New Prince of Persia info spotted in EDGE magazine

by Nick Doerr { May 5th 2008 at 4:30PM }

Wow -- Ubisoft wasn't kidding when they said they were going to take the Prince of Persia franchise is new directions. A new article in Edge magazine explains a lot of the concepts and ideas going into the game, so let us know if you decide this is too much of a change, too fast. The game remains in Ubisoft Montreal's hands -- so you're getting the same team that worked on the first trilogy of games. The team will be using the same engine used in Assassin's Creed (which we expected). The difference between this game and Assassin's Creed is the visual style. The team wants to go for "fantasy, but credible" like those found in the new Street Fighter or classic animated film like Princess Mononoke.

This is a new story. The sands of time are gone and so is that cast of characters, including the prince. You're a wanderer lost in the desert. You're thrown into a conflict between two gods: Ormazd and Ahriman, light and darkness respectively. Ahriman has released a plague on mankind or something, so you decide to meddle in this war and stop it. This is where the changes happen.

Past Prince titles launched you into a world that was filled with a room, then enemies, then another room in an incredibly linear, but satisfying, pattern. Say farewell to that. This game is truly non-linear and will allow you to progress the game in whatever order you see fit. Every fight in the game will be a duel -- you won't be slicing around bad guys like an overpowered acrobat anymore unless it's one-on-one. You don't even win a lot of these duels, apparently -- you just make the enemy retreat for a time and then fight them off again until you manage to defeat them. More secrets are being kept, so we'll inform you as soon as they are revealed!

Tags: prince-of-persia, ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Brodie-san @ May 5th 2008 4:38PM

No more burning with generic rage?
;)

Aysir @ May 5th 2008 4:47PM

From the screenshots i've seen, this looks far better than the last two efforts from the Prince. The style looks amazing and the story sounds great. Hopefully they get Stuart Chatwood for the music again and get decent voice actors.

Brodie-san @ May 5th 2008 4:56PM

I got to the last boss battle on Warrior Within (I usually play games YEARS after they're released) on the morning I picked up my PS3.

Needless to say, that's one boss that that will perpetually have the better of me cause I can't see myself going back.
:)

As for the style of the new Prince - I like it. I'm not sure about the "duelling" aspect of the fight system. I kinda liked the inane acrobatics and multiple foe slaughter-fests. I'll have to wait and see what some gameplay looks like. The jury's out on this one.

marauder800 @ May 5th 2008 5:01PM

Its sounding pretty damn good, but I haven't played many of the PoP games in the past. It could make or break the franchise.

Daniel @ May 5th 2008 5:08PM

Ok, so in general it has absolutely nothing to do at all with the PoP series? Here's an idea, GIVE IT A DIFFERENT NAME. Jesus, the "slap a name on something just because it's recognizable" trend has GOT to stop.

Just name the damn thing "I Want to be a Desert Ninja"

thinkofmeasmra @ May 5th 2008 6:58PM

I was thinking that too. Why call it prince of persia, or the only thing that this new game has with the trilogy is that it takes place in persia (but we dont even know that for sure yet and I wouldnt be suprised if it changed.) Oh well, unless the gameplay is stellar, I see this game failing

Hyams @ May 5th 2008 7:11PM

Well, the origional games are nothing like the recent trilogy. Indeed, the next PoP game appears to have more in common with the recent trilogy then the trilogy had with the origional games.

Mr.ESC @ May 5th 2008 5:25PM

Sounds more like The (Fresh) Prince of the creed.AC story sucked and it was too repetitive.

I hope the best for this game and I want my Prince of Persia figurine in my limited edition Kthnxbi.

Pax Pacis @ May 5th 2008 8:36PM

If it get also the screen tearing from AC then I will not be buying this one...

Illione @ May 5th 2008 9:08PM

So it doesn't have a prince anymore? Does that make this The Pauper of Persia?

Mike @ May 5th 2008 10:52PM

EPIC FAIL even before its released thoese graf x are like freakin psp.

Arkrex @ May 5th 2008 11:50PM

Those aren't the graphics dude... Google is your friend.

Mike @ May 5th 2008 11:35PM

"Every fight in the game will be a duel -- you won't be slicing around bad guys like an overpowered acrobat anymore unless it's one-on-one. You don't even win a lot of these duels, apparently -- you just make the enemy retreat for a time and then fight them off again until you manage to defeat them."

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THAT!! that is the WORST IDEA EVER!!! That is what POP was all about!! ever since the first one this game became crap. The whole open world thing would be good if they know how to do it but from what im hearing so far about this game, seems like there just trying to push and push money they took the engine from The Creed and dumb down the grafix and make it open world(ish) with....DUELS u got to be kidding me... this is ganna be ten times more repetitive then assassins creed. GET YOUR SH## TOGETHER UBI Start making GOOD GAMES all i see is HAZE, Rainbow 6v2 wasent even that good it was RB6V with Sprinting (COD4 copiers) and new guns ohh boy!!(joke) what do u think the new brothers in arms is ganna do it for your company?? PLZ WERE TIRED OF ww2 games.. then what else they got in the near future tom Clancy's H.A.W.K.s and END WAR, end war will be good for you strat players but hawks.. thats what we need another Plane game wooptie doo!!

denysb @ May 6th 2008 1:39AM

I agree with Mike, NO MORE WW2 games PLZ!!!

new PoP, on the other hand, I LIKE!!! I dont care about them slapping THE SAME NAME on a completely different game AS LONG AS the game has a great story and gameplay mechanics (still cant get over resident evil 4)

if the dueling enemies will have a decent "IQ" lol and different fighting styles for every duel, that would be ammazing.

UBISOFT, make the enemies capable of interacting with the environment (like picking up objects around the room...weapons, rocks, pots lol w/e) AND allow them to have the option to take PRINCE's sword if he (for example) does something stupid. Bottom line, there is plenty of potential in the new PoP - just ask the players for suggestions!

Brodie-san @ May 6th 2008 3:31AM

Don't forget that the gaming industry is just that - an industry. There's a PoP film on its way and it makes logical sense to slap PRINCE and PERSIA on every game that they physically can. I'm not going to criticise the studio for wanting to link their new game with a successful IP.

That said, I am hoping that they at least make the game pertinent to the IP. Like, maybe he's not a Prince in the royal sense but in some other way (that completely escapes me at the moment but I'm not going to under-estimate the abilities of game writers to somehow make the title applicable to the story.)

I'll miss the acrobatics though. Then again, I still have Warrior Within to play.
:)

manaman @ May 8th 2008 2:30AM

Personally, it seems that the dueling aspect is more in line with the original "Prince of Persia." Remember, that is basically what you did--a duel. It was never really exciting. Look at how the dudes stood! The point was exploring and finding a way out of a maze. An open world lends itself to exploration, does it not? So, I'm suspecting this will be a pretty good return to its roots if done correctly. Don't get me wrong, the recent additions to the franchise are cool--but a return to those simpler times might be really nice.

Ali @ Jun 16th 2008 8:42PM

I think their planning to kill the legend PoP by this new wanna-be game. cel-shading??!! 1-vs-1 dual??! come on!!! no offence but ... PoP IS about acrobats, slicing bad guys, anger and darkness, exotic arabic nights. you gona lose a huge number of fans because thats the PoP that we get used to. Im not saying that the new game wont be a great game or anything ... but as a previous dude said: if you want to change all these things, you gonna KILL the LEGEND OF POP. GIVE IT ANOTHER NAME. OR make a new REAL PoP ... and work hard on it, even if it takes you more time ... I mean this is PRINCE OF PERSIA we're talking about here