You know that feeling when you try to explain a favorite childhood movie to someone and you realize halfway through that the sequels actually ruined the vibe? That was basically the "Prince of Persia" experience for about a decade. We had the high of the early 2000s, and then... nothing but a weirdly quiet void.
But things changed. Honestly, 2024 and 2025 were kind of a fever dream for fans who grew up trying to time that perfect wall-run. Between a Metroidvania that actually slapped and a roguelite from the Dead Cells crew, the series isn't just a nostalgic memory anymore. It's a living thing.
Looking back at prince of persia all games, you see a franchise that has reinvented itself more times than the Prince has rewound time. It’s a messy, beautiful, and sometimes frustrating history of platforming.
The 80s Roots and the Rotoscoping Revolution
If you want to talk about where it all started, you have to talk about Jordan Mechner. Back in 1989, he wasn't using fancy motion capture. He was literally filming his brother running and jumping in a parking lot, then tracing over the film frames one by one. This technique, called rotoscoping, is why the original Prince of Persia on the Apple II looked so fluid.
It felt "real" in a way 8-bit games usually didn't.
You had 60 minutes. That’s it. One hour to save the Princess or it was game over. It was brutal.
Then came The Shadow and the Flame in 1993. It was bigger, more colorful, and way harder. Most people remember the SNES port, which was decent, but the PC original was the real deal. After that, the series hit a massive wall. Prince of Persia 3D arrived in 1999 and, to be blunt, it was a clunky disaster. It almost killed the name for good.
The Ubisoft Era: When the Sands Changed Everything
Most of us really fell in love with the series in 2003. Ubisoft Montreal took a huge gamble with The Sands of Time. They added a rewind button.
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Think about how revolutionary that was.
Instead of dying and reloading a save, you just held a trigger and watched the world un-break itself. It turned platforming into a rhythmic dance. Then things got... edgy. Warrior Within (2004) swapped the Arabian Nights fairytale vibe for Godsmack and a Prince who looked like he hadn't slept in three weeks.
People were divided. Some loved the "dark" Prince; others missed the charm.
Ubisoft tried to find a middle ground with The Two Thrones in 2005, which brought back the original voice actor, Yuri Lowenthal. It was a solid ending to a trilogy that basically defined the PlayStation 2 era.
The Reboots and the Quiet Years
There was this weird experiment in 2008. Just called Prince of Persia, it had a cel-shaded look that still looks gorgeous today. But you couldn't die. Your partner, Elika, would catch you every time you fell.
Fans hated that.
They felt it took the "game" out of the game. It’s a shame, because the chemistry between the characters was actually better than most modern RPGs. After a quick movie tie-in with The Forgotten Sands in 2010, the franchise just... stopped.
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For thirteen years, we got nothing. Well, we got Assassin’s Creed, which actually started life as a Prince of Persia spin-off called Prince of Persia: Assassins. So, in a way, the Prince died so Ezio could run.
The Modern Revival: 2024 to Now
In early 2024, Ubisoft Montpellier released The Lost Crown. It wasn't the big 3D blockbuster people expected. It was a 2.5D Metroidvania. And it was incredible.
Sargon, the new protagonist, felt incredibly fast. The combat was snappy, and the "Memory Shards" feature—letting you take a screenshot of a puzzle to pin it to your map—is something every game in the genre should steal immediately. It sold about 1.3 million copies in its first year. Not "Assassin's Creed" numbers, but enough to prove the Prince still had legs.
Then came The Rogue Prince of Persia by Evil Empire. It’s a roguelite, meaning you die and restart, but the platforming is so fluid it feels like a 2D version of Mirror’s Edge.
The Sands of Time Remake Drama
We have to address the elephant in the room: the remake.
Announced back in 2020, the Sands of Time Remake has had a rougher journey than the Prince himself. It was delayed, then the developers were changed from Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai to Ubisoft Montreal. As of early 2026, it's still the most anticipated question mark in the series. Reports suggest they’ve basically rebuilt it from the ground up to match modern standards.
Whether it finally lands this year or gets pushed again, it’s the ultimate "make or break" moment for the 3D side of the franchise.
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The Full Timeline of Prince of Persia All Games
If you're trying to play through the whole series, it's not a straight line. It’s more like three separate bubbles of reality.
The Classic Trilogy
- Prince of Persia (1989)
- Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame (1993)
- Prince of Persia 3D (1999)
The Sands of Time Saga
- The Sands of Time (2003)
- Warrior Within (2004)
- The Two Thrones (2005)
- Battles of Prince of Persia (DS-only tactics game, 2005)
- The Forgotten Sands (2010)
The Standalones and Modern Hits
- Prince of Persia (2008 - the "cel-shaded" one)
- The Fallen King (2008 - DS spin-off)
- The Lost Crown (2024)
- The Rogue Prince of Persia (2024 Early Access / 2025 Full Release)
What You Should Play First
If you’re new to the series, don't start with the 1989 original unless you enjoy pain.
Start with The Lost Crown. It’s modern, it’s accessible, and it respects your time. If you want the "classic" 3D feel, grab the original 2003 Sands of Time on PC or via emulation. It holds up surprisingly well because the movement is so focused.
The franchise isn't just a museum piece anymore. It's actually experimental again. Whether the Sands of Time Remake finally launches or we get a sequel to The Lost Crown, the Prince is finally back where he belongs.
If you're jumping back in, check out the Mask of Darkness DLC for The Lost Crown. It adds a much darker, more difficult biome that feels like a callback to the harder days of the series. Also, keep an eye on the Steam updates for The Rogue Prince of Persia; the developers are constantly adding new biomes and weapons based on player feedback.