14 DAY TRIAL // One of the biggest problems I think Ubisoft probably had when it began the development of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was where exactly to fit in these new adventures of the Prince in the established canon. They couldn't have placed them at the end of the trilogy, because the closing of The Two Thrones brings a full stop to the story. A prequel would look weird, as all the magic the Prince witnessed in the first title in the series would not surprise him any more. The only logical point in the narrative to put The Forgotten Sands was in the seven-year period between The Sands of Time and Warrior Within.
Unfortunately, it is a failure from a narrative standpoint, as there is little to no elements to actually tie the main story to the other games. We find out there is an older prince that has his own kingdom and is supposed to teach our Prince how to be a good leader. It seems the Arabian emperors of old were so rich that they could give out kingdoms to their children like wealthy businessmen of today hand Bugatti Veyron models to their own kids.
When the Prince arrives, he finds his brother under attack by an unknown army and tries to help him. His brother unleashes an old force called the Army of King Solomon (don't ask!) that destroys everything in its path. The Prince is then tasked by a magical being, the last of the Djinn to stop this army at all costs and grants him the power to turn back time.
This should annoy any Prince of Persia fan worth their salt because it seemed the power of the Dagger of Time was strange and unique. Furthermore, the reason why the Dahaka, the guardian of the timeline from Warrior Within, will hunt the main character later in the story is that the Prince cheated his own death. Of course, it appears many of the Djinn had such powers, which brings up the question: why didn't they go back in time themselves to prevent the creation of the Army of King Solomon in the first place? And, speaking of time rewinding mechanics, how did daily life play out in this weird kingdom where almost anybody could easily change the course of their own history and escape untimely death?
This is a gamer diary entry and a full review of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is available.