There's the old expression that you wait ages for a bus and then two come along at once. That isn't quite what has happened with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Prince of Persia. Instead we've all been waiting for one bus, huddled under a flimsy umbrella in the rain as storms have drenched us, and suddenly a completely different bus has come along. This bus has heated seats, lots of legroom, even seatbelts - I didn't know they made buses with seatbelts! - and is taking us to the same destination, but a better version of it. Like somehow by being on this bus we have had our suites upgraded to first class, the bar has been declared open, the forecast is perfect. We've been waiting all this time for the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, and instead a♑ new game has arrived, Prince of Persia: The Los🤪t Crown.
Taking it at first value, I'm always going to be more excited about a new game than I would be about a remake. The Sands of Time was very good, and doesn't seem to have secured the sort of legacy it deserves. In gaming, we're quick to forget our history with each new generation and fancy technological advancements, and it's a shame games that don't clear the benchmark of 'total, incomparable masterpiece' get left in a ditch. The Sands of Time is beloved by those who remember it, but is the right sort of game to get a remake to remind people of its quality. Then again, whenever the endless slew of cash grab remakes are criticised, people like to point out that they're a launch pad for future instalments. But now we're getting a new Prince of Persia anyway, so what does it all mean?
I'm looking forward to The Lost Crown, and I'll get to that soon, but you have to feel for the development team on The Sands of Time. Originally developed by Indian studios Ubisoft Mumbai and Ubisoft Pꦚune, the game is a casualty of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ubisoft's sprawling global outreach with little organisation, and a lot of interference by the core French team. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:These studios were then kicked ﷽out completely. It's a similar story to the Singapore te🐻am working on Skull & Bones - Ubisoft is pushing smaller studios t✅o make bigger games with little guidance, and involving senior staff 💮in ways that have been seen as confrontational and unhelpful.
It must sting a little bit to be 168澳洲幸运5🐈开奖网:the devs working away on Sands of Time only to have The Lost Crown steal the thunder. It's also emblematic of how erratic Ubisoft has been recently - it has been 13 years since our last Prince of Persia game (not including a spin-off VR escape room), and now the series is coming back under the cloud of a messy remake, rather than the strong lead in of Sands of Time making us all feel warm and cosy inside. It's a stumble, but The Lost City looks solid, and Prince of Persia deserves to live again - it's just a shame Ubisoft has made such a mess of the revival ritual.
The Lost City is being developed by the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Rayman Legends studio, so there's a lot of pedigree for 2D platforming with a bit of invention. It's also the studio behind Michael Jackson: The Experience, but that probably won't help as much. The Lost City opened 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Summer Game Fest with a lot of flair, and its art style seemed to recall Prince of Persia (2008), while still managing to stand on its own, have a modern touch, and with a timeless flavour to it. That's a remarkable feat to pull off, and the slice of gameplay we saw also had a lot of character with vibrant boss battles and varied, engaging combat sequences. We know this team can bring a level to life, and the trailer seemed keen to highlight the other aspects to erase any doubts.
Combined with a release date that's just within grasp of January 18, 2024, there are finally reasons to be cheerful around Prince of Persia. We're back on the bus. We can only hope the series has a bright future in front of it, and doesn't end up with a flat tyre.