Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is an action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and released in 2010. Canonically, it is set within the popular "Sands of Time" trilogy continuity, taking place in the seven-year gap between the events of The Sands of Time and Warrior Within. The game marks a return to the series' core platforming and puzzle-solving roots after the experimental 2008 reboot.

Plot: The Brotherly Bond and the Djinn

The story begins with the Prince traveling to the kingdom of his elder brother, Malik, to learn lessons in leadership. Upon arrival, the Prince finds Malik's royal palace under a desperate siege. In a desperate and misguided attempt to save his kingdom, Malik ignores the Prince's warnings and shatters a mystical seal to unleash what he believes is King Solomon's Army.

Instead, he frees an evil Ifrit (Djinn) named Ratash and his army of Sand Creatures. The unleashed power of the Sand turns the kingdom's inhabitants into sand statues. The Prince and Malik are protected by fragments of the shattered seal, but Malik is eventually possessed by Ratash. Aided by a good Water Djinn named Razia, the Prince embarks on a quest to defeat Ratash, save his brother, and reseal the elemental evil. This journey is intended to show the Prince the true meaning of leadership and the heavy cost of great power, setting the stage for his darker persona in Warrior Within.

Gameplay: Elemental and Temporal Power

The gameplay successfully recaptures the classic Sands of Time feel, focusing on challenging environmental traversal and flowing combat:

• Acrobatic Platforming: The Prince's signature moves are back, including wall-running, pole-swinging, and vertical climbing. The environments are massive palace complexes that require complex, timed sequences of moves to navigate.

• Elemental Powers: A key new addition is the ability to manipulate the elements, primarily Water and Earth. The Prince can freeze water flows mid-air, creating temporary solid columns and walls for climbing, or restore destroyed sections of the environment with the Earth power to bridge massive gaps.

• Time Manipulation: The iconic rewind ability (the Dagger of Time power) returns, allowing the player to undo platforming mistakes or momentary errors in combat, though it is limited by a new power meter.

• Crowd Combat: Combat is fluid and designed for crowd control. The Prince frequently fights large groups of enemies simultaneously, utilizing area-of-effect elemental spells (like Ice Blast or Whirlwind) to keep the Sand Creatures at bay.

The Forgotten Sands provides a classic Prince of Persia adventure, enhancing the formula with new environmental powers while exploring a crucial, character-defining period in the Prince's life.