Game Groups > Prince of Persia series

Prince of Persia is a long-running series of action games with predominantly platform-oriented gameplay and puzzle-solving elements. The games are set in a fantasy version of Persia of an unspecified time period, though their stylistic elements reminiscent of the Arabian Nights tales indicate the Islamic Age. The protagonist is invariably the titular character; however, it is not entirely clear whether the Prince starring in each one of the games is the same person or not. Early Prince of Persia installments were designed by Jordan Mechner and developed by Brøderbund. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003), developed by Ubisoft Montreal, started its own overarching storyline featuring a distinct recurrent protagonist.

The original Prince of Persia (1989) has had a considerable influence on the development of the platformer genre, contributing to the rise of cinematic platformers, in which the "jump-and-run" mechanics, common to the genre at that time, gave way to exploration, challenging combat, interaction with the environment, and puzzle-solving elements. The sequels emphasized and enhanced these features, in particular The Sands of Time, which introduced a re-designed gameplay system. The Prince relied on acrobatic manoeuvres to traverse the many hazards placed on his way; environmental puzzle-solving was given more attention. The Dagger of Time system has been carried over to subsequent games; it involved reversing time in order to re-gain another chance at tackling a difficult situation.