Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a popular action genre game released by Ubisoft in November 2003. The legendary Jordan Mechner, the creator of the very first game in the series, participated in the game's development. However, the events of the new "Prince" are not a continuation of the original game's plot and unfold in a completely different direction.
The young Prince (loyal to tradition, the game does not name him) accompanies his father, King Shahraman, on a military campaign against the Indian Maharaja. They are to be assisted by a treacherous vizier, who, in exchange for a share of the treasure, is ready to open the city gates and let in the invaders. During the siege that begins, the restless Prince decides to be the first to visit the Maharaja's treasury and seize his first battle trophy.
Said and done, and soon the Persian heir storms the treasure hall and finds the Dagger of Time. The dagger immediately becomes his booty, much to the vizier's displeasure, who had his eyes on it. Around the same time, the warriors discover the huge Hourglass, which Shahraman decides to gift to his friend, Sultan Azad. At first, the Persian army rejoices in the Sultan's palace over their victory. However, the vizier cunningly tricks the Prince into inserting the Dagger into the Hourglass, and everything changes in an instant. The Sands of Time burst forth and turn everyone into zombies, except for the vizier, the Prince, and Farah, the captured daughter of the Maharaja. Miraculously escaping during the subsequent earthquake, the young heroes embark on a long journey that must lead them back to the Hourglass to turn back time...
After the utterly confusing Prince of Persia 3D, the new Prince was a breath of fresh air, making even those who had given up on the series look at this gaming universe anew. The game immediately captures and never lets the player go. There's plenty to lose one's head over.
To begin with, the gameplay contributed to this. Running along walls, pushing off, jumping onto beams, swinging, performing dizzying flips, landing on ledges, pulling up, rolling under traps - and entering the thick of battle with sand monsters. The movement in the game alternates with puzzles and riddles, where you need to turn levers or move mirrors to get to the right platform or acquire a powerful sword. The balance between jumps, battles, and puzzles is virtually perfect, and the game never becomes dull. There is no monotony; the plot develops gradually, and although we're presented with increasingly challenging tasks each time (not to mention the Prince's single escape from prison!), they are not impossible to accomplish. There are very few complicated places in the game, and it's virtually impossible to get lost: before each episode, the Prince has a "vision" that partially shows his future movements. But even this is not the main thing in gameplay. A bright distinctive feature of the game is the manipulation of time, which can be performed with the Dagger. If, by chance, you stumble upon an abyss, or enemies overwhelm you, or traps slice you into ten little Princes, you can always rewind time and pass the episode anew. As long as there is sand in the sandbox. You can replenish your reserves by defeating sand monsters with the Dagger and collecting special clouds that not only restore your reserves but also increase the Dagger's capacity. In tough battles, surviving without the Dagger's might is somewhat problematic, but by slowing down time, you can effortlessly deal with an entire army of monsters.
The game does not let you get bored. Its plot is presented like a fairy tale, told by the Prince himself. He constantly adds humorous comments, makes jests, and engages in banter with his companion Farah. Her assistance is hard to overestimate: she can squeeze into various crevices and open doors inaccessible to the Prince, and in combat, she intermittently provides cover for him from her bow (sometimes hitting our hero in the process). The game's action unfolds against the backdrop of stunning interiors. The game is colorful and realistic: for example, when you run through curtains, they flutter, and wooden crates and furniture can be shattered into splinters. All this gives the game charm and only helps to create an atmosphere reminiscent of 1001 nights. The music enhances this impression, constantly reminding the player that they are in the East.
The game immediately won the affection of gamers and, breathing life into a seemingly forgotten series, spawned several sequels, the latest of which is Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, dated 2010. Also in 2010, a film of the same name was released, but its plot differs significantly from that of the game.