Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake - What We Know So Far

Gamers have known for some time that a Prince of Persia remake was in the works. Exactly which game, though, was leaked by the Russian version of the Uplay store, as pointed out by a ResetEra user and IGN. Ubisoft made the news official during its Sept. 10 Ubisoft Forward presentation, which offered the first look at Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake.

The original Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time released in 2003 as a third-person action-adventure platformer with puzzle elements. The game itself was a reboot of the Prince of Persia video game series, which dates back to 1989. The remake is already getting mixed reactions from gamers and the media. Based on the previous leaks, some fans of the original title think the aesthetic has changed too much and that the updated visuals aren't very promising. Of course, Ubisoft could turn that perception around with future reveals. 

Here's what we know about Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake so far.

Ubisoft noted in its Forward presentation that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake would release on Jan. 21, 2021. It's being developed by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai for release on all current generation consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. It will also launch for PC via Ubisoft's usual channels, the Epic Games Store and Uplay.

A preorder page has already emerged on the Epic Games Store, though it only encompasses the Standard Edition of the remake at the moment. Presumably, other more exciting versions will be available for fans at a later time. If you order ahead, though, you'll get a Back to the Origins set that includes an Original Weapons Set, a Classic Filter, and the Original Prince Outfit. Sounds like Ubisoft may be leaning heavily on nostalgia to sell this one.

Ubisoft released a trailer for the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake and supplemented it with additional information during the Ubisoft Forward September 2020 presentation. Annu Koul, the game's senior producer, said Ubisoft intended to leverage nostalgia for the original while showcasing India. The remake will feature universal enhancements for the camera, combat, visuals, and a targeting system that increases the prince's velocity.

Unfortunately, comments on the Official Trailer indicate many people haven't changed their minds about the visuals. Disappointment abounds and there's even a reference to the remake being a "cash grab" by Ubisoft, especially when fans were hoping for a new Prince of Persia installment. However, the footage shown so far apparently stems from a pre-alpha version of the title, so there's still a little time for Ubisoft to add some polish.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will tell the same iconic story as the original release, which received a movie adaptation in 2010. Basically, the Prince must save the kingdom from an unscrupulous Vizier, fighting a variety of enemies and wielding the Dagger of Time to freeze and rewind moments as he attempts to return the Sands of Time to the hourglass. In addition to the dagger, he does quite a bit of wall-running and plenty of parkour. He is aided by the arrow-wielding princess Farah, the Maharajah's daughter.

Ubisoft's September presentation pointed out that the remake is intended to be respectful to the characters, design, plot, sense, and other important elements that have made the game so well-liked over the years. The remake's home page also touts new cinematic sequences, enhanced voices and sounds, new enemy models, and acrobatic animations with modernized controls. You'll even get an opportunity to unlock the original Prince of Persia game.