prince earlier used to increase his health. As they bathe, the Prince and Farah finally make love and find comfort in each other amid their perilous situation. When the Prince awakens afterwards, he finds himself back in the tomb and discovers that Farah, the Dagger, and his sword are gone, leaving him with only Farah's medallion to protect him from the Sands of Time.
The Prince, having found a new sword which destroys the sand monsters on contact, pursues and catches up to Farah once more atop the Tower of Dawn, which he must climb from the outside. When the Prince finally reaches the top he finds Farah being overwhelmed by the sand monsters and, despite his efforts to save her, she falls to her death in the Hourglass room below. Enraged by his lover's death, the Prince uses the Dagger to massacre the last of the sand monsters in the tower and descends to weep over Farah's body. As the Prince mourns, the Vizier emerges from the shadows and offers the Prince a partnership in his evil plan. The Prince angrily refuses and before the Vizier can stop him he drives the Dagger of Time into the Hourglass and reverses time to the night before the invasion of the Maharajah's kingdom. The Prince awakens, still with the Dagger of Time, and secretly finds his way to Farah's bedroom, where he tells her the whole story, which she does not remember as it had not happened yet. However, the Vizier discovers the Prince, and fearing his planned treachery already revealed, attempts to kill both Farah and the Prince. In the ensuing battle the Prince kills the Vizier. He then returns the Dagger of Time to Farah, who asks why the Prince invented such an unbelievable story to prove the Vizier's treachery. The Prince falsely admits it to be just a story but when asked about his name by Farah he replies, "Just call me, Kakolookiyam", before departing, leaving Farah amazed.
| Prince of Persia: Warrior Within | |
|---|---|
 German PC cover art
| |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal,Pipeworks Software |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Designer(s) | Kevin Guillemette |
| Writer(s) | Corey May, Dooma Wendschuh |
| Series | Prince of Persia |
| Engine | Jade |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, GameCube,Xbox, Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 3, iOS,PlayStation Portable |
| Release date(s) | Consoles & Windows
Mobile
iOS
PlayStation 3 Revelations PlayStation Portable |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, platform,hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | *Apple: 12+ |
| Media/distribution | CD, DVD, GameCube Game Disc, UMD |
| System requirements
Windows*Windows 98SE/2000/XP (only)
| |
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within[]
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is a video game and sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Warrior Within was developed and published by Ubisoft, and released on December 2, 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Microsoft Windows.[citation needed] It picks up where The Sands of Time left off, adding new features, specifically, options in combat. The Prince now has the ability to wield two weapons at a time as well as the ability to steal his enemies' weapons and throw them. The Prince's repertoire of combat moves has been expanded into varying strings that allow players to attack enemies with more complexity than was possible in the previous game. Warrior Within has a darker tone than its predecessor adding in the ability for the Prince to dispatch his enemies with various finishing moves. In addition to the rewind, slow-down, and speed-up powers from The Sands of Time, the Prince also has a new sand power: a circular "wave" of sand that knocks down all surrounding enemies as well as damaging them. The dark tone, a vastly increased level of blood and violence as well as sexualized female NPCs earned the game an M ESRB rating.
Following Warrior Within, a second sequel and a prequel were made, expanding the Sands of Time story. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones was released on November 30, 2005 and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was released on May 18, 2010.[citation needed] A port of Warrior Within was done by Pipeworks, renamed as Prince of Persia: Revelations, and it was released on December 6, 2005 for Sony's PlayStation Portable.[citation needed] The port includes additional content including four new areas not available in the original release.[citation needed] On the 3rd of June 2010, a port of Warrior Within was released for the iOS.[citation needed] A remastered, High-Definition, version of Warrior Within was released on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 on December 14, 2010.[1]
Plot[]
Set in the year 1006, six years after the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Prince finds himself constantly hunted by a terrible beast known as the Dahaka. The Prince seeks counsel from an old wise man who explains that whoever releases the Sands of Time must die. Because the Prince escaped his fate, it is the Dahaka's mission as guardian of the Timeline to ensure that he dies as he was meant to. The old man also tells of the Island of Time, where the Empress of Time first created the Sands. The Prince sets sail for the Island in an attempt to prevent the Sands from ever being created, an act he believes will appease the Dahaka. After a battle at sea with an enemy force led by a mysterious woman in black capsizes the Prince's ship, the Prince washes ashore unconsciously onto the Island of Time.
He later awakens and chases the woman in black through the Empress of Time's fortress into a portal that transports the two into the past. The Prince saves a woman named Kaileena from being killed by the woman in black, whose name is Shahdee. Unable to grant the Prince an audience with the Empress of Time, who is busy preparing to create the Sands, Kaileena instead tells him how to unlock the door to the throne room in which the Empress resides. The Prince makes his way through the fortress, utilizing the sand portals to travel back and forth between the past and present, and narrowly escapes several encounters with the Dahaka, who he discovers cannot pass through water. The Prince activates the mechanisms in the two towers of the fortress - the Garden Tower and the Mechanical Tower - that serve as locks to the door. He returns to the throne room only to discover that Kaileena is actually the Empress of Time herself, who has foreseen in the Timeline that the Prince will kill her and who has decided to attempt to defy her fate, just as the Prince is doing. A battle ensues and the Prince proves victorious; he kills Kaileena and returns to the present.
He believes that he has changed his fate, but another encounter with the Dahaka forces him to realize that in killing Kaileena, he was, in essence, the one to created the Sands of Time (as the Sands were created from her remains). The Prince falls into despair, but then finds a glimmer of hope upon learning of a magical artifact called the Mask of the Wraith, which is said to transport the wearer into the past, allowing the wearer to alter his own Timeline. The Prince wastes no time in seeking out and donning the mask, which transforms him into the Sand Wraith and sends him back to the time when he first arrived on the Island of Time. He formulates a plan to force Kaileena through a sand portal with him, transporting them both into the present, believing that if he kills her then, the Sands of Time will be created seven years after the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, meaning it will be impossible for the Prince to release them in Azad. While still in the past, the Prince (as the Sand Wraith) ensures that the Dahaka takes and destroys his other self, who has just finished unlocking the door to the throne room, leaving the Sand Wraith the only Prince in that Timeline. This act loosens the Mask of the Wraith from the Prince's face and allows him to remove it and return to his normal form. The Prince goes to the throne room and, despite his pleas to Kaileena, his battle with her begins as before. He forces her into the present with him, and it is at this point that the game has two alternate endings. Which ending is played depends on whether all life upgrades were collected (which lets the player obtain the Water Sword) or not. The second ending is used as the true ending, i.e. the story is continued in the next game according to that ending.[2]
First Ending - Without the Water Sword: The Prince fights and kills Kaileena, and the Dahaka arrives to claim her body as well as Farah's amulet from the Prince, so that the Sands of Time and all relics pertaining to it are removed from the Timeline. The Prince sails home to Babylon, alone, only to discover that the city is being ravaged by war. The old wise man's voice is heard, once again stating: "Your journey will not end well. You cannot change your fate. No man can."
Second Ending - With the Water Sword: Before the battle between The Prince and Kaileena begins, the Dahaka appears trying to remove Kaileena from the timeline, The Prince tries to save her, and realizes that the Water Sword can damage the seemingly-invincible Dahaka. After fighting and defeating the beast, the Prince and Kaileena sail to the Prince's home of Babylon with each other. During the journey he apparently ends up sleeping with Kaileena. However, a dream has entered the mind of the Prince, appearing to be a burning Babylon, with a gold crown rolling to the feet of a mysterious, shadowy figure that ominously claims: "All that is yours, is rightfully mine...and mine it will be." As in the first ending, the old wise man's voice is heard stating: "Your journey will not end well. You cannot change your fate. No man can." This ending continues into Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones to Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.
| Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones | |
|---|---|
 NTSC cover art
| |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Designer(s) | Kevin Guillemette |
| Writer(s) | Corey May, Dooma Wendschuh |
| Series | Prince of Persia |
| Engine | Jade |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, GameCube,Xbox, PlayStation 3, Wii,PlayStation Portable,Mac OS X,Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 2
Xbox, GameCube & PC Mobile
PlayStation 3 Rival Swords Wii & PSP |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, Platform,hack and slash |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | *ESRB: M / T Wii, PSP |
| Media/distribution | CD-ROM, DVD-ROM,Nintendo optical disc, UMD |
| System requirements
Windows*Windows 2000/XP
| |
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones[]
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Ubisoft Montreal. It was released in December, 2005 in North America for the Xbox, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and the Nintendo GameCube. It was ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii[1], under the title Prince of Persia: Rival Swords with the Wii version utilizing the motion-sensing functionality of its controller, while the PSP version added exclusive content. A remastered, high-definition, version of The Two Thrones was released on the PlayStation Network for thePlayStation 3 on December 21, 2010.[2]
Following Warrior Within, The Two Thrones is the closing chapter in the Sands of Time saga.
Plot[]
[edit]Setting[]
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones follows the second ending of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, in which the Prince kills the Dahaka, essentially saving Kaileena. The game opens with the Prince and Kaileena about to sail into Babylon's port. Kaileena offers narration of the events passed and the story following, similar to the Prince's role as both protagonist and narrator in The Sands of Time.
[edit]Synopsis[]
After the events of the previous game, the Prince and Kaileena return to Babylon. As the Prince's vessel nears the shores of the city, he removes the medallion from his chestplate and drops it into the sea. Upon returning to Babylon, he is horrified to find that the city is currently being ravaged by war. His ship is attacked and he and Kaileena are thrown overboard, with Kaileena taken prisoner after drifting ashore. He then tries to rescue Kaileena, but ultimately, finds his old enemy the Vizier once again alive and is held prisoner while the Vizier kills Kaileena with the Dagger of Time, unleashing the Sands of Time once more and taking them into the Dagger. The Vizier then impales himself with the Dagger, making himself immortal. The Prince is also affected, having a whip-like weapon known as a Daggertail embedded in his skin when the Sands infect the wound. However in the confusion of his transformation the Vizier drops the Dagger and the Prince manages to steal it and escape before he is totally infected by the Sands.
Through mischance during his escape, the Prince finds himself cast into the sewers and carried to the outskirts of Babylon. As the Prince travels through the city once again to kill the Vizier, he realizes that by taking Kaileena from the Island of Time, his adventures in Azad never happened, thus, he never killed the Vizier. He also finds that his infection by the Sands of Time have affected his mind. He has essentially been split into two personalities: one which, for the most part, strives to do good, although is fueled by vengeance, and the Dark Prince (voiced by Rick Miller), manifested by an internal voice that speaks to the Prince. The Dark Prince is cold, cruel, arrogant, and sarcastic, and attempts to convince the Prince that they are the same person, and that the Prince should strive to serve only himself, using the Prince's vengeance as a catalyst for his other emotions. On many occasions, the Dark Prince seizes control of the Prince's body and the Prince is fully transformed into a kind of hybrid sand monster with abilities that allow the Prince to pass otherwise insurmountable obstacles.
While searching for the Vizier, the Prince encounters Farah (voiced by Helen King), who does not remember him, and is surprised that the Prince knows her name. Despite this, the pair begin to grow an entirely new romance together. The Prince eventually starts to ignore the Dark Prince, and begins to fight against the suffering of his people, which the Dark Prince had always spoken against. When the Prince finally confronts the Vizier, the Vizier captures Farah and casts the Prince into an ancient well, where the long silent Dark Prince emerges once again and tries to take permanent control. The Prince desperately tries to resist the Dark Prince, driving slowly deeper into the well looking for an escape, but he slowly weakens. At the very bottom of the well the Prince finds his father's dead body and the Dark Prince mocks the Prince in another attempt at control, but instead the Prince accepts the consequences of what he has done, thus silencing the Dark Prince and regaining full control of himself.
Armed with his father's sword, the Prince escapes the well, and once again confronts the Vizier and kills him with a stab to the heart with the Dagger of Time. The Sands of Time released from the dead Vizier slowly takes the shape of Kaileena and she cleanses the Prince of his infection by the Sands of Time, and all his wounds. As the Prince leans down to reach for his father's crown, which the Vizier had worn, he is confronted by the Dark Prince, who draws the Prince into his mind, where the two struggle for control, ending with the Dark Prince perishing. The Prince then awakens in Farah's embrace. Farah then asks the Prince how he really knew her name. He replies,
"Most people think time is like a river, that flows swift and sure in one direction. But I have seen the face of time, and I can tell you, they are wrong. Time is an ocean in a storm. You may wonder who I really am, and why I say this. Come, and I will tell you a tale like none you have ever heard."
This is the same line the Prince narrates at the beginning of the first game of the trilogy, indicating that the entire trilogy has been the Prince telling Farah the story of his adventures.
| Prince of Persia | |
|---|---|
 Prince of Persia box art
| |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Designer(s) | Jean-Christophe Guyot |
| Composer(s) | Inon Zur, Stuart Chatwood[1] |
| Series | Prince of Persia |
| Engine | Scimitar(Heavily modified cel-shaded) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360*NA December 2, 2008[2][3]
Microsoft Windows
Mac OS X
|
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure,platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | *ESRB: T |
| Media/distribution | Blu-ray disc, DVD-9,download[5] |
| System requirements
PC/Mac[show] | |
Prince of Persia (2008)[]
Prince of Persia is an action-adventure and platforming video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is part of the Prince of Persia franchise. The game was released in theUnited States on December 2, 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on December 9, 2008 for Microsoft Windows. It was later released on March 24, 2009 for Mac OS X via the Cider engine.
The game is set in ancient Persia, with a player-character whose name is not revealed in the game. He is accompanied by a woman named Elika, whom he met after a large sandstorm diverted him from his course and he ended up in a mysterious land. Players traverse many different environments using his acrobatic abilities to scale walls and even crawl on the ceilings. Throughout the journey, players combat various enemies as they attempt to cleanse the land of corruption. The game's storyline and setting borrowed some aspects from Zoroastrianism.[6]
Plot[]
[edit]Setting[]
Prince of Persia takes place in an undefined ancient Persian city-state[12] based heavily around the religion of Zoroastrianism.[6] A thousand years before the events of the game take place, there was a struggle for power between the gods Ahriman and Ormazd. The outcome of the struggle was that Ormazd and his people, the Ahura, managed to imprison Ahriman and his minions, the Corrupted, in a tree. Ormazd then left the world, leaving the Ahura to make sure Ahriman remains secure. They are successful for a thousand years, at which point the Ahura started to believe that Ahriman and Ormazd were myths due to their inactivity, and most departed. Shortly before the events of the game, Ahriman is about to be freed again.[12]
[edit]Characters[]
Main article: List of characters in the Prince of Persia series
Prince of Persia's protagonist is a nameless adventurer in search of fortune. The adventurer is accompanied by an Ahura named Elika, whose race has forsaken the duty given to them by the god of light, Ormazd, and intend to set free the main antagonist, Ahriman.[13] Ahriman is the god of darkness who was imprisoned by Ormazd. He is intent on conquering the entire universe upon his liberation.[14] The Mourning King appears as an antagonist, intent on fulfilling his deal with Ahriman in return for the resurrection of his daughter, Elika. The Corrupted, four rulers Ahriman chose to aid him in conquering Ormazd, also appear as antagonists. They were imprisoned with him for a thousand years.
The Hunter is one of the Corrupted. He was a prince who enjoyed hunting, but soon became too good at hunting. Ahriman successfully made a deal with the Hunter that, in exchange for his soul, Ahriman would allow him to hunt a creature more satisfying than any he has hunted before.[15] Another of the Corrupted is the Alchemist. He was an Ahura scientist who felt he was close to achieving immortality when his health started to fail. The Alchemist asked Ormazd for a longer lifespan to complete his research, but when he was refused, Ahriman offered him immortality in exchange for his soul. The third Corrupted is called the Concubine. She was a woman skilled in politics who revered men of power. She was involved with a man, but was ultimately beaten by another woman, scarred and stripped of her beauty and influence. The Concubine then exchanged her soul for the power of illusion with Ahriman.[16] The fourth and strongest of the Corrupted is the Warrior. He was a king whose country was under siege. Struggling for peace, the king accepted power from Ahriman that allowed him to vanquish his enemies and secure peace for his people. When the war was over, however, the peace-loving citizens rejected the Warrior, who had turned into a tool of war.[17]
[edit]Plot summary[]
The game begins with the protagonist, the Prince (which is only a nickname, the character is not royalty) in search of his donkey Farah (named after the Prince's love interest from the Sands of Time trilogy) in the middle of a desert sandstorm. He then runs into Elika, a barefoot princess of the Ahura who is fleeing from soldiers. The two fend off the soldiers, with Elika discovering her magical powers of light. The Prince follows her into a temple which houses Ahriman, a force of evil who is trapped within a tree known as the Tree of Life. Once inside the temple, the Prince and Elika are confronted by Elika's father, the Mourning King, who faces them in battle. After the fight, he uses his sword to cut the Tree of Life, setting Ahriman free. The Prince and Elika escape the temple, only to find a corrupted world outside.
Elika tells the Prince that in order to restore the world and rid the corruption inhabiting it, they must heal all the Fertile Grounds in the kingdom. They then begin restoring the Fertile Grounds, encountering the Warrior, the Hunter, the Concubine and the Alchemist, four corrupted leaders Ahriman chose to set free.
In the journey, it is revealed that Elika had died prior to the beginning of the game. Her father took her to Ahriman and asked him to revive her selling his soul in the process to Ahriman, thus making him one of the corrupted. Once Elika is revived she discovers she has new-found powers. After gaining even more powers, the two encounter Elika's father once again. After healing all the Fertile Grounds, as well as defeating all bosses, Elika and the Prince return to the temple to imprison Ahriman. Once inside, however, they are confronted by the king who is now a fully corrupted being. They defeat him, he calls his daughter's name, turns away from them and throws himself off the platform they are on. Ahriman rises from the corruption below. They battle him, but Elika must give up her very life to finish the spell which seals Ahriman away. She finishes the spell and dies.
The Prince then takes Elika's body outside. There are four Fertile Grounds there, each with a tree, that according to what Elika had told him, channel the power of all the Fertile Grounds to the Tree of Life. He is given a vision which is the same one both him and Elika shared much earlier that shows her father's deal with Ahriman to revive her. When they shared the vision at that time she told the Prince that visions come from Ormazd, not Ahriman. Is this one coming from Ormazd too? The vision (just like the main debate throughout the game between Elika and the Prince was all about Destiny vs Free Will) is all about choice. The Prince re-creates the deal made by Elika's father. He destroys the four Fertile Grounds around the Temple and returns inside. He cuts down the Tree of Life and takes the light power Elika used to heal the Tree. The Prince returns the Light to Elika's body, and she returns to life. The game ends with the Prince carrying Elika across the desert while Ahriman's darkness envelops the world.
[edit]Epilogue[]
In Epilogue, optional downloadable content (DLC), it is shown that the Prince and Elika survive, and retreat to an underground palace. Elika leaves the Prince, however, they both end up battling Elika's father once again. Luckily, they escape, and they then both attempt to leave the palace alive. While on their way, Elika shows her disdain for the Prince multiple times, with the Prince insisting that by freeing her, they 'stand a chance' against Ahriman. In a final battle against Elika's father, the Prince defeats him by impaling him on spikes. In the end, Elika leaves the Prince in search for her people, and the Prince is left alone with a bloodthirsty Ahriman seeking revenge.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands[]
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a multi-platform video game produced by Ubisoft[10] which was released on May 18, 2010, in North America and on May 20 in Europe.[11] The games mark a return to the storyline started by Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is the title of four separate games with different storylines. The main game was developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows, while the other three are exclusive for the PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Wii.
The PSP and Wii versions were developed by Ubisoft Quebec; the PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows versions were handled by Ubisoft Montreal with the help of Ubisoft Singapore; and the Nintendo DS version was made at Casablanca.[12]
| Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands | ||
|---|---|---|
 Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands cover art
| ||
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Quebec Ubisoft Singapore Ubisoft Casablanca | |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft | |
| Composer(s) | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC:Steve Jablonsky[1][2]Wii, DS, PSP: | |
| Series | Prince of Persia | |
| Engine | Anvil / Jade | |
| Version | 1.01 | |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii,Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS,PlayStation Portable[6] | |
| Release date(s) | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii,Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable:*NA May 18, 2010[7]
Microsoft Windows: | |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, Platformer, Hack and slash | |
| Mode(s) | Single-player | |
| Rating(s) | *BBFC: 12 | |
| System requirements | [show] | |
[9]
Synopsis[]
[edit]Setting[]
The Forgotten Sands returns to the storyline established by Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and concluded by Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones.[12] On December 14, 2009, Ubisoft UK released the first details of the story on their official video portal.[13]
The game is an interquel, taking place in the seven year gap[14] between Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. The Prince character is supposed to be a cross between the character models in these two games. He is again voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.[15]
[edit]Plot[]
The plot of the main game, developed for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC starts off with the Prince riding through a desert on his horse, on a quest to see his brother, Malik, and learn about leadership from him. When the Prince arrives at Malik's kingdom, he finds it under attack by an army who are attempting to breach the treasure vaults for a great power known as "Solomon's Army". The Prince charges in to the city, and tracks Malik to the still untaken treasure vaults. Here, Malik proposes that he is fighting a losing battle, and needs to rely on a last resort or be forced to retreat. The Prince strongly objects, but Malik releases Solomon's Army using a magical seal. Solomon's Army is an assortment of different creatures, all made of sand. The Prince and Malik both manage to obtain halves of the seal used to unleash the army, protecting them from being turned into sand statues, which was the fate of the rest of the kingdom. The seals also allow them to absorb the power of the enemies they defeat. Malik is separated from the Prince, who finds a portal to the domain of Razia, a Djinn. Razia tells the Prince that the only way to reimprison Solomon's Army is to reunite both halves of the seal used to bind them. Razia gives the Prince special powers, and has him set out to find Malik, and the other half of the seal. When the Prince finds Malik, he isn't interested in stopping Solomon's Army, but instead wants to destroy it and use its power to become a more powerful leader. The Prince finds Razia again, and asks her about this, and she proposes it's an effect of absorbing too much of the power of Solomon's Army, and that the power she gave the Prince offered him protection from this effect. The Prince again sets out to find Malik, but this time to forcibly take his half of the seal, but Malik is stronger and manages to escape. Pursuing Malik again, the Prince finds Ratash, the leader of Solomon's Army, pursuing anyone in possession of the seal. After the Prince outruns him, he concludes Ratash must now be chasing Malik, and so sets out to aid him. The Prince arrives in the throne room to find Malik and Ratash fighting, and he aids Malik. The Prince and Malik seem to kill Ratash, and Malik absorbs his power, shattering his half of the seal. Malik then runs off, seemingly in a hysterical fit, using some of Ratash's powers to escape. The Prince pursues him, and again finds Razia instead. Razia explains that Ratash cannot be killed by any ordinary sword, and that what actually happened was quite different than what the Prince saw. Ratash has actually killed Malik, and possessed his body. The Prince doesn't believe this, and sets out to find the Djinn Sword, which Razia says can kill Ratash. Along the way, the Prince chases Malik, now also Ratash, witnessing Ratash gaining so much power back, that he can mutate Malik's body back to his original form, albeit with a more blue-gold color-schemed body that recalls Malik's armor as opposed to his original red-gold. The Prince loses a battle to Ratash and, convinced his brother is in fact dead now, finds the Djinn Sword. With this sword, the Prince again sets out to find Ratash. When he does, Ratash is now gigantic, literally fed by the sandstorm which has come over the palace. Despite this, the Prince uses the sword to kill Ratash, and when the sandstorm and battle both subside, he finds Malik laying next to him, dying. Malik says to tell their father that Prince will be a mighty leader, then dies. The Prince then sets out to inform his father of Malik's death.
Credits[]
Prince of Persia (1989) Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia_(1989_video_game)
Prince of Persia 2 - The Shadow and the Flame Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia_2:_The_Shadow_and_the_Flame
Prince of Persia 3D Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia_3D
Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia:_The_Sands_of_Time
Prince of Persia - Warrior Within Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia:_Warrior_Within
Prince of Persia - The Two Thrones Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia:_The_Two_Thrones
Prince of Persia (2008) Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia_(2008_video_game)
Prince of Persia - The Forgotten Sands Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia:_The_Forgotten_Sands
Prince of Persia Series Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Persia
Prince of Persia Wikia: http://princeofpersia.wikia.com/wiki/Prince_of_Persia_Wiki
All information, citation, and reference can be found on these Wiki's.