Forget what you know about 'Prince of Persia'
(Credit: Ubisoft)We got a chance to sit down with the new Prince of Persia game from Ubisoft Montreal last night at the company's New York showcase. And now we have a much better idea of what we can expect this time around, including the story of the game and the role our new female companion Elika will play.
First off, you can forget most of what you already know about the Prince of Persia series. It was made very clear to us that this new Prince game is a huge departure from what we're used to. Most apparent is the brand new art style in the game. We don't want to call it cel-shaded, but it definitely borrows a few components from that technique. Up close, the details on the Prince and Elika are astonishing, as are those in the enormous environments you'll be playing inside.
(Credit: Ubisoft)The goal in Prince of Persia is to help Elika revitalize the now-barren world of the game. The land is very gray and bleak, but when a guardian enemy is defeated, the rich and colorful landscape comes back to fruition. This immediately reminded us of the storylines in games like Okami and Zelda: The Twilight Princess.
Elika replaces the "time-control" effect the Prince games had in the past. She'll now be the one bailing you out of missed jumps and confusing puzzles. Her built-in compass will also give you an idea of which direction to head next, even though this new Prince of Persia is not as linear as previous titles in the franchise.
The fighting system has completely changed, as well. Not only will you be fighting one enemy at a time, but the battle will now be a long, almost cinematic experience. Elika will also be there to lend a helping hand--which, from what we've seen, looks like a very interesting addition to the gameplay experience.
Prince of Persia will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this fall. You can check out a sneak-peek trailer of the game from E3 here.
