Months ago, reputable industry insiders and leakers leaked the existence of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. The latest leak revealed some of the first Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake screenshots, and now Ubisoft has made it official. As part of a blockbuster announcement during the company's Ubisoft Forward digital event, Ubisoft has officially announced Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake seems as though it will be faithful to the 2003 original. It features the characters, gameplay, and story of the original, but with a significant visual upgrade. The developers have used new motion capture technology to give a facelift to the cut-scenes and animations, but generally it seems as though fans can expect an experience that's about the same as the original release.
This is apparent with the voice acting talent as well. It was confirmed during the Ubisoft Forward event that Yuri Lowenthal, the voice actor for The Prince in the original Sands of Time, will be reprising the role in The Sands of Time Remake. Lowenthal has also been involved in the motion capture process, so longtime Prince of Persia fans can look forward to an updated performance from him in The Sands of Time Remake.
If Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake does well, one has to imagine Ubisoft will look into remaking the other games in the trilogy. In fact, previous rumors indicated that a Prince of Persia remake trilogy was in the works, as opposed to just The Sands of Time. However, fans will have to wait and see the reaction to the remake when it launches in January. Ubisoft developers did describe the game as the company's "first" remake, so there is hope to see more.
The original Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time launched in 2003 to widespread critical acclaim thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time would go on to win numerous industry awards, and has since been hailed as one of the best video games ever made. It successfully rebooted the long-dormant Prince of Persia platforming franchise, and some of its ideas and gameplay mechanics directly inspired future blockbuster franchises, like Ubisoft's own Assassin's Creed games. Whether or not the remake can live up to the legacy of the original remains to be seen, but fans will find out early next year.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake launches January 21, 2021 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
