20 Years Later, How Does The Prince Of Persia Trilogy Stand Up?

by

While the Prince of Persia series has seen highs and lows, the trilogy released in the 2000s includes a standout game considered one of the best of the 21st century. Originally created by Jordan Mechner in 1989, the series was later taken over by Ubisoft in 2001, who reimagined it with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This new installment was critically acclaimed and quickly became popular through word-of-mouth, ultimately launching a successful trilogy.

While the second game in the series received mixed reactions – praised for how it played but criticized for its story and different feel – it’s been twenty years since the final game was released. Now is a good time to revisit the original game’s influence, how the entire trilogy shaped the franchise, and how it compares to other popular trilogies from that time.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Is A Genuine G.O.A.T. Contender

The Prince of Persia trilogy released in the 2000s contains a truly exceptional game, but as a whole, the series didn’t maintain its initial success. The Sands of Time significantly improved the franchise, building on earlier attempts to transition to 3D gaming. The 1999 title, Prince of Persia 3D, had struggled with awkward controls, a poor camera, and numerous glitches. However, the 2003 reboot, available on PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and PC, impressed both players and critics, prompting a fresh look at the Prince of Persia series.

The game successfully combined exciting action with a clever time-travel feature and a surprisingly moving, yet subtle, story. It quickly won over new players, and even those unfamiliar with the earlier games – like myself – were deeply impressed by The Sands of Time. This led to a wider appreciation of the entire series. The game received significant recognition, starting with the “Game of the Year” award at E3 2003, and continued to win accolades throughout the year, becoming a huge success for Ubisoft.

Even now, The Sands of Time remains a beloved game, with a remake currently in the works and scheduled to launch in 2026. Many consider it one of the best games for consoles like the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, praising its unforgettable story. Although it took time to gain popularity, The Sands of Time ultimately had a huge influence on gaming. This success, however, created immense pressure for the sequels – and that was just the beginning of the challenges the trilogy faced.

How The Prince Of Persia Trilogy Stumbled On The Way To Greatness

The sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time had a lot to live up to, and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within unfortunately didn’t quite meet those expectations. The biggest issue was its tone – it was much darker and grittier than the original, which turned many fans off. While the combat system was a good improvement, the overly serious and bleak atmosphere didn’t fit the spirit of the first game.

The game series suddenly included strong sexual content and swearing, which felt out of place considering its previous tone. This change created a disconnect, especially since the gameplay remained similar to earlier installments. Reviews for the second game were divided, and sales, while decent, didn’t reach the levels of The Sands of Time.

The third game, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, didn’t perform as well as Warrior Within. The Two Thrones attempted to balance the darker themes of the second game with the more adventurous feel of the original. While both games were profitable for Ubisoft—and The Two Thrones actually received better reviews than Warrior Within—the somewhat negative reaction to Warrior Within dampened overall excitement for the series. This resulted in The Two Thrones selling fewer copies than its predecessors, ultimately leading to a complete reboot of the franchise. Compared to other successful trilogies of the time, like Halo and Metroid Prime, the Prince of Persia games didn’t achieve the same level of popularity or lasting impact.

Prince Of Persia’s Legacy

It’s been two decades since The Two Thrones finished the updated Prince of Persia story. The series has had its ups and downs since then, but it hasn’t quite lived up to the success of The Sands of Time when it first came out in 2003. While the 2008 Prince of Persia game did well, the follow-up didn’t achieve the same popularity or positive reviews as Sands of Time. This led to the series being put on hold. Interestingly, Assassin’s Creed – which originally started as an idea for a Sands of Time sequel – became Ubisoft’s biggest hit. A few smaller Prince of Persia games were released on mobile devices, but they didn’t make a big impact with players or reviewers.

The brand also faced a setback with the 2010 Prince of Persia movie, which was based on The Sands of Time and aimed to be as successful as Pirates of the Caribbean. While the film did okay financially, critics weren’t impressed, and plans for a series never materialized. This makes evaluating the trilogy’s impact on gaming history more difficult. The Sands of Time is still considered a classic, but the second game, Warrior Within, didn’t live up to expectations, and the third game struggled to recover. Even The Two Thrones didn’t fully develop the story or gameplay enough to be truly memorable. Compared to other popular trilogies from that time, like Halo, BioShock, Metroid Prime, Mass Effect, and Uncharted, which experimented with different styles, none of those series had a sequel that failed as noticeably as Warrior Within.

The Prince of Persia series gained new momentum with The Lost Crown, a 2.5D platformer that sparked renewed interest just before the announcement of a Sands of Time remake. If the remake is successful, it could pave the way for a reimagining of Warrior Within, addressing its past issues. However, when looking back, the Prince of Persia trilogy from the 2000s doesn’t quite measure up to other iconic trilogies of that time, like Metroid Prime and Halo. Though the first game is nearly perfect, the sequels didn’t have the same lasting impact, which ultimately holds the trilogy back.

Read More

2025-12-02 00:11