Developers Explain Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake's Visuals

The Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time Remake was confirmed during the Ubisoft Forward presentation on September 10. Though fans were excited for the return of the classic action-adventure platformer, some haven't been quite as impressed with the game's character models and expressed their dissatisfaction online. Many wondered what led up to the design and release of the visuals seen in the Prince of Persia Remake's trailer.

In a statement to The Mako Reactor, Ubisoft India gave a few answers addressing why the game looks the way it does. Game director Pierre Sylvain-Gires stated that they made a specific stylistic choice to differentiate Prince of Persia from other fantasy games on the market.

He said, "If you take the game that was made 17 years ago, there's definitely room for improvement in terms of graphism and we really wanted to give a unique look to the game because Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is actually a fantasy story...So we decided to go for a unique visual treatment to make this game standout from other games. It's not another Assassin's Creed, it's not like the same Prince of Persia from 2008. It has to be unique. This magic, this fantasy is shown through the saturation, through the light, so it is also a challenge to redefine the visual identity of the game with this remake."

When specifically asked if budget or development time was an issue that contributed to the look of the visuals, the Prince of Persia team denied that either was a factor. "No it was not a problem of timeline or budget," said deputy managing director Syed Abbas. "For us at Ubisoft quality is of the utmost importance and this is something that we have kept in mind from the start. The project has been in development for the last two and a half years. We have had at peak 170 members working on this project and not to mention other investments in infrastructure and set up to make a modern game. No there have not been any cutback in budget or timeline for the game."

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake releases on January 21, 2021 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will retail for $40 USD and includes the original 1989 Prince of Persia as an unlockable bonus. Those who preorder the Sands of Time Remake will also receive the "Back to the Origins" bonus set, which comes with The Original Prince outfit from The Sands of Time, The Prince's Original Weapons set, and a Classic Filter that will make players feel like they're playing on a retro screen.

Other highlights in Ubisoft Forward include the resurrection of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and more details about Immortals Fenyx Rising. Check out GameSpot's full Ubisoft Forward recap for more information.