The Prince of Persia Sands of Time remake needs more than pretty visuals to succeed

The Prince of Persia Sands of Time remake was announced a few years ago and had been highly anticipated ever since. However, after the trailer was released, fans were disappointed because of how the game looked. The graphics didn't feel up to par, looking straight out of the PlayStation 3 generation. Fans were expecting the remake to have modern graphics like other contemporary Ubisoft games but were disappointed when they saw the low-effort character models and level designs in the trailer.

It has been almost three years since the trailer for Sands of Time remake was revealed to the public and the negative reception has led to Ubisoft postponing the title indefinitely. The original is considered one of the best games on the PlayStation 2 console, which means Ubisoft needs to put maximum effort into the Sands of Time remake.

In June, the company revealed a teaser for the game and revealed the release to be sometime around 2026. While the teaser was only 30 seconds long, it was enough to reignite the excitement among fans.

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The importance of the Sands of Time remake

Sands of Time is a legendary PlayStation 2 game (Image via Ubisoft)

Sands of Time on the original PlayStation 2 is one of the most polished action platformers of all time. The game was praised for its story, where the protagonist gets hold of a dagger that can be used to turn back time. This concept was thrown into the gameplay, allowing players to turn back time moments before dying or correcting a mistake during platforming sections.

Before Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia was the franchise that was known for its interactive parkour and beautiful environments. However, Ubisoft eventually abandoned the franchise and hasn't returned to it since the release of the first Assassin's Creed game in 2007. That said, Ubisoft still released a few side-scroller Prince of Persia games, but they weren't as epic as the original.

The Sands of Time remake is important in reintroducing the PlayStation 2 original to modern players. Most of today's generation has not experienced the original games and this remake is a chance for Ubisoft to rebuild trust with its fanbase, especially following the disappointing release of Skull and Bones this year.

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What we need from the Sands of Time remake

This remake needs more than just pretty graphics (Image via Ubisoft)

Since Ubisoft has postponed the release date of the Prince of Persia Sands of Time remake, the company has enough time to reevaluate its game plan. Here are a few things we would like to see from the remake.

• Updated visuals: The first reveal trailer was rather disappointing because of its outdated visuals, which is why we would like to see the remake have modern graphics.
• Modern control scheme: The original Sands of Time's control scheme could be considered clunky by modern standards, which is why the remake should update the control scheme for today's generation.
• Better camera control: PlayStation 2 games always had issues with controlling the camera and Sands of Time suffered because of it, too. This is why the remake should allow better control over the camera to allow players to look around without any issues.
• Faithful to the original game: The remake needs to keep the essence of the original intact by not changing too much, lest it make the game feel unfamiliar to returning players.

These inclusions can help the Prince of Persia Sands of Time remake impress the fans. Given that Ubisoft is targeting a 2026 release, there is plenty of time for the company to incorporate most, if not all, of these changes.