20 Years Ago, Prince Of Persia Turned Its Weirdest Decision Into Gold
Why not both?
The Prince of Persia series is high-key one of gaming’s most influential franchises. Jordan Mechner’s seminal 1989 Apple 2 title provides some of gaming’s earliest examples of modern platforming mechanics, cinematic storytelling, and rotoscoped animations, a precursor to present-day motion capture. Then the series caught its second wind in the early 2000s, with Ubisoft Montreal’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
The Sands of Time was a critical and commercial success that gave way to a divisive sequel, Warrior Within, just a year later. While the first game told a high-fantasy story appropriate for all ages, its 2004 follow-up embraced edginess. A heavy metal soundtrack, scantily clad women, bloody decapitations, and expletives represented a jarring tonal 180, which turned some fans off from an otherwise strong follow-up. For the third game in the trilogy, Ubisoft made the compelling decision to split the difference. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is a masterful tightrope walk between the series' two identities, one that closes out one of the generation’s best with a bang.
The Two Thrones takes place immediately after the second game, when, after defeating the terrifying Guardian of Time and preventing the Sands of Time from being created, the Prince inadvertently creates a new version of events. The third game sees the return of the first game’s villain, and the Prince’s partner, Princess Farah, as The Two Thrones messes with the timeline in a fun, Back To The Future kind of way.
What makes this sequel so memorable is the introduction of the Dark Prince. In the game’s opening hour, one of the Prince’s wounds is infected by magic. This creates a new alter ego within our hero, as the Prince’s darkest, saddest, and most depraved thoughts are made manifest.
The Dark Prince ended up being the most memorable part of the third game, both narratively and mechanically.
Silly name aside, the Dark Prince is the game’s best element. From a narrative standpoint, his existence allows the developers to have the whimsy of the first game and the bizarre grittiness of the second, and have both make sense. This balance manifests in the Prince, who clearly doesn’t want to become the horrible edgelord he was in the second game despite the depressing circumstances of his new reality. The ongoing internal monologue between the protagonist's two sides makes him the most compelling he’s ever been across nearly 40 years' worth of games.
Wisely, the Dark Prince is also more likable than the Prince ever was in Warrior Within, as he’s clever, quick-witted, and even funny. Sure, he wants to steer the Prince down a dark path, but he’s charming enough that you begin to enjoy their odd couple banter. Conversely, the Prince now has some perspective on the selfish ways of his past, making him remorseful.
What makes the Dark Prince all the more endearing is the fantastic new additions his supernatural abilities bring to combat and platforming. When playing as the Dark Prince, his chain-like weapons strike enemies from a distance and serve as an Indiana Jones-style whip when moving through the environment. These new mechanics, combined with new environmental hazards, and strong level design and enemy encounters, make for a deeper and more varied action game.
The oddest yet surprisingly effective addition was the game’s stealth mechanics, which let players stalk enemies from the rafters above or sneak up on them from behind for a swift elimination. Twenty years later, it’s easy to see the lineage between The Two Thrones’ primitive stealth mechanics and Ubisoft Montreal’s very next game, Assassin’s Creed. Considering Ubisoft’s golden goose franchise started development as a Prince of Persia reboot, it’s not a leap of faith to see how the close of this iconic trilogy paved the path for Altiar, Ezio, and the gang.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is a fantastic game that perfectly wrapped up one of the PlayStation 2 generation’s greatest trilogies, all while smartly appeasing those who preferred either of its predecessors over the other. While not as fondly remembered as The Sands of Time, it’s a worthy follow-up that players should seek out all these years later.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is available on PC.
