Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Encyclopedia
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person
action-adventure
computer and video game published by Ubisoft
. It was released on November 21, 2003 and is a reboot of the landmark video game series Prince of Persia
, created by Jordan Mechner
in 1989.
The Sands of Time, developed internally at Ubisoft Montreal
, successfully captures the mechanics of the original platformer and extends it to the 3D generation. An earlier attempt by The Learning Company
to transfer the game to 3D (Prince of Persia 3D
) was released in 1999, but despite its initial good reception failed to sell enough and the company responsible behind that original trilogy was already closing doors. The Sands of Time was praised for its visual design, finely tuned game mechanics, and intriguing storyline, winning the game several awards. It was also able to find its place in many 100 best of games lists.
The game was developed for the PC
, PlayStation 2
, Nintendo GameCube
, Xbox
, and later a 2D-version for the Game Boy Advance
and mobile phones. The success of The Sands of Time led to two sequels, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
, in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and an interquel, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
in 2010. A remastered, High-Definition, version of The Sands of Time was released on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3
on November 16, 2010.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a 3D platformer which focuses on acrobatics and agility. Throughout much of the game, the player must attempt to traverse the palace by running across walls, ascending or descending chasms by jumping back and forth between walls, avoiding traps, climbing structures and jumping from platform to platform, making other types of well-timed leaps, solving puzzles, and using discovered objects to progress.
Combat has a heavy focus on using acrobatics to defeat foes. One example is the ability of the Prince to rebound off walls in order to strike enemies decisively. The player can also vault over the enemies' backs and then finish them off. The player generally attacks enemies and blocks using a sword, although only the Dagger of Time can defeat humanoid enemies.
The Dagger of Time contains "charges" of the Sands of Time from the hourglass that allow the Prince to control time. The Prince has the ability to "rewind" time and travel up to ten seconds into the past. While using this ability, all sounds and previous action play backwards. For example, if the Prince was struck by an enemy attack during the rewound period, the health he lost will be given back to him, or a bridge that was destroyed a few seconds ago will repair itself. He can also save himself from death by falling, by rewinding time. The Dagger also allows the Prince to slow down time, and freeze his enemies, using it as a main-gauche to attack them directly.
The Dagger only comes with a limited number of uses which are replenished by absorbing enemies and Sand Clouds with the Dagger. This encourages the player to confront and vanquish enemies (as opposed to avoiding them) in order to replenish the power to manipulate time during the more tricky acrobatic sections of the game. However, if the player does not absorb the Sand from a fallen enemy in about five seconds, said enemy will come back to life. Extra Sand Tanks (used for rewinding time) can be gained by collecting eight Sand Clouds, and extra Power Tanks (used for all other abilities) are gained by vanquishing sixteen enemies after having collected a new Sand Tank.
Early in the game, the player will receive help from a non-playable character named Farah. She will assist in solving puzzles too complex for one person. During fights with sand creatures, she will also shoot arrows in an attempt to assist the player. If she dies, the game ends.
en route to Azad
and conquer a city with the aid of the local Maharajah's traitorous Vizier. During the battle the Prince seeks to win honour and glory in his first battle and heads straight to the Maharajah's treasure vaults, where he discovers the mythical Sands of Time safely contained within their Hourglass and the Dagger of Time, which he quickly learns can turn back time a short amount. When the Prince presents the dagger to his father, the traitorous Vizier demands it as payment, but is refused by King Sharaman. The Persians then continue on their journey to Azad with the wealth taken from the Maharajah as well as the Maharajah's beautiful daughter, Princess Farah, as a prisoner.
In Azad, the Vizier, now in the service of King Sharaman, tricks the Prince into using the Dagger to release the Sands of Time from the Hourglass. A horrific sandstorm engulfs the kingdom and the Sands of Time turn all the occupants of the palace into monsters. Only the Prince, Farah, and the Vizier remain unchanged due to their possessions; a dagger, a medallion, and a staff, respectively. Amid the catastrophe, the Vizier demands the dagger from the Prince, who refuses and manages to escape.
The Prince soon teams up with Farah in an attempt to return the Sands of Time to the Hourglass, which the Vizier moves to the top of the Tower of Dawn. As they progress through the palace the pair are constantly endangered by Sand Monsters and the deadly network of traps set in motion in the hopes of killing the monster and the Prince becomes steadily more worn until his princely robes are mere shreds and his body covered in bloody wounds.
While initially the Prince does not trust Farah because of the Persians' mistreatment of her, the two begin to grow closer as time goes on. After a terrific battle in the ascent of the Tower of Dawn, they reach the Hourglass and are about to complete their mission when the Prince hesitates, suddenly suspicious of what Farah's motives really are. Before Farah can convince the Prince otherwise, the Vizier confronts the pair and uses his magical powers to trap Farah and the Prince in a tomb.
As they wait to die in the tomb Farah tells the Prince, who similarly reveals his claustrophobia, a story she had never told anyone before, about a time when she was little, when her mother told her about a secret magic word which would help her escape anything that scared her: "Kakolookiyam".
As soon as Farah says the word, as if by magic, the pair find an escape tunnel which leads them to the palace baths. As they bathe, the Prince and Farah finally make love and find comfort in each other amid their perilous situation. When the Prince awakens afterward, he discovers that Farah and the Dagger of Time are gone, leaving him with only Farah's medallion to protect him from the Sands of Time.
The Prince pursues and catches up to Farah once more atop the Tower of Dawn, which he must climb from the outside. When the Prince finally reaches the top he finds Farah being overwhelmed by the sand monsters and, despite his efforts to save her, she falls to her death in the Hourglass room below. Enraged by his lover's death, the Prince uses the Dagger to massacre the last of the sand monsters in the tower and descends to weep over Farah's body. As the Prince mourns, the Vizier emerges from the shadows and offers the Prince a partnership in his evil plan. The Prince angrily refuses and before the Vizier can stop him he drives the Dagger of Time into the Hourglass and reverses time to the night before the invasion of the Maharajah's kingdom. The Prince awakens, still with the Dagger of Time, and secretly finds his way to Farah's bedroom, where he tells her the whole story, which she does not remember as it had not happened yet. However, the Vizier discovers the Prince, and fearing his planned treachery already revealed, attempts to kill both Farah and the Prince. In the ensuing battle the Prince kills the Vizier. He then returns the Dagger of Time to Farah, who asks why the Prince invented such an unbelievable story to prove the Vizier's treachery. The Prince falsely admits it to be just a story but when asked about his name by Farah he replies, "Just call me, Kakolookiyam," before departing, leaving Farah amazed.
behind Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell in attempts to "breathe new life" into the action/adventure
genre. Initially shipped on November 6, 2003 in North America, the game was later released on November 21, 2003 and September 2, 2004 for Europe and Japan, respectively.
Development of the game was filmed for series 3 of the program How it's made
in a section titled Video Games and shown on the Discovery Channel
.
The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Original Soundtrack was released November 3, 2003 by Ubisoft
. Stuart Chatwood
, of the now defunct Canadian rock band The Tea Party
, was selected as composer for the game in early 2002. He began drafting and writing material in late 2002, and began the recording process in January 2003. Included also in the writing process was Iranian
composer and violionist Ali Tajvidi
and Bijan Mortazavi
, and Oud
band Le Trio Joubran
. The vocals of Maryem Tollar
are featured throughout the game.
gave the game a 9.6/10 rating and voted it as the PlayStation 2 Game of the Year 2003 thus praising the game for its "intuitive control, stunning atmosphere and satisfyingly clever environmental puzzles," and later concluding it was one of "[their] favorite adventure offerings of all time." GameSpot
gave The Sands of Time a score of 9.0/10 "recommend[ing it] wholeheartedly." Zero Punctuation
repeatedly mentions the game as a personal favorite, praising the time-control mechanism, platforming, beautiful environments and "really strong characterization" of both the Prince and Farah and only marking it down for repetitive combat mechanisms. GSN Video Games
, a short-lived video game show on Game Show Network
, even gave the game a Perfect 10.
In general, the game was most often praised for its graphics, the acrobatic combat and platforming, the forgiving and responsive controls, the animation of the Prince, the story, and the time-manipulation abilities of the Dagger. Graphics were received mostly as a positive aspect of the game, with GameSpot saying it had "beautiful look to it". The Cincinnati Enquirer
and Nintendo Power
agreed, describing the game as "graceful", "gorgeous", and had "unprecedented animation".
The game's average score on review aggregators Metacritic
and GameRankings is a 92%, making it one of the best reviewed games for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.
Both GamesRadar
and IGN
placed it in its lists of 100 best games of all time, while ComputerAndVideoGames.com
placed it in its list of the 101 best PC
games ever. Edge magazine also named it as one of the greatest games of all time.
and stars Jake Gyllenhaal
, Gemma Arterton
, Ben Kingsley
, and Alfred Molina
. Filming took place in the United Kingdom and Morocco
. Prince of Persia was originally scheduled to be released on July 19, 2009, but this was postponed during the first month of shooting to May 28, 2010.
The film was made for Disney by Jerry Bruckheimer's Studios, using the same team behind the Pirates of the Caribbean
for the shooting schedule. Despite receiving generally mixed reviews from critics, it was a box office success and became the highest rated live-action movie based on a video game.
Virtual camera system
A virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in videogames where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; more generally, they are used in 3D virtual worlds when a third person view...
action-adventure
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
computer and video game published by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. It was released on November 21, 2003 and is a reboot of the landmark video game series Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia is a platform game, originally developed by Jordan Mechner and released in 1989 for the Apple II, that represented a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games....
, created by Jordan Mechner
Jordan Mechner
Jordan Mechner is an American video game designer, screenwriter, author, and filmmaker, best known for creating the Prince of Persia video game franchise.- Life and career :Mechner was born in New York City...
in 1989.
The Sands of Time, developed internally at Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Montreal is a Canadian video game developer owned by French publisher Ubisoft.Ubisoft's North American studio is located in Montreal, Quebec...
, successfully captures the mechanics of the original platformer and extends it to the 3D generation. An earlier attempt by The Learning Company
The Learning Company
The Learning Company is an American educational software company, founded in 1980. It produced a grade-based system similar to Knowledge Adventure's JumpStart series. The products for preschoolers through second graders feature Reader Rabbit, and software for more advanced students features The...
to transfer the game to 3D (Prince of Persia 3D
Prince of Persia 3D
Prince of Persia 3D, developed by Red Orb Entertainment and published by The Learning Company for Microsoft Windows, is the third game in the Prince of Persia series...
) was released in 1999, but despite its initial good reception failed to sell enough and the company responsible behind that original trilogy was already closing doors. The Sands of Time was praised for its visual design, finely tuned game mechanics, and intriguing storyline, winning the game several awards. It was also able to find its place in many 100 best of games lists.
The game was developed for the PC
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and later a 2D-version for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and mobile phones. The success of The Sands of Time led to two sequels, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is a video game and sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Warrior Within was developed and published by Ubisoft, and released on December 2, 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Microsoft Windows. It picks up where The Sands of Time left off,...
and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is an action-adventure computer and video game developed and published by Ubisoft Montreal. It was released in December, 2005 in North America for the Xbox, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, and the Nintendo GameCube...
, in 2004 and 2005, respectively, and an interquel, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a multi-platform video game produced by Ubisoft which was released on May 18, 2010, in North America and on May 20 in Europe. The games mark a return to the storyline started by Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is...
in 2010. A remastered, High-Definition, version of The Sands of Time was released on the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on November 16, 2010.
Gameplay
Combat has a heavy focus on using acrobatics to defeat foes. One example is the ability of the Prince to rebound off walls in order to strike enemies decisively. The player can also vault over the enemies' backs and then finish them off. The player generally attacks enemies and blocks using a sword, although only the Dagger of Time can defeat humanoid enemies.
The Dagger of Time contains "charges" of the Sands of Time from the hourglass that allow the Prince to control time. The Prince has the ability to "rewind" time and travel up to ten seconds into the past. While using this ability, all sounds and previous action play backwards. For example, if the Prince was struck by an enemy attack during the rewound period, the health he lost will be given back to him, or a bridge that was destroyed a few seconds ago will repair itself. He can also save himself from death by falling, by rewinding time. The Dagger also allows the Prince to slow down time, and freeze his enemies, using it as a main-gauche to attack them directly.
The Dagger only comes with a limited number of uses which are replenished by absorbing enemies and Sand Clouds with the Dagger. This encourages the player to confront and vanquish enemies (as opposed to avoiding them) in order to replenish the power to manipulate time during the more tricky acrobatic sections of the game. However, if the player does not absorb the Sand from a fallen enemy in about five seconds, said enemy will come back to life. Extra Sand Tanks (used for rewinding time) can be gained by collecting eight Sand Clouds, and extra Power Tanks (used for all other abilities) are gained by vanquishing sixteen enemies after having collected a new Sand Tank.
Early in the game, the player will receive help from a non-playable character named Farah. She will assist in solving puzzles too complex for one person. During fights with sand creatures, she will also shoot arrows in an attempt to assist the player. If she dies, the game ends.
Plot
King Sharaman of Persia and his son, known only as the Prince, pass through IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
en route to Azad
Azad
Azād means "free" in languages that belongs to the Indo-Iranian group like Urdu, Kurdish, Persian and Dari. It may refer to:-People named Azad:* Azad Shah Afghan, founder and first ruler of Azad dynasty.* Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Indian freedom-fighter...
and conquer a city with the aid of the local Maharajah's traitorous Vizier. During the battle the Prince seeks to win honour and glory in his first battle and heads straight to the Maharajah's treasure vaults, where he discovers the mythical Sands of Time safely contained within their Hourglass and the Dagger of Time, which he quickly learns can turn back time a short amount. When the Prince presents the dagger to his father, the traitorous Vizier demands it as payment, but is refused by King Sharaman. The Persians then continue on their journey to Azad with the wealth taken from the Maharajah as well as the Maharajah's beautiful daughter, Princess Farah, as a prisoner.
In Azad, the Vizier, now in the service of King Sharaman, tricks the Prince into using the Dagger to release the Sands of Time from the Hourglass. A horrific sandstorm engulfs the kingdom and the Sands of Time turn all the occupants of the palace into monsters. Only the Prince, Farah, and the Vizier remain unchanged due to their possessions; a dagger, a medallion, and a staff, respectively. Amid the catastrophe, the Vizier demands the dagger from the Prince, who refuses and manages to escape.
The Prince soon teams up with Farah in an attempt to return the Sands of Time to the Hourglass, which the Vizier moves to the top of the Tower of Dawn. As they progress through the palace the pair are constantly endangered by Sand Monsters and the deadly network of traps set in motion in the hopes of killing the monster and the Prince becomes steadily more worn until his princely robes are mere shreds and his body covered in bloody wounds.
While initially the Prince does not trust Farah because of the Persians' mistreatment of her, the two begin to grow closer as time goes on. After a terrific battle in the ascent of the Tower of Dawn, they reach the Hourglass and are about to complete their mission when the Prince hesitates, suddenly suspicious of what Farah's motives really are. Before Farah can convince the Prince otherwise, the Vizier confronts the pair and uses his magical powers to trap Farah and the Prince in a tomb.
As they wait to die in the tomb Farah tells the Prince, who similarly reveals his claustrophobia, a story she had never told anyone before, about a time when she was little, when her mother told her about a secret magic word which would help her escape anything that scared her: "Kakolookiyam".
As soon as Farah says the word, as if by magic, the pair find an escape tunnel which leads them to the palace baths. As they bathe, the Prince and Farah finally make love and find comfort in each other amid their perilous situation. When the Prince awakens afterward, he discovers that Farah and the Dagger of Time are gone, leaving him with only Farah's medallion to protect him from the Sands of Time.
The Prince pursues and catches up to Farah once more atop the Tower of Dawn, which he must climb from the outside. When the Prince finally reaches the top he finds Farah being overwhelmed by the sand monsters and, despite his efforts to save her, she falls to her death in the Hourglass room below. Enraged by his lover's death, the Prince uses the Dagger to massacre the last of the sand monsters in the tower and descends to weep over Farah's body. As the Prince mourns, the Vizier emerges from the shadows and offers the Prince a partnership in his evil plan. The Prince angrily refuses and before the Vizier can stop him he drives the Dagger of Time into the Hourglass and reverses time to the night before the invasion of the Maharajah's kingdom. The Prince awakens, still with the Dagger of Time, and secretly finds his way to Farah's bedroom, where he tells her the whole story, which she does not remember as it had not happened yet. However, the Vizier discovers the Prince, and fearing his planned treachery already revealed, attempts to kill both Farah and the Prince. In the ensuing battle the Prince kills the Vizier. He then returns the Dagger of Time to Farah, who asks why the Prince invented such an unbelievable story to prove the Vizier's treachery. The Prince falsely admits it to be just a story but when asked about his name by Farah he replies, "Just call me, Kakolookiyam," before departing, leaving Farah amazed.
Development and release
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was revealed on March 3, 2003 and was created largely by the same studioUbisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Montreal is a Canadian video game developer owned by French publisher Ubisoft.Ubisoft's North American studio is located in Montreal, Quebec...
behind Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell in attempts to "breathe new life" into the action/adventure
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
genre. Initially shipped on November 6, 2003 in North America, the game was later released on November 21, 2003 and September 2, 2004 for Europe and Japan, respectively.
Development of the game was filmed for series 3 of the program How it's made
How It's Made
How It's Made is a documentary television series that premiered in 2001 on Science in the U.S., and Discovery Channel Canada in Canada. The program is produced in the Canadian province of Quebec by Productions MAJ, Inc...
in a section titled Video Games and shown on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
.
Version differences
- GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
(and GBAGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
): Features the original Prince of Persia, and some of the "Making of" featurettes. It also features a 3D remake of the first level of the original Prince of Persia, unlockable with a push button code. If the player connects a Game Boy Advance with its own copy of The Sands of Time, the Prince's health will regenerate. This version also features slightly compressed speech to allow all spoken dialogue to fit on the disc. - XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
: The NTSC version features Prince of Persia, Prince of Persia 2Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the FlamePrince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame is a platform game released by Brøderbund in 1993.-Gameplay:Similar to the first Prince of Persia, the character explores various deadly areas by running, jumping, crawling, avoiding traps, solving puzzles and drinking magic potions. Prince of Persia 2...
, as well as all the "Making of" featurettes. The PAL version only features the original Prince of Persia. - PS2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
: Features the original Prince of Persia and the remake of the first level of the original 'Prince of Persia' accessible with a code at the start menu. - PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
: Features a remake of the first level of the original Prince of Persia which is accessible with a cheat code. - Mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
: GameloftGameloftGameloft SA is a major French computer and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris, France. The company also has subsidiaries in 31 countries around the world....
released this game and its two sequels as mobile games.
Audio
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. Stuart Chatwood
Stuart Chatwood
Stuart Chatwood, is a Canadian musician, best known as the bass guitar and keyboard player for the rock band The Tea Party. The Tea Party are known for fusing together musical styles of both the Eastern and Western worlds, in what they call "Moroccan roll"...
, of the now defunct Canadian rock band The Tea Party
The Tea Party
The Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
, was selected as composer for the game in early 2002. He began drafting and writing material in late 2002, and began the recording process in January 2003. Included also in the writing process was Iranian
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
composer and violionist Ali Tajvidi
Ali Tajvidi
Ali Tajvidi , was a Persian musician, composer, violinist, songwriter, and music professor at the School of National Music and Tehran University...
and Bijan Mortazavi
Bijan Mortazavi
Bijan Mortazavi , born on November 16, 1957 in Babol, is a popular Iranian violinist, singer and songwriter. Although his albums are banned in Iran his instrumental pieces aired many times in Iran TV.- Background :...
, and Oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
band Le Trio Joubran
Le Trio Joubran
Le Trio Joubran is a Israel-Arab oud trio, consisting of the brothers Samir, Wissam, and Adnan Joubran from the city of Nazareth. The Joubran brothers come from a well-known family with a rich artistic heritage...
. The vocals of Maryem Tollar
Maryem Tollar
Maryem Tollar , is a Toronto based singer who primarily sings Arabic songs. She played with her own band called Mernie!.Born in Cairo, Maryem went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with her parents when she was 1 in 1969...
are featured throughout the game.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a 9.6/10 rating and voted it as the PlayStation 2 Game of the Year 2003 thus praising the game for its "intuitive control, stunning atmosphere and satisfyingly clever environmental puzzles," and later concluding it was one of "[their] favorite adventure offerings of all time." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave The Sands of Time a score of 9.0/10 "recommend[ing it] wholeheartedly." Zero Punctuation
Zero Punctuation
Zero Punctuation is an ongoing video game review series created by comedy writer and video game journalist Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and published by the online magazine The Escapist.-Background:...
repeatedly mentions the game as a personal favorite, praising the time-control mechanism, platforming, beautiful environments and "really strong characterization" of both the Prince and Farah and only marking it down for repetitive combat mechanisms. GSN Video Games
GSN Video Games
GSN Video Games was a short-lived block of shows on television network GSN. The show was hosted by Carmen Nicole.The block was merely a repackaging of British gaming programs gamer.tv and Game Sauce, with Nicole's comments interspersed during the block...
, a short-lived video game show on Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
, even gave the game a Perfect 10.
In general, the game was most often praised for its graphics, the acrobatic combat and platforming, the forgiving and responsive controls, the animation of the Prince, the story, and the time-manipulation abilities of the Dagger. Graphics were received mostly as a positive aspect of the game, with GameSpot saying it had "beautiful look to it". The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky. The...
and Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
agreed, describing the game as "graceful", "gorgeous", and had "unprecedented animation".
The game's average score on review aggregators Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and GameRankings is a 92%, making it one of the best reviewed games for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.
Both GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
and IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
placed it in its lists of 100 best games of all time, while ComputerAndVideoGames.com
ComputerAndVideoGames.com
ComputerAndVideoGames.com is the web-based successor to Computer and Video Games magazine, the world's oldest specialist gaming publication.- History :Launched in August 1999, CVG is one of the UK and Europe’s leading gaming web sites...
placed it in its list of the 101 best PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
games ever. Edge magazine also named it as one of the greatest games of all time.
Film
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a film loosely based on the game. The film is directed by Mike NewellMike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
and stars Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten...
, Gemma Arterton
Gemma Arterton
Gemma Arterton is an English actress. She played the eponymous protagonist in the BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and starred in the feature films St Trinian's, the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, Clash of the Titans, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Tamara...
, Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
, and Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
. Filming took place in the United Kingdom and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. Prince of Persia was originally scheduled to be released on July 19, 2009, but this was postponed during the first month of shooting to May 28, 2010.
The film was made for Disney by Jerry Bruckheimer's Studios, using the same team behind the Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in...
for the shooting schedule. Despite receiving generally mixed reviews from critics, it was a box office success and became the highest rated live-action movie based on a video game.
External links
- A retrospective analysis of the game, originally printed in EdgeEdge (magazine)Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
via the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive... - Prince of Persia: Sands of Time at Ubi.com