PRINCE OF PERSIA

An attempt to find a path for the Prince

- Robin Valentine

By the late 2000s, the Prince of Persia series was already on its way out. 2008’s entry, simply titled Prince of Persia, wasn’t quite the last gasp, but it was the last attempt at forging a real future for the series – a reboot that took big swings in an attempt to update the formula.

Though well received critically at launch, it doesn’t hold much of a place in the heart of your average Prince of Persia fan – but I’ve always had a soft spot for it. That fondness has only grown as modern videogaming has gradually dumbed down traversal. Sure, Assassin’s Creed still lets you climb any building you like, but all you’re doing is pointing in a direction and holding down a button. The Prince of Persia series was all about embracing the fun of leaping, swinging, clambering, and wall-running for its own sake, and in my memory the 2008 game was the exemplar of that – the moment Prince of Persia focused most strongly on that core identity.

But, memories can be flawed. With the Sands of Time remake in theory on the horizon, it seems the perfect time to give Prince of Persia 2008 a reinstall, and find out how rose-tinted my recollections are.

FLIRT LOCKER

The game still makes a strong first impression. To say it holds up visually is an understatement – thanks to a rich, cel-shaded art-style and lavish environmental design, it remains absolutely gorgeous. You know when you see some amazing concept art from a game and think, “I wish the final thing looked like that,”? Prince of Persia 2008 is the game that does.