Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was created at Ubisoft Montreal as a companion piece to the film adaptation of the series of the time, and also as a return to the gameplay mechanics and atmosphere of the beloved Sands of Time trilogy, from which the previous free reboot of the series in 2008 had significantly diverged with its different art style and take on the main character.

Gameplay-wise, the game once again builds on acrobatic movement through the environment – running along walls, jumping between pillars, swinging on poles and chains – complemented by action combat against hordes of enemies and puzzle sections that use time and elemental powers, such as slowing down time or temporarily freezing bodies of water into icy platforms that can then be crossed. The story is set between the events of the first and second installments of the classic trilogy and follows a prince who, using forbidden magic, tries to save his kingdom from an army of sand creatures, thereby unleashing a catastrophe similar to the one from the original Sands of Time, which he must then reverse by his own efforts. Visually, the game offers grand oriental palaces and desert landscapes, powered by an engine that allowed for larger and more open levels than earlier games in the series, and the soundtrack embraces the oriental atmosphere of the whole trilogy.

Critics welcomed the return to tried-and-tested mechanics and the fluid, acrobatic gameplay, while also pointing out that the game doesn't bring much that is new compared to the older trilogy and comes across as a safe, competently crafted variation on an already familiar theme. The Forgotten Sands is still seen today as a solid, if not groundbreaking, return to the series' roots, one that worked more as a satisfying tribute to Sands of Time than as its true continuation or a step forward for the genre. For players who had grown fond of the acrobatic take of the Sands of Time trilogy specifically, it offered a welcome confirmation that this style of gameplay hadn't yet said its last word, even though no further installment in this exact form followed afterward.