Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Review (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Mobile & PC)

Before the golden wisps of sand submerged in an hourglass of blood and bone marrow, Prince of Persia was once hailed as a “lighthearted” platforming series with “light” combat elements. It wasn’t an adversary for God of War; it was a timepiece that had its own unique essence—an aura, if you will, that radiated a mysterious charm and a floaty orchestral ambiance that could gradually immerse you into the underbelly of a sacred world and keep you there. It wasn’t about bloodlust and rebellion; it was about grace and redemption. The Sands of Time, really, didn’t just reboot the original series with the intention of grappling it by the collar, but to keep to its roots and deliver a timeless voyage that could accommodate the very grains of its hourglass.

There’s a reason as to why The Sands of Time garnered a tremendous amount of attention from fans of Jordan Mechner’s original three-piece saga. It wasn’t the fact that it kept to the signature roots of the Apple II anthology; it was that it took a lot of the iconic elements and, with the aid of a new generation of hardware, pivoted into a modern world that could adopt and retain its primary themes whilst also evolving its premise and gameplay mechanics. It was still, to some extent, Prince of Persia, but with a fresh lick of paint and a ton of fresh installations. The Sands of Time lit the torch for evolution, and before long, it gave birth to a series that would go on to become a staple among action-adventure enthusiasts.

Ubisoft might have taken an unusual turn after The Sands of Time, what with its unorthodox adoption of a metal-induced hack-and-slash schematic and a much darker undertone, but that isn’t to say that the unnamed Prince lost sight of what made the original tale so special. Yet, The Sands of Time and Warrior Within are of two entirely different breeds; one is a mystical heirloom for the mantelpiece, and the other is a nitty-gritty bloodbath for the ravenous soul. With that conflicting wisdom, there is something of a divide between the two bowls of the hourglass that needs to be acknowledged here. However you choose to spin it, though, there is no denying the fact that, without The Sands of Time or Ubisoft’s natural ability to modernize the formula, Prince of Persia would have been buried with the Dreamcast in 2001.

Although free-flowing platforming and parkour-like movement wasn’t uncommon during the heyday of side-scrolling—Robin Hood immediately jolts to mind here—The Sands of Time was one to pioneer the idea that such a fluid system could be implemented in a full-fledged 3D environment. It didn’t spearhead the art of parkour, though it did open the floodgates to countless possibilities with its advanced techniques and buttery smooth transitions, which ultimately led to the development of Assassin’s Creed, yet another of  Ubisoft’s iconic franchises. To that end, you can credit Prince of Persia for influencing Assassin’s Creed and it’s primary mechanics. There is, of course, a debate over which of the two franchises captures the true spirit of parkour, but that’s a matter that deserves its own conversation, to be honest.

Speaking of parkour and platforming, The Sands of Time was a true testament to Ubisoft’s vision for the future of gaming. It didn’t just settle for leapfrog, one-track routes; it wanted to push the boundaries and take full advantage of every square inch of the world, if not to squeeze more open-ended exploration into the journey, then to make its players think outside of the box in order to complete multi-terrain puzzles and environmental challenges. It didn’t illuminate the way forward; it encouraged you to traipse the forgotten path and explore vast opportunities that others would often deem impossible to overcome. And that’s one of the things that made The Sands of Time the delight that it was: the openness of its world and the fact that you could manipulate its boundaries to create your own adventures with the time-altering power of the titular Sands.

The Sands of Time might have been incredibly pulpy and crammed to the brim with B-movie nonsense, but that didn’t make the process of unraveling it any less intriguing and whimsical. Its plot was, eh, about as predictable as one would imagine it to be, with its old-fashioned good-versus-evil blueprint and linear sense of progression. Beneath all of that, though, The Sands of Time had a tremendous amount to offer in its short five-hour campaign, with a smoky atmosphere, time-appropriate aesthetic, and a soundtrack that felt all rather familiar and more-ish. With a smooth combat system and a hearty collection of creative puzzles and platforming segments, The Sands of Time found the perfect stage to flaunt its evolutionary facets. It might have taken a sharp turn in the opposite direction with Warrior Within, but weirdly, that wound up being the kindling it needed to pivot the franchise forward.

Verdict

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time upholds its reputation as one of Ubisoft’s most beloved action-adventure platforming reboots of all time, with its pioneering parkour system and deeply rooted free-flowing mechanics bearing the brunt of a timeless formula that has, at least since its launch, influenced countless franchises and inspired thousands of avid developers to follow suit. Granted, it still isn’t the best story-driven game on the planet, and it doesn’t do a lot to curb your enthusiasm for the characters or their backstories. That being said, where The Sands of Time falls short of a great story, it most definitely makes up for with its whimsical setting, signature ambiance and buttery smooth gameplay feel.

Sadly, the chances of The Sands of Time receiving a remake are extremely low, more so given that Ubisoft has, at least at the time of writing, pulled the plug on the idea altogether. Still, if you happen to have an old console knocking about, and if you truly want to slip back in time to rekindle a piece of history, then you should take the opportunity to witness the incubation of one of Ubisoft’s most cherished heirlooms the next time you’re feeling, well, nostalgic.