There are few game series still going today that have a history that goes back as far as the Prince of Persia series (outside of Nintendo, that is). Starting in 1989, the series has had many ups and downs in terms of popularity as the games have taken on new forms and styles. It has even gone dormant for multiple years at a time. Here’ we’ll turn back the sands of time to review the series as a whole and determine which Prince of Persia games are the best and which are better left in the past.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
T
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Platform, Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Montpellier
Publisher
Ubisoft Entertainment
Release
January 18, 2024
The latest entry in the franchise reinvents the series while harking back to its roots. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown takes the series back to a 2D perspective, but modernizes it by making it a fully Metroidvania-style game. All of Sargon’s time powers, attacks, and upgrades make us wonder what took so long for the franchise to go in this direction when the formula works so perfectly. This series has always focused on action, platforming, and unique powers, which all lend themselves perfectly to the idea of navigating environments and gaining upgrades to allow you to access new locations. The combat is challenging, but fair, and the game even has a compelling story to encourage you to see everything on offer.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
T
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube
Genre
Platform, Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher
Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment
Release
November 06, 2003
There’s a reason Ubisoft chose Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to be remade, although at this point, who knows if it will ever come to pass. Regardless, the legacy of this title isn’t unearned. This wasn’t the first game to jump to 3D (we’ll get there, don’t you worry), but was undoubtedly the one to nail it. The controls were buttery smooth as you jumped, swung, and otherwise navigated the various puzzle rooms. Combat also smartly incorporated your acrobatic skills, with mobility being essential to take down the sand monsters. That’s all without mentioning how insane the rewind powers felt at the time, as they allowed you to reverse any mistake in platforming or combat, while opening the door for some incredible puzzles.
Prince of Persia
T
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac
Genre
Platform, Puzzle, Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Montreal
Release
December 02, 2008
When you look past the controversy surrounding the ending (or lack thereof) of the 2008 reboot just called Prince of Persia, there’s a solid and unique game hidden underneath. This title stripped everything down to two main pillars: one-on-one combat and platforming challenges. This gave the game a more focused feel, but also allowed for a more grounded relationship between the two main characters to build up over the adventure. As well as the new, more stylized graphics hold up, the same can’t be said for the difficulty. This game won’t push you like the others, which does suck a little bit of the tension from its story.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
M
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, iOS
Genre
Fighting, Platform, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Montreal
Release
November 30, 2004
If you ever wanted a game that perfectly represented the edgy culture of the mid-2000s, look no further than Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Even for the time, that overly grim-dark tone and story rubbed many people the wrong way, and it has by no means aged well. If you can look past that, however, this is arguably the peak of 3D combat for the series. Building off the base of Sands of Time, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within expands the Prince’s moveset and abilities to give you the freedom to express yourself in battles like never before. There’s a little less focus on platforming and puzzles, but it’s still a game worth playing just for the feel and thrill of combat.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
M
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Mac, Nintendo GameCube
Genre
Platform, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Montreal
Release
December 01, 2005
Perhaps as a response to the reception Warrior Within received, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones dialed back the edgy tone for the final entry in the trilogy. Unfortunately, most of the other choices made weren’t as positive. The story went back to Sands of Time in a new reality after all the time-based shenanigans of the past two games, which makes it a bit less interesting on a narrative level. While the action and combat didn’t exactly take a step back, the minor improvements weren’t enough to make it feel worth revisiting for a third time. It’s the definition of more of the same, which isn’t bad, but just a little tired.
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame
E
Platforms
PC DOS, Mac, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, FM Towns
Genre
Platform, Adventure
Developer
Brøderbund Software, Titus Software, Interprog
Publisher
Brøderbund Software, Titus Software
Release
December 31, 1993
It is almost a universal truth that sequels are better than the originals, and that is certainly the case with Prince of Persia 2. It’s fundamentally the same, so it isn’t leaps and bounds better than the first, but it adds a lot of needed variety and depth to the systems introduced in the first game. It does still have the same restrictions of putting you on a strict timer, and is arguably even more demanding, but the new environments and combat options make it more fun to fail and try again.
Prince of Persia
E
Platforms
PC DOS, Mac, Amiga, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Amstrad CPC, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Game Gear, Atari ST/STE, Sega Master System, Apple II, Sega CD, TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine, FM Towns, Sharp X68000, PC-9800 Series
Genre
Platform, Puzzle, Adventure
Developer
Brøderbund Software
Publisher
Tengen, Riverhillsoft, Domark, Brøderbund Software, Konami, Masaya
Release
October 03, 1989
We’re substituting the OG game with Prince of Persia Classic, the remake of that 1989 classic. Unless you’re into the retro graphics, which for the time were outstanding, there’s no reason not to simply play the updated version. Unfortunately, even a new coat of paint can’t make a game from decades ago hold up as much as we would hope. You are placed into a dungeon with a 60-minute time limit to navigate the traps and enemies, then find and defeat the Grand Vizier Jaffar and save the princess. It’s basic, and still a bit clunky even with some modern conveniences, but still cool to see from a historical perspective.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
T
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre
Platform, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Montreal
Release
May 18, 2010
What an apt title this game has. The final semi-reboot attempt before The Lost Crown, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands just flopped in every way possible. It tried to call back to the Sands of Time games by placing itself between the first two titles, while also tying in with the film adaptation, resulting in a complete mess of a game. It also didn’t help that this game came out just one year after the 2008 reboot and felt like a complete 180 from the new formula and art style that title pushed.
Prince of Persia 3D
T
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Dreamcast
Genre
Adventure
Developer
Red Orb Entertainment
Publisher
The Learning Company
Release
September 17, 1999
We have to be somewhat kind here since very few franchises made the transition to 3D without stumbling a bit. However, Prince of Persia 3D did way more than stumble. Technically, this is the third game in the OG run, back when the 3 in 3D pulled double-duty on so many games. And it was a noble attempt to translate the series’ concepts into the third dimension. Unfortunately, controls, camera, and combat were all barely functional, making the game a complete chore to get through.
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