The last "Prince of Persia" game was pretty divisive. It was undeniably easy and accessible, even to non-gamers, which created something of a rift within the community. Fans of the "Sands of Time" trilogy were disappointed to learn that they could complete the latest adventure with just the occasional button press.
Apparently Ubisoft listened to the complaints, as the next game, "Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands," is supposed to be a return to form, following the gameplay and difficulty level of the original trilogy. I spoke with Michael McIntyre, the director of level design for the game, and asked specifically how it compares with the previous entry.
"The gameplay is very much a return to the feeling of the original 'Sands of Time' trilogy. We have a lot of the interior spaces. We have the slower, more 'realistic' acrobatics, and the powers are something that the player had a lot more control of than they did in the last 'Prince of Persia.' The rewind is back, but the rest of the powers aren't focused on time, they're focused on the elements of nature."
McIntyre specifically addressed the concerns that people had with the lack of interactivity with the last release, as well:
"I think that hands-off feeling is something we do not have in this game. This game is very much in the spirit of the original 'Sands of Time' where it's a little more hardcore. Everything is in the responsibility of the player. The rewind is something they have to call upon. The wall run is something where they have to be holding down the button the entire time. The player has to do everything."
Although "Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands" is timed to release alongside next year's "Prince of Persia" movie, here's hoping that it'll be up to the high standards of the first and third games in the trilogy. That second game...yeah...lets just not talk about that one.