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.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av PC Gamer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A New Dawn - The rise, fall and rise again of PC Gaming in Japan
The so-called 'Paso Kon' market (ie katakana's transliteration of 'Pasonaru Computa') in Japan was originally spearheaded in the 1980s by NEC's PC-8800 and, later, its PC-9800.
MARVEL: ULTIMATE ALLIANCE
Enter the multiverse of modness.
SLIDES RULE
Redeeming a hated puzzle mechanic with SLIDER
GODS AND MONSTERS
AGE OF MYTHOLOGY: RETOLD modernises a classic RTS with care
PHANTOM BLADE ZERO
Less Sekiro, more Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
STARR-MAKING ROLE
Final Fantasy XVI's BEN STARR talks becoming a meme and dating summons
THIEF GOLD
Learning to forgive myself for knocking out every single guard.
HANDHELD GAMING PCs
In lieu of more powerful processors, handhelds are getting weirder
FAR FAR AWAY
STAR WARS OUTLAWS succeeds at the little things, but not much else shines
FINDING IMMORTALITY
Twenty-five years on, PLANESCAPE: TORMENT is still one of the most talked-about RPGs of all time. This is the story of how it was created as a ‘stay-busy’ project by a small team at Black Isle Studios
