Love may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider Prince of Persia, but this is a series that constantly reinvents the main character, in homage to his original roots in the 1,001 Arabian Nights stories. (To learn more about this idea, which runs through all of the Prince of Persia games, see A Tale of Many Princes.)
The latest Prince emerges from a sandstorm as if hes stepping out of a mysterious, windswept past in his search for Farah, a donkey laden with gold from his latest plunder. Rather than her, he literally runs into Elika or, we should say, she falls on him as she flees from three dangerous-looking men and jumps off a rock face. Despite Elikas attempts to dissuade him, the Prince cant help but get caught up in a new adventure with her, forgetting for a little while the riches he left behind.
We wanted to tell a brand new story, explains Emery. We wanted to make it clear to the player that they are playing a brand new Prince, with a brand new feeling in terms of gameplay and story.
[Elika] is the reason everything happens and the whole story is built around her.
- Francois Emery, creative director
Mysterious Pasts
He continues: A hero must be consistent in his reactions when something happens to him. If you change the hero, you can change his mentality and thus change his reaction to a given event. Its a huge advantage in terms of narrative and gameplay.
The first major clue that youre in control of a new Prince comes from his appearance: not only is he as well as everyone and everything else in the game rendered in a way that evokes charcoal illustration, but his outfit gives subtle hints of his mysterious background. The blue and red scarves give a regal touch, as those colors typically symbolize royalty, Emery says. His roguish clothes suggest he has been wandering the desert for a long time. His sword is special: large and ornate, perhaps with an enticing back story of its own.
He adds: The clothes reflect the Prince: an ambiguous guy with two sides: one side is the rogue but the other suggests he is much more than a simple thief.
The same can be said of Elika, who more than just a princess. Emery explains: She is the reason everything happens and the whole story is built around her. The game tells the story of the Princes reaction to Elika and her plight, so we focused on her when we were designing the maps. We toyed with such concepts as loneliness: fear to lose her and collaborate with her.
Everything Ties Together
The relationship between the Prince and Elika ties into the concept we originally told you about: Can you erase love with a single foolish act? Emery recalls: We started by creating the bond between the Prince and Elika; the physical interaction between them gives consistency to Elika.
The action takes place in a mysterious city state awash with references to the ancient Persian religion Zoroastrianism (see the sidebar In the Beginning to learn more). You soon learn that Corruption at the hands of Ahriman, God of Darkness, has engulfed Elikas homeland.
Game Hardware
Check out our systems for your best gaming experience.
- Site: Prince of Persia
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Developer: TransGaming, Inc.
- Genre: Action
Game Media
We wanted to make it clear to the player that they are playing a brand new Prince, with a brand new feeling in terms of gameplay and story.
- Francois Emery, creative director
She and the Prince must defeat Ahrimans forces and heal the lands success will restore the Tree of Life, which Elikas father destroyed to free Ahriman, for reasons youll eventually learn. You decide the order in which you heal the lands, creating an open-ended storyline.
As we thought about the healing the land concept, Emery says, we realized we had to give value to this action as its a consistent objective throughout the game. Because you heal the land, you want to play for it; it becomes valuable to you.
He adds: We also wanted to build the story around the fathers actions, which must echo the Princes actions by the end of the game. Everything is tied together by the games final act.
A More Action-Oriented Experience
To reach that final act, youll find yourself jumping, swinging, running, and fighting your way through the lands overwhelmed by Corruption. Some of the Princes physical abilities are new to this game, including sliding down slopes, using his gauntlet as a grip while quickly descending walls, and roof- and wall-running. We wanted to offer a more action-oriented experience thats focused on the impressive acrobatics you must perform to reach your goal, Emery explains.
Elikas skills are comparable to the Princes, but she brings with her several magical abilities, including extending the Princes jumps, teleporting the pair between healed lands, and saving the Prince any time hes about to fall to his doom or lose a fight. That last ability means its impossible to die in the game, but rescuing the Prince from a fall means he must start the current series of obstacles from the beginning, while protecting him during a fight gives the enemy a chance to regain some of its lost health.
Read The Powers of Ormazd on page two to learn about the additional powers bestowed on both characters as they heal the lands.
We wanted to enhance Ahrimans presence with strong enemies, rather than multiple ones, Emery relates. Youre not overwhelmed but rather must go head-to-head with the evil source of power in the world. Those duels also serve as a direct link to the original Prince of Persia, in which you were fighting guards one at a time.
More Adventures in Store
Not only did Jordan Mechners 1989 classic influence the development of the latest Prince of Persia, but Emery says many other games did too: There were also tributes to old games, very hidden to the player, that were used to build some maps. For example, Nebulus, Donkey Kong, and Bubble Bobble were among the games that inspired us, even if you cant recognize it in the end.
What you will recognize, however, is an adventure that pays homage to Mechners original game while blazing a new trail for future Prince of Persia titles to follow. Emery cant confirm plans for sequels, but he notes: The team feels they have more to express with the Prince and Elika.