Black Friday is looming on the horizon and all you can do right now is get as prepared as possible for when it hits. We'll try helping you by listing some of the sweet??est PS5 deals you can buy ahead of the dark day when we celebrate St. Spending.

1. Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown

• View Deal at Amazon

Things are looking bleak for Ubisoft right now, but that doesn't mean the company hasn't been putting out bangers - you just need to look away from that treacherous AAA space. Prince Of Persia's latest outing is both a tribute to the series' early days and one of the most modern and addictive games of recent times. It's an excellent title and, at a ridiculously high discount of 70%, you just shouldn'?t igno??re it's fantastic price tag of $14.97. There are a lot of good early deals right now, but this one is the one to beat.

2. Final Fantasy XVI

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FFXVI is known to have underperformed sales-wise, which might have to do with its low price, but don't let the incredibly low price tag of $24.97 for 50% off fool you into thinking Square is just trying to get rid of it. It's not every day that you get a stellar game at a lower price, let alone this low. Final Fantasy XVI is the latest addition to the main line of Final Fantasy, and it's the best it has ??played in over a decade.??

3. Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon

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Do you happen to be tired of FromSoft's Souls series, or do you want more of it but with a different taste? Great, because Fires Of Rubicon will quench either kind of thirst. Though it got great reviews and sold decently, Fires Of Rubicon didn't quite capture the attention of gamers for as long a Elden Ring, but it's highly deserving of your time. You can get this spectacular high-octane-ified take on the FromSoft formula at 33% off for the awesome price of $39.99.

4. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

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If you'd like to visit the world of Avatar for yourself, this is the cheapest way to do so. Frontiers of Pandora is a better game than the original Avatar, and definitely the best way to remain in the imagination of James Cameron until the release of one of the many planned sequels. At 71% off for just $19.99, this is currently the b??iggest discount on a big ga?me out there.

5. Hot Wheels Unleashed

• View Deal at Amazon

If you're looking into extreme fun that'll also come packed with a hefty dose of nostalgia, Hot Wheels Unleashed is one of the best-possible picks for you. It came out in 2021, so the 64% off for $17.97 isn't exactly a surprising ?sale for a fresh-new title, but it's certainly a solid discount for a game that'll certainly prove a positive surprise.

6. Madden NFL 25

• View Deal at Amazon

It's no secret that the Madden series has consistently been one of the best-selling gaming franchise?s in the world, so it's possible you already own it. Still, there are always those of us who patiently wait for the right time to get a game, so I'm pretty confident in saying that 50% off for $34.97 is that time.

7. F1 24

• View Deal at Amazon

Whether or not you're a fan of Formula 1, it's hard to deny the appeal of F1 24 at a mere $34.99. Yes, that's still the latest entry in a popular sports series so? yeah, you're looking at quite the deal. Not for you? Consider getting it fo?r an F1 aficionado ahead of Christmas!

8. WD_BLACK 1TB SN850X

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One of the sad realities of the current console generation �even when we're talking about the incredibly powerful new PS5 Pro �is the lack of a Hard Drive capable of holding all the content you'd want it to. The WD_BLACK 1TB isn't an infinite disk, but, at 15% off for $79.99, 1TB of high speed storage is a pretty good? deal.

9. Logitech G Pro X Wireless Lightspeed Gaming Headset

• View Deal at Amazon

While this is not an official Sony product, it was already one of the best gaming headsets you could get for a console. Logitech's stuff has been legendary in and outside the PC sphere, and this is no exception. Now, for 40% off at $137.90, it might just be the very best wireles?s headset deal you can get for your PS5.

10. OIVO PS5 Controller Charger

• View Deal at Amazon

I'm yet to find a non-official controller that replaces the Dual Sense, but the same doesn't apply to controller chargers. The OIVO charger will get the job of charging up two controllers in two hours, and is a really cool alternative to the official Sony charger for its current price and the cool frontal LED panel. You can currently get the OIVO charger at 33% off for just $19.99.

The post 10 Best Early Black Friday PS5 Deals (2024) appeared first on Destructoid.

There's no denying that Ubisoft Montpellier's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one of the biggest surprise hits of 2024. As a result, gamers were hoping that the company wou??ld announce a sequel soon, but unfortunately, it seems that this is not going to happen.

Yesterday, the French YouTube channel known as ORIGAMI reported that Ubisoft disbanded the team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown because the game failed to meet sales expectations. But there wasn't any concrete confirmation on the matter until today, when Ubisoft reached Eurogamer for a statement.

The game's senior producer, Abdelhak Elguess, said: "Most of the team members who worked on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have shifted to other projects that will benefit from their expertise" and thus, officially confirmed the disbandment of his team. He also recognized the game's success by stating, "I'??m extremely proud of our team's work and passion at Ubisoft Montpellier to create a game that resonated with players and critics alike, and I am confident in its long-term success".

The uncertain future of the Prince of Persia series

The team's disbandment practically confirms that Ubisoft has no immediate plans for a sequel to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, but Elguess assured that the company would keep the IP alive when he said: "We know players have a love for this brand and Ubisoft is excited to bring more Prince of Persia experiences in the future". It is important to keep in mind that Ubisoft released The Rogue of Prince of Persia in May, and that the remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is still in development.

Even though Ubisoft's statement was relieving because it confirmed that the company didn't fire or lay off any of the talented developers involved in the creation of The Lost Crown, fans of?? the game are still unde??rstandably frustrated by this information. Many of them criticized Ubisoft for not immediately greenlighting a sequel for such a refreshing, critically acclaimed game, while many of its other projects have remained in developm??ent limbo for many year??s.

So, what did Ubisoft do with the team that developed The Lost Crown?

Unfortunately, Elguess didn't disclose to Eurogamer what the members of the Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown team are currently working on. But, according to Insider Gaming, Ubisoft rejected the pitch for a sequel to The Lost Crown and assigned around a dozen of its members to the development of an announced Rayman Remake code-named "Project Steambot". For the moment, this is all just a rumor and the comp??any still hasn't confirmed anything on the matter.

That's not all, because it seems that Ubisoft assigned another part of the team to the development of the next Ghost Recon game, while it sent the rest to work on Beyond Good & Evil 2, an infamous game that has been in development since around 2007. Hopefully, all the developers who worked on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown wi??ll get to display their talents in these other projects and maybe someday they will reunite in?? order to make a follow-up to this beloved 2.5D Metroidvania adventure.

The post Ubisoft confirms that the team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has? been disbanded appeared first on Destructoid.

During the Ubisoft Forward Stream, the company has again assured us that their remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time still exists. Except it’s coming in 2026. They told us this during an extremely brief nothing of? a teaser.

Considering this is the series�35th anniversary and they’re making a big deal of it, they probably wanted the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake to hit this year, but things don’t sound like they’re going that well with a change of developers back in 2022. I suppose with nothing else ?to tell ?us, they showed us a candle burning in reverse before revealing a pretty far-off date. That’s far enough away for me to forget that it exists.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time first came out in 2003 and brought new excitement to the franchise started by Jordan Mechner back in 1989. Since then, new entries in the series have been pretty frequent, but arguably, none have really been able to achieve the same?? popularity.

That’s not for lack of trying. This year saw Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown which released to critical acclaim. The Rogue Prince of Persia is currently in early access and is being handled by the devs of one of the best Roguelite platformers, Dead Cells. Even without the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, it’s a pretty great year for the series.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will be coming in 2026.

The post Prin??ce of Persia: The Sands of Time comi??ng in 2026, new teaser could have been an email appeared first on Destructoid.

Has there ever been a better time to be a Prince of Persia fan? We’ve already seen the launch of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown this year, and later this month Evil Empire’s The Rogue Prince of Persia goes into Early Access.

Originally The Rogue’s Early A??ccess release date was set for May 14, but Evil Empire has since pushed it back to May 27. The devs unveiled the new release date along with a slick new trailer showing off the game’s side-scrolling action.

Jumping into the Early Access is as easy as purchasing the game through Steam on the release date. The Rogue Prince of Persia is Windows exclusive, but you shouldn’t need an over the top gaming r?ig to get it up and ru?nning. The minimum specs are pretty lax: 

• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2 GHz / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 3.2 GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (2GB) / AMD RX 5500 XT (4GB)
• DirectX: Version 11
• Storage: 5 GB available space

According to the game’s Steam page, The Rogue will be in Early Access for about a year, and Evil Empire plans to nearly double t??he amount of in-game content in that time. There will be levels, weapons, enemies, and more added to the game over the next year, and Evil Empire says the price difference between the Early Access release and the 1.0 launch will reflect that. 

Why the pushback? 

Plenty of fans were taken aback when The Rogue Prince of Persia got pushed back just a week before its release. In a lengthy post, Evil Empire explained that the move was prompted by the sudden release of Hades 2.

“Seeing as how everyone and their mum is playing that game (including our entire team�and their mums), we have decided to let people have their fun with it before we release The Rogue Prince of Persia.�

In the post the developer went on to explain that, “It’s not every day that a game in the same genre as you, which is one of the most anticipated games of 2024, will release into Early Access a week before you plan to do the same.”�/p>

Hopefully the new May 27 release date will let The Rogue Prince of Persia stand on its own and get some much-deserved attention. In the meantime, if you haven’t already started, it’s definitely time to check out Hades 2. 

The post The Rogue Prince of ?Persia early acce?ss release date and how to play appeared first on Destructoid.

Time bends to your will

It's nice to see the Prince of Persia series back in action. While the Sands of Time remake is still cooking, the series is going back to its 2D roots with The Lost Crown, an Ub?isoft Montpellier project. And after playing a small slice of it, I'm pretty excited about the full game.

The Lost Crown feels like it pays homage to the foundation of Prince of Persia. The player takes up the role of Sargon, a new character who's part of an elite band of warriors looking for the kidnapped Prince Ghassan. In the demo I played as part of Ubisoft's presence in Los Angeles during Summer Game Fest 2023, I got a fairly good loo?k at how Sargon's journey plays out. There's a whole lot of running, jumping, parrying, and plenty of spikes to dodge.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3qsC8T42Ag

The seeker

While some fans are more familiar with the 3D era of Prince of Persia, this iteration looks back towards the 2D. It is a search-action, Metroidvania-style game. Sargon can walljump, slide around, dash, and move at a decent clip. It's not terribly surprising to see, as Ubisoft Montpellier has quite a legacy in 2D action with Rayman Origins and Legends.

The studio feels like it's in full form here with The Lost Crown, as navigating is a joy. Within minutes, I was already experimenting with ways of combining my movement abilities to smoothly fly through the level. I played it twice, once on a hefty PC set-up and again on Nintendo Switch (which Ubisoft says is running at 60 FPS, and was very solid in my experience). It felt great to explore a level with all I'd learned, effortlessly ??flipping and sliding past spikes and enemies.

[caption id="attachment_386734" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Ubisoft[/caption]

Of course, it's not just platforming, but those aforementioned ene??mies too. Some kind of undead plague has struck the temple Sargon and crew are exploring, and zombie soldiers are milling about. There's a basic attack, that you can chain together into a combo or hold to charge up for a knockback. Sargon also has a limited pool of arrows and a chakram he can throw, and he can ex??pend levels of a fighting game-like meter to execute special attacks, like a wave of damage or a healing circle.

On top of all that, there is a parry mechanic. Normal enemy attacks can be parried, which builds meter and opens up combo opportunities??, while red attacks cannot be parried. Those with a yellow flash open up a special parry, which lets Sargon do a special execution with a cut-in and animation.

There are even deeper systems, too. I found out I could wall-bounce enemies for combos, and perform a launcher attack before pelting them with arrows while they hung in the air. Animation cancelling and little optimizations are all here, too. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has both pl?atforming and action locked down already.

[caption id="attachment_386735" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Ubisoft[/caption]

A wrinkle in time

Add on the extra mechanic of time-warping, and The Lost Crown gets even more interesting. Sargon can leave a static image that he may warp back to, a bit like a ?rewind mechanic. Theoretically, this could be used before a big platforming section, ?as a "save my skin" safety.

But it can just as easily be used to get around enemy defen??ses, set up interesting combos, and dodge attacks. The use cases felt limitless.

The impressive set of tools gets further enhanced as you explore and collect gems, which you can trade to a merchant for amulet charms. Different ones enhance Sargon's abilities in diffe?rent ways, allowing him to fire three arrows instead of one, or adding extra attacks to his basic combo string. A favorite of mine was an amulet you could purchase that boosted Sargon's damage while poisoned. And that's a very interesting mechanic thanks to the boss fight that sat at the end of the demo.

[caption id="attachment_386732" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Ubisoft[/caption]

Of gods and monsters

Closing ??out the demo is a boss battle with a massive chimaera, who has a pretty hefty arsenal of attacks. It can strike the ground with its tail, creating pools of poison. The beast flies up and down, slamming the earth when it lands, and also unleashes claw attacks, a floating magical cloud of death, ??and more.

This ?battle was a great challenge to end on, as it pushed me to make use of all my tools. In a single fight, I felt like I was carefully managing my meter, dodging attacks and timing my strikes. It was rewarding when I landed a good parry and got a solid combo in. And eventually, after a few tries, I brought the boss down. It felt even better to pick up the Switch version, speedrun to his arena, and fell him in one go.

[caption id="attachment_386731" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Ubisoft[/caption]

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is sincerely one of my favorite games from the last week or so I spent in LA, and that's a welcome surprise. It's a winning combination of a solid franchise and talented studio, and really feels like it could be a home run if the whole game pans out like this. It's still a ways off, with a planned launch date set for January 18, 2024. But it seems like The Lost Crown might be worth the wait.

The post Prince of Persia:? The Lost Crown is a stellar side-scrolling surprise appeared first on Destructoid.

Also starring a "semi-open world"

During the Ubisoft Forward event, we got to see a pair of new trailers for the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. The first of these was an ??animated trailer, which o?ffers a pretty good time if you're a fan of the new design for the titular prince.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxP9Mx3AdEk

Of course, cinematic and animated trailers in the video game world are a dime a dozen. Fortunately, the second trailer demonstrates the proper gameplay of this title, which gives us a bit more to chew on. Director Mournir Radi said The Lost Crown has a "semi-open? world," which I still can't get over.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3qsC8T42Ag

The most intriguing part of this trailer is the showcase of time-based powers reminiscent of the original Sands of Time. While this gimmick might be in vogue ??at the moment, Prince of Persia at least has precedent for it. So far, it looks like time-based mechanics will factor heavily into both the combat of The Lost Crown and exploration of its n?ot quite linear world. It's not a full open world, that I can assure you.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown? and its semi-open, definitely not closed world will launch on January 17, 2024.?? You can grab it on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The post Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown shows off time powers in?? new trailers appeared first on Destructoid.

"A modern take on the legendary franchise"

Today at the Summer Game Fest kickoff, Geoff Keighley and company revealed Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a new platformer with a 2d-sidescrolling vibe. It's due out on January 18, 2024, and the listed platforms include Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and Amazon Luna.

Based on the footage, locomotion is an important part of the game's flow, with airdashing in clear focus. Combos are also seemingly possible, as the nimble hero Sargon is able to juggle and grappling hook enemies in, "get over here" style. Ubisoft Forward will have more info on this new entry in the Prince of Persia franchise.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmX7a_e65uU

Welp! It's something to do before the Prince of Persia remake possibly never comes out!

Here's the full breakdown from Ubisoft:

"In this brand-new adventure, players will embody Sargon, a young, gifted warri??or, member of an elite group called The Immortals. As they are sent to rescue Prince Ghassan, they will?? explore Mount Qaf, a once wondrous place, now cursed and hostile. Sargon and his brothers-in-arms will soon discover that time itself will be a treacherous foe and that the world balance must be restored.

Inspired by the Metroidvania structure, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown lets players explore a handcrafted ??world at their own pace. From the majestic Citadel of Knowledge to the colorful landscapes of the Hyrcanian Forest, players will discover a variety of environments inspired by Persian mythology. By acquiring new time powers, unlocking unique abilities and combining them in combat, Sargon will progressively delve deeper into Mount Qaf, solving puzzles, finding secrets, and completing exciting side quests.

In this epic journey, Sargon will fight his way t?hrough mythical enemies, larger-than-life bosses, and vicious traps. By combining combat and platforming skills, players will defeat time-corrupted creatures such as Jahandar, the dreadful Manticore, guardian of the Citadel.  Players will be able to express their creativity in a deep and engaging combat system? to trigger devastating combos."

[caption id="attachment_385184" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Ubisoft[/caption]

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You're gonna need a bigger hourglass

In the newest chapter of the epic tale surrounding the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, publisher Ubisoft has further insisted that the missing-in-action adventure remains on track for future release, despite refunds having been issued to all of the title'?s pre-order customers.

First announced back in the summer of 2020, the newly visioned edition of the 2003 adventure game has been mired in development delay, leading several retailers to remove a release date or, in some cases, delist the product entirely from their websites. This week, pre-order customers noticed that their purchase had been ??refunded, further suggesting that the title had been quietly buried beneath the Persian dunes.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=htzq7EEXQs8

Noting this, Ubisoft opened a special FAQ page, hoping to answer the fans' questions and concerns over the fragile-looking release. According to the FAQ, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remak??e has not been canceled, and remains in development?? at Ubisoft Montreal, (the studio gaining control of the project from its brethren Ubisoft Mumbai). Ubisoft says that refunds were issued due to a total lack of availability on an expected release date.

Elsewhere in the FAQ, Ubisoft also notes that it has no plans to remake any other classic Prince of Persia titles. Given the rigmarole the publisher has experienced with Sands o?f Time to date, I can imagine that the franchise is currently on the "Do Not Mention" list within the studio's walls

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is, (apparently), in development at Ubisoft.

The post Ubisoft insists Prince of Persia remake not cance?led, despite refund?s appeared first on Destructoid.

It won't be arriving until after fiscal year 2023 though

Reports went around this morning that GameStop was no longer expecting the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake to release. Turns out, that's not quite the case. The Prince of Persia remake ??is happening, thoug?h it's just as delayed as it already was.

Word of GameStop letting pre-order holders know the game wasn't expected to release was running around. The pre-order was delisted from GameStop's website. Popular games and deals Twitter account Wario64 noted the situation this morning:

//twitter.com/Wario64/status/1532767377149943808

Fanbyte spoke to an anonymous?? GameStop employee, who shared a message being sent around t??o stores:

"We have been notified that, the following product will NOT be arriving to stores. Product is no longer expected to?? release. Our records indicate that your store has facilitated one or more reservations for this SKU.

"Please contact your gu??ests who have reservations on this product to let them know that the product will NOT be arriving"

Just a matter of time

It seems like the situation's a bit more complex, though. In a statement to Destructoid, Ubisoft says that while it is asking for the Prince of Persia remake to be d?elisted, that doesn't mean it's canceled. It's just been internally delayed out of the company's fiscal year.

"The development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will now be led by Ubisoft Montreal. We’re proud of the work achieved by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, and Ubisoft Montreal will benefit from their learnings as the new team will continue the work to deliver a?? great remake. As a consequence, we are no longer targeting a FY23 release anymore and the game has been delisted. If players wish to cancel their preorder they are invited to contact their retailer. They will be updated on the project as the development is moving along."

So for now, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake is still happening. It's just been the subject of another delay, of which it's had quite a few. Hopefully the next update will finally set ??a firm launch date for this long-awaited remake.

The post Prince?? of Persia: Sands of Time Remake has not been canceled?, just delayed appeared first on Destructoid.

The remake will release "when it's ready"

Ubisoft has returned with another development check-in for Prince of Persia fans, and it sure seems like no one is getting off Mr. Bones' Wild Ride. After multiple delays, the tumultuous Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake has officially changed hands �from Ubisoft Mumbai and Ubisoft Pune, over to its new steward, Ubisoft Mont?réal.

The publisher shared the news in a tweet today, and it's wild to remember that this remake was at one point supposed to launch in 2021. More recently, we were expecting 2023, though the wording in today's message suggests there's pl??enty of work left.

"The development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will now be led by Ubisoft Montréal, the very birthplace of the epic Sands of Time trilogy," said the publisher.

"This decision is an important step and the team, building upon the work achieved by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, will now take the time they need to regroup on the scope of the game to deliver you the best experience for this remake of an all-time classic, when it's ready," continued today's statement.

[caption id="attachment_319977" align="alignnone" width="1024"] _{An early Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake screenshot from Ubisoft.}[/caption]

"We want to thank you all for your continuous su??pport and?? patience throughout development. Rest assured, that we will update you on the progress in a future update."

I'm still worried about this game

If the end result turns out well, it'll be worth the trouble, but I'm not just convinced yet. Ubisoft recognizing that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake wasn't progressing as it should at Pune and Mumbai �and making the call to swap to a more capable lead studio �should be good news, in theory at least. It really comes down to how much time and money Ubisoft is willing to spend to get this remake right, and what's considered "good enough." I'd be anxious to see the sales projections, as it's been a bit for this series.

It's a shame, isn't it? I feel like Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell fans shouldn't be sweating this much, but given Ubisoft's recen?t history, those concerns are absolutely justified.

I'll be honest, a part of me wants to see everything come together so well that the edgy time capsule Prince of Persia: Warrior Within can return with a bang. (I'm only half-joking!)

The post Ubisoft Montreal will finish Prince of Persia??: The Sands of Time Remake appeared first on Destructoid.

The remake is one of several games aiming for the 2022-23 window

Ubisoft's Prince of Persia remake is taking some extra time. After providing a short development update, Ubisoft confirmed in its financial report today that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake would be aiming for the 2022 to 2023 window.

"We want to take a moment to reassure you that the development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is still underway, motivated and inspired by your feedback," read today's statement. "We will update you on our progress ?in the fu??ture and want to thank all of you for your unwavering support and patience."

//twi??tter.com/p?rinceofpersia/status/1453749652608667649

Meanwhile, in today's financial report, Ubisoft confirms that the remake is among several games that are targeting 2022-23. The other games are the guitar education tool Rocksmith+ and spin-off shooter Tom Clancy's The Division Heartland. Also, while Ubisoft still expects Roller Champions to launch?? in the current fiscal year, it is no longer factoring the game into its guidance. Take that as you will?

The remake of the classic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has drifted around for some time. At one point it was locked in for launch this past January, only for it to slip again.

Considering that the remake has garnered some mixed reactions, giving the team some extra time seems like a good thing. There are several Ubisoft games drifting around at this point though, including Beyond Good & Evil 2 and the tumultuous development of pirate sim Skull & Bones.

Hopefully, the extra time can help Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake get right back on track. Or at least avoid the weird void that Roller Champions now occupies.

The post Prince of? Persia: The Sands of Time Remake now aiming to launch in 2022 to 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The PC, PS4, and Xbox One remake was delayed again

Ubisoft's remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time didn't wow newcomers and it certainly didn't impress long-time fans when it was announced last September. In the aftermath, the game was delayed?? to March 202??1. Now, it's being pushed back even further – to an as-yet-unknown date.

Another update from Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake dev team: pic.twitter.com/O6OOmYXhOD

— Prince of Persia (@princeofpersia) February 5, 2021

Sharing the news on Twitter, Ubisoft said the community's "passion and support" are "driving our development teams to make the best game possible." A replacement release date for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake wasn't given – not even a vague "2021" – but the "extra development time will enable our teams to deliver a remake that feels fresh whi?le remaining faithful to the original."

First impressions are everything, and? I think it's smart for Ubisoft to go dark until it can confidently nail the art direction, no matter how long that takes. From what I've seen of last year's footage, the remake was hitting this weird middle ground that just doesn't fly these days. It looked like a half-step.

It was jarring to see The Sands of Time resurface with anything less than the red-carpet treatm?ent. If you're going to bring it back after all this time, you might as well do it right. Otherwise, who's it fo??r?

The post Prin?ce of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake no longe??r has a release date appeared first on Destructoid.

Needs more sand in its hourglass

Ubisoft has announced that its remake of classic platforming adventure Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will no longer meet its previously announced release date of January 21. The chrono-puzzler will ?now launch for PS4, PC, and Xbox One on March 18, 2021.

"2020 was a year like no other," said Ubisoft on its official Twitter. "Today we would like to inform you that we need more time to complete the game. With that, the release date of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake has been moved to March 18, 2021. We believe this is t??he right deci?sion to ensure we deliver a game you enjoy."

"Thank you for your patience and continued support of the Prince of Persia, and we hope you remain ??safe and healthy during this holiday season."

An update from the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake dev team: pic.twitter.com/zKCoJPkzmM

— Prince of Persia (@princeofpersia) December 8, 2020

The post Prince of P?ersia: The Sands of Time ??Remake pushed back to March 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs Recap: Week 38

-Dango responds to the Prince of Persia remakes with a suggestion of fi??ve other Ubisoft games that are ripe for the same questionable treatment.

-Black Red Gaming ranks Sniper Ghost Warrior games, with a blog about Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts.

-ModSquadLeader shares his thoughts on the indie darling, Spiritfarer.

-Shoggoth2588 reviews the 2018 y?ears? as part of his decade in review blogging series.

-Kerrik52 reviews Patapon 3 on the PSP as p?art of his Traveller in Playtime reviews series??.

-Lord Spencer reviews Alundra 2 as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Gaming Sheepy discusses the good and the bad in the Destiny 2 content vault.

-TheBlondeBass continues focusing on games with heart in this blog discussing NieR: Automata.

-Rabid Walrus shares his thoughts on the stylish action of the Kirby franchise.

-Boxman214 shares his (really good) ideas on how to save the lo???cal video game retail stores.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the Xenogears soundtrack and a variety of traditional music.

-Uncle Arena Fighter shares his thoughts on the extensive Mobile Suit Gundam anime series.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the music of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and the music of Wiki Wiki.

-ChronoLynxx ope??ns yet another TGIF open forum for the ?community to discuss and unwind.

Thanks to Lord Spencer for the Cblog Recap and to our community for another great week of original content! If you want to be part of next week's recap, then head over to our Community Blogs and share your gaming thoughts the readers.

The post Cblogs of 9/12 t??o ?9/18/2020: NieR, Prince of Persia, and gaming retailers appeared first on Destructoid.

A 'full-scale remake' from Ubisoft Mumbai and Pune

It's nice to have an honest-to-goodness Prince of Persia adventure again, even if it is a retread.

After a couple of leaks, Ubisoft formally announced Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake for PC, PS4, and Xbox? One during today's Ubisoft Forward stream. It's launching January 21, 2021 for $39.99. A few bonuses – an "origin??al" outfit and weapons set, and a Classic Filter – are reserved for pre-orders.

Voice actor Yuri Lowenthal is back as the Prince himself, and the studio has enhanced "everything in the game from camera?? to combat, as well as the visuals," according to director Pierre-Sylvain Gires.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake was made "from the ground u?p" in the Anvil engine.

Sands of Time is a stone-??cold classic, so let's do this th??ing (assuming the final build looks less... rough). The semi-budget price is a good starting point. I'll probably wait to see the tech tests, though.

The post Prince of Persia: The? Sands of?? Time Remake is out in January appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a crack in the hourglass

Ahead of today's Ubisoft Forward presentation, a previously rumoured remake of 2003's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has been leaked v?ia the ??Russian version of Ubisoft's Uplay store.

Suitably titled "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake," the new listing was swiftly removed from the Uplay dashboard, but not before ResetEra user AndrewDTF pulled a few shots from the store page. This was then followed by a brief GIF, which popped up on Tw??itter courte??sy of user @zavtracast.

The visuals in this sneak preview are a little lackluster, but this is hardly the best way to get a first impression for the incoming remake. We'll know all of the details come this afternoon, when Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is officially revealed as part of the Ubisoft Forward li??ve stream.

??????????????????????????Ubisoft Forward kicks off today at 12:00 PT / 15:00 ET / 20:00 BST.

Ubisoft leaks Prince of Persia remake on Uplay [Eurogamer]

The post Prince of Persia: The San?ds of Time Remake leaks on Russian Uplay appeared first on Destructoid.

Gather 'round on September 10

Ubisoft's back with its second Nintendo Direct-like streaming showcas??e. That's not much of a surprise considering it ended its first Ubisoft Forward by announc?ing a second. But now we have a hard date and a vague idea of what to expect.

In the teaser video above, Ubisoft tells us that the next Ubisoft?? Forward takes place on Thursday, September 10 at 1pm Pacific. On a personal note, I don't have to work on a weekend this time. Vast improvement over the first.

As for the games being shown, there's considerable footage dedicated to Watch Dogs: Legion, Hyper Scape, The Division 2 (I think), and Rainbow Six Siege. Here are ?some other rumors that are floating ar??ound though:

• There's a Prince of Persia remake in the works and it's launching in November.
• Gods & Monsters has been renamed (to the much worse) Immortals: Fenyx Rising.
• Beyond Good & Evil 2 and Skull & Bones both have ampersands in their name and have both been MIA for a very long time. This is not a rumor, I just wanted to point it out.

It's a small roster, but we didn't get much out of the first Ubisoft Forward. Only five stories came out of it. If Ubisoft focuses on what's in the trailer and then caps it off with Prince of Persia, that'd be about on par with the first stream in terms of content. That's why it feels like maybe Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Far Cry 6 will sit this one out.

And, because there's no better place to put this, today is the 25th anniversary of Rayman. Both Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends are high atop my list of favorite games ever. I can't help but feel as though Rayman would still be with us if only it were named Tom Clancy's Rayman.

The post The next Ubisoft Forward is next week, here’s what’s rumored to be shown appeared first on Destructoid.

Supposedly launching in November

Will the long-suffering Prince of Persia fans allow themselves to be filled with hope, knowing that Ubisoft's inaction will once again feel like a dagger plunged into their chest? Will Ubisoft, after a literal decade of inaction, finally return to one o?f its franchises that's surrounded by (mostly) good will? Those are questions we're left to ponder while we wait to see if this new rumor pans out.

Guatemalan retailer Max has supposedly leaked a listing for an upcoming Prince of Persia remake, although i??t's not clear which game is being remade. It's said to be launching on PS4 and Switch in November:

Hey psss...

Prince of P?ersia REMAKE listings have appeared ??online.

Fo??r now the game is listed for Nintendo Switch and PS4 with an estimate release date of November 2020.

• //t.co/9EyyVmZ13K pic.twitter.com/Q9lGARf4Hl

— 🎠Ken Xyro (@KenXyro) August 19, 2020

Retailer leaks have a decent-but-not-perfect ?track record. There are always tricksters and ne'er-do-wells who feed on faking things before it's all?? revealed to be a con. Still, a product page going live a little too early is more prevalent than outright scams.

Adding to the intrigue behind this one, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier tweeted "Video game retailers sure love leaking Ubisoft's surprise announcements." In subsequent replies, Schreier claims to have known about a Prince of Persia remake for months now, and that "[Ubisoft] keeping secrets that thousands of people know is really hard?" while citing that international retailer relations puts the information in too many hands to feasibly keep projects completely under wraps.

The timing on this one checks out too. Ubisoft promised a second Ubisoft Forward stream sometime in September. This is the sort of game that could easily get announced and then have a short two-month marketing sprint before release. There's a mystical allure behind the Prince of Persia series that will help the remake sell on its own accord. A quick turnaround between reveal and launch will cut down on the marketing budget ??and make profitability more feasible.

Of course, that's all if you choose to believe. Just remember that th?e higher your hopes, th??e farther you fall.

The post Here’s a rumor: Ubisoft is remaking Prince of Persia on PS4 and Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs Recap: Week 19

-Genki-JAM makes a video discussing Devil May Cry 5.

-Shoggoth2588 shares his gaming journal in the month of April.

-EnigaticRanger wonders?? if the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us all closer to an all-digita??l future.

-Exber reviews Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.

-Black Red Gaming reviews DOOM: Eternal.

-Gus TT Showbiz continues his odyssey into the Fallout 76 universe.

-Blanchimont reviews Final Fantasy VII: Remake on the PS4.

-Skazfest discusses what is the best weapon in Smash Bros. history, which is not actually in Ultimate.

-BlackAdler reviews Tanglewood on the PC and the Sega Mega Drive.

-Acefondu discusses how his gaming tastes have changed as he grew ??older.

-Kerrik52 reviews Prince of Persia: Sands of Time as part of his "Traveler in Playtime" blo??gging series.

-JoLoBird discusses with us the games that "broke" him.

-Exber discusses a few game rec??ommendations that are outside of his?? comfort zone.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the Chrono Trigger soundtrack and some famous pop tunes.

-Marcel Hoang shares his Anime queue for your referen?ce in this time of quarantines.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the Double Dragon soundtrack and some Japanese pop music.

Thanks as always to Lord Spencer for this week's Cblog Recap, and to our awesome community bloggers for their great content! If you fancy seeing yourself in next week's roundup, then simply head over to the Community Blogs and share your thoughts with us.

The post Cblogs of 5/1 to 5/8/2020: Prince of Persia, Fallout 76, and best Smash Bros. weap??ons appeared first on Destructoid.

Watching this is like turning back time

This is definitely?? The Weird Story of? the Day -- but don't underestimate 2020's ability to swoop in and get way weirder at the drop of a dime.

People have been begging Ubisoft for a new Prince of Persia for almost a decade. As it turns out, footage of a new (but canceled) Prince of Persia&nbs?p;has been sitting on YouTube since 2012. It just went completely unnoticed th?is entire time.

Subtitled Redemption (how wonderfully early 2010s), a new Prince of Persia game PoPped onto the radar this week as people found the developer's internal pitch video to Ubisoft. It looks something like a mix of Uncharted (big, splashy action setpieces), God of War (a tentacled monster smashing everything), and the signature Prince of Persia flashy combat and parkour running.

Former Ubisoft animator Jonathan Cooper took to Twitter to confirm that this video had been passed around the company back in the day, even admitting that this pre-rendered target gameplay pitch informed the style of the Assassin's Creed III team's pitch. Cooper also dropped a discouraging tidbit as to the likely reason why we haven't seen another Prince of Persia in so long. "Sadly Ubisoft are generally quicker to cancel Prince of Persia games than others [properties] because [as far as I know] original creator Jordan Mechner still holds license rights so the profit margins are lower," Cooper said.

That could be why Redemption never got greenlit. Or, Ubisoft could've wanted to let the series breathe for a little bit after 2010's Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands and the ac??companying Jake Gyllenhaal movie. Whatever the logic, here's a prince who ??never got to take the throne.

The post Check out thr??ee minutes of a canceled Prince of P??ersia that no one noticed for eight years appeared first on Destructoid.

The Dark Prince shows up next week

Ubisoft knows people want Prince of Persia, and 2020 is all about delivering on that front. Last month, we got word that there's going to be a VR escape room built around the Sands of Time. Now, the prince is back to swinging his dagger around and murdering skeleton??s.

The catch? It's all within For Honor. Ubisoft has introduced a limited-time mode to For Honor that crosses over with Prince of Persia. Called "Blades of Persia," this three?-week event's main draw is the new "Ruler of Time" mode. Ruler of Time is a twist on Dominion that takes place on a reskinned Harbor map where there's a tornado in the middle and sand monsters all over the place. The prince occasionally pops out of the whirlwind to kill whatever's in his way.

There are plenty of unique rewards for playing the Prince of Persia mashup. Ubiso?ft mentions outfits based on Ratash and Sandwraith, a Blade of Fate execution, and other customizing options like themes and emblem outlines. There are also 26 new weapons to loot.

This is only the first part of Prince of Persia's excursion into For Honor. On March 19, there will be yet another new game mode as "the princ?e [embrace?s] his evil roots, [and] eventually [transforms] into the Dark Prince." We only have to wait a week to see what that's all about.

The optimist in me says this has to lead to something bigger. All this sudden interest in a long-neglected franchise has to be in service of a revival of sorts. The cynic in me says this is probably the best it's going to get. A VR room and a crossover promotion in For Honor a??re the extent of this prince's kingdom. Those two sides are at odds with one another, and I don't know which one has the best chance to be proven right. 

The post Pri????nce of Persia is back (as a limited-time game mode in For Honor) appeared first on Destructoid.

Plunge the dagger deeper

Prince of Persia makes its return this spring after a decade-long absence, as Ubisoft is adapting the beloved-yet-ignored franchise into a virtual reality escape room. That's the Prince of Persia news you wanted, right?

Prince of Persia: The Dagger of Time is a VR escape room that takes place in the Sands of Time/Warrior Within/Two Thrones trilogy. The premise revolves around the titular Dagger of Time, which allows for time manipulation within the world. Pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding time are key for solving puzzles. Ubisoft also mentions that there are climbi?ng mechanics, a sword with magic powers, and an NPC named Kaileena.

The Dagger of Time is built for a maximum of four players, but fewer can play. Ubisoft says that puzzles? change based on how many people there are, which seems to emphasize cooperation and keeping everyone involved. 

This is Ubisoft's third go at adapting its franchises for VR escape rooms. Previously, Escape the Pyramid was based on Assassin's Creed Origins, and Beyond Medusa's Gate was based on Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Realistically, it'll probably be a good escape room game. Keep the faith alive and maybe someday we'll get another Prince of Persia video game. Today isn't that day, though.

Prince of Persia Returns? As A VR Escape Room With ??The Dagger of Time [Ubisoft]

The post Ubisoft hasn’t forgotten about Prince of Persia, it’s now a VR escape room appeared first on Destructoid.

When, or will, Sam Fisher make his return?

At this year's E3, there were mumblings among the community that Ubisoft's stealth-action series Splinter Cell was ?all set to make a grand comeback, with hopes riding high that a surprise reveal was set for the yea??r's biggest trade show. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

Speaking in a new interview with Game Informer, Ubisoft Creative Head Serge Hascoet doesn't have any further news for fans of dormant Ubisoft series such as Splinter Cell, or even Prince of Persia, stating that alt??hough the company still has an interest in such properties, it's a matter of resources, both financial a?nd work-wise.

"I love Splinter Cell. I love Prince of Persia," replied Hascoet when asked about the more forgotten treasures of the Ubi catalogue. "I can't disclose any information at this time, but I? can say we are fightin?g for resources. It's not a question of will, it's a question of means."

Although it doesn't sound like much might be on the books for the future, it's worth remembering that Beyond Good and Evil will be seeing it's much-asked for sequel at some point, so it may just be a case of holding on a little longer before the opportunit?y to don tho??se night vision goggles comes about once again.

Ubisoft creative head talks future of Ass??assin's Creed and Splinter Cell [Game Informer]

The post Ubisoft creative head says Splinter Cell dormancy ‘a question of means’ appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm long overdue a replay

I'm happy to see 2008's Prince of Persia make it to Xbox One via backward compatibility.

At the time, it was a departure for the series and that understandably led to divisiveness among Prince of Persia fans, but gosh dang if it isn't a pleasant sight even a decade later. My memory of the game ?is generally positive but mostly fuzzy, so having it accessible on Xbox One will be lovely.

Prince of Persia, Earth Defense Force 2025 and SINE MORA are coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility today //t.co/qPMRNs2ZLo pic.twitter.com/ALyoRniCv8

— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) August 7, 2018

Microsoft also added the surprisingly dark side-scrolling shoot-'em-up Sine Mora (which has since been re-released) and Earth Defense Force 2025, a game you're either Very Into or will str??aight up ign??ore.

Major Nelson [Twitter]

The post Prince of Persia and EDF 2025 ?are now playable on Xbox One appeared first on Destructoid.

This DOES impress me much

[What's the best way to make Destructoid's Front Page? MS Paint illustrations and Shania Twain references. Obviously. Oh, and you also have to write a super kick-ass blog that delineates the difference between a gaming companion being merely a gameplay mechanic and actually being an extension of the player via emotional connections and willing utility. Obviously. genoforprez kicks off his campaign for the office of Destructoid's heart with this super in-depth, interesting, and encompassing read pointing out what makes Yorda a great gaming companion and Elika a glorified button prompt. - Wes]

Hello jbsgame.community! I am a long-time visitor and commenter but baby blogger. This will be my first blog on t?he site, but I hope to continue sharing my thoughts on other topics in the future. Nice to meet you!

Recently, while revisiting two of my old favorites, I noticed a very superficial similarity between ICO (PS2) and Prince of Persia (Xbox 360) - i.e. the fact that both games put the player in the role of a male adventurer with a loyal and dependable female companion in tow. ICO, despite an appearance that has not aged especially well, remains an undying classic in the hearts of many players. Prince of Persia is fondly remembered for its breathtakingly beautiful art, but despite being a good game in its own right, it's not quite a classic on the same level as ICO, and the player/AI relationship does not seem to be a? similar source of fondness??.

I have heard players wax poetic over the sense of sharing a warm, empathetic relationship with silent, pale Yorda. Why did Yorda garner this sort of response from players? Why do they still remember it fondly all these years later? While we admittedly don't know that Elika's creators intended for her to have the same effect, we might still ask: Why does Yorda garner these feelings of warmth and empathy wherea??s Elika does not (or does not appear to do so as strongly)? What makes the difference?

I spent an evening switching back and forth between the two games, playing a little bit of PoP, then a little bit of ICO, then repeating, and trying to thi??nk about what made these two relationships feel different - not just narratively, but mechanically. I wanted to analyze it in video game terms.

In the end, I came up with five essential areas of difference between the Prince/Elika and Ico/Yorda relationships, and I took the extremely unnecessary but potentially helpful step of creating some highly professional visual aids to help with the explanation. I, um...I made them in MS Paint. They're actually quite bad. Ahem. 

So let's get down to business! How does Yorda manage to garner so much player empathy, but Elika doesn't seem to garner very much in comparison? Specifically, what do the games do with mechanics and AI that results in this diff?erence? Here's some thoughts.

Key for visual aid (very sophisticated!)

 Observation 1: The player's freedom to "CHOOSE" empathy

The highly professional and no doubt artistically pleasing visual aid above hopefully illustrates the difference between a situation where the player "chooses," or must actively perform empathy, versus a sit??uation where the empathy between the characters feels more prescribed. It's like showing versus telling in gameplay terms.

In PoP, as the player is jumping over gaps, running along walls, swinging from hooks, and all manner of other acrobatic type stunts, Elika just floats along behind the player like a balloon at the Macy's Day Parade. The player is never required nor given the option to assist her in any way. She c??lings to you like a koala bear, whether you invited her to or not.

Compare to ICO, where Yorda sometimes follows you but often doesn't. In fact, she often just goes wandering off with her head in the clouds. This means sometimes the player must call her over to do something cooperative, which invokes a sense that Yorda is her own person acting on her own whims. She is not set to auto-follow your every action but must often be requested to join you (e.g. by holding out your hand to her and waiting patiently for her to accept it). When she accepts the player's request, I believe something very small and subtle but emotionally important happens. ICO is designed in such a way that the actual, human player is able (and willing) to extend a helping hand to Yorda and have her accept the offer. In this way, the player is performing empathy in the first-person. PoP is designed i??n such a way that the player merely watches empathetic behavior taking place betw??een two characters in a third-person sort of way. For players who view their avatars as in-game representations of themselves, that more prescribed presentation of empathy may feel contrived and unsatisfying.

Observation 2: A feeling of mutual independence

The best thing about Elika is that she never leaves your side. The worst thing about Elika is that she seriously never, ever leaves your side. She's clingy, to put it bluntly. Literally and figuratively.

Yorda, though? I mean, she'll cling to your hand if you ask her to, but as soon as you let go, she wanders off to investigate some interesting-looking rocks or whatever captures her attention. She is her own person. Call her when you need something, okay? For the player and Yorda, it's okay to split ways and do your own thing, then get back together a few moments later. And when you're off doing your own thing, Yorda is off doing her own thing. Just two?? independent people exploring whatever tickles their personal curiosity. For you, it's levers, switches, things to push or climb on. For Yorda it's birds, shiny rocks, other more different rocks. Don't judge her? interests, okay? She's her own person. You get the idea.

Elika,? though? She wants to be where you are, doing what you're doing. She wants to be involved with every moment and aspect of your life, and she does not exactly leave this up for discussion. However nice and helpful she may be, she is a little bit of a human collar around your neck.

Observation 3: Game mechanics are not people

I feel like this one is pretty important, and I have read several game developers' blog ideas along these lines in the past. The basic idea is that a companion character must feel useful ?to the player for the player to feel positively about them - whi?ch is true! Players want a competent and contributing partner on any team, whether that partner is human or AI.

But.

While competence guarantees that the AI companion will not annoy the player to the point of rage, it is not sufficient to make the player feel anything special or extra toward that AI companion. Pardon my outdated Shania Twain reference, but: "You've got the brains, but have you got the touch?"

When you think about the way that Elika is useful to the player, you find that her ways of assisting you are very similar to the kinds of independent actions you are already taking yourself, such as running, jumping, attacking, and so on. Press A to jump. Press Y to have Elika extend your jump. When you really stand back and look at i??t, a lot of other games would just have you press A again to double jump - no second character required. The more I thought about it, the more I started to see Elika as just a human name given to the player's own actions. Technically, her contributions are the very definition of "useful," but they feel a little too much like a function called by a button press. They lack a certain human touch in practice. There is a certain "Press Y to Elika" about it.

Yorda again does some things very differently from Elika here. While she is a bit of a space case, there is interesting design to her madness. While the player is running around a room tryi??ng to identify the puzzle and its parameters, Yorda is usually wandering around being intrigued by such fascinating things as dirt, rocks, metal, bigger rocks, etc. But amidst all her spaciness, she is also a subtle HINT system. When the player manipulates something which effects a change in the room, Yorda will sometimes take sudden and extreme interest in a particular area and glide over to examine it. The way she marvels at things is sometimes just her strangeness, but other times she is subtly guiding you toward points of interest.

This is notably different from Elika's style of assistance in that Yorda's assistance is not button-mappable; you don't press Y to receive help. Instead, the actual player has to observe a change in Yorda's behavior, take an interest in it, and then observe what she is doing in order to discern a possible message. This is going to sound very demeaning to Yorda, but you could almost put it in Lassie terms: "What is it, boy?! You smell something behind the third pillar on the right?!" Yorda subtly offers hints to the player if the player chooses to pay attention to her behavior and its connotations. The player assists Yorda if she "chooses" to take the player?'s hand. The game is cle??????????????????????????verly designed in a way that feels like Yorda and the player are continually opting into each other's help.

It feels good to deliberately choose someone even when you don't have to. It feels good when some??one chooses you even when they don't have to.

Observation 4: Bonding through gratuitous interactions

In a lot of games - not just Prince of Persia - the gratuitous interactions with ally characters too often boil dow?n to pressing a button to initiate a short dialogue quip or a pre-recorded conversation. My sense is that, while this might expand the player's narrative-knowledge of the relationship, it doesn't really change the player's emotional experience of the relationship all that much. If this relationship is a story we are watching like a film, the??n that's fine; but if the actual human player is to feel warmth, empathy, or attachment to their AI friend, then maybe the yack track doesn't get you very far.

ICO, naturally, has the famous hand-holding mechanic, which is sometimes functional, but often completely gratuito?us. It is an action taken for its own sake. You hold hands because it feels nice to be holding hands.

Holding hands also changes the physical feel of your movem??ent, so there is a?? tactile difference to buddying up, whether it's goal-oriented or just affectionate. That tactile feedback is informative, sure, but maybe it also just kinda feels nice? By comparison, Elika's clinging has basically zero weight or friction, which makes her companionship feel a tad illusory.

I have an odd but very strong suspicion that the physical feeling of holding Yorda's hand has something in common with the phenomenon of players developing a real feeling of companionship with their in-game horses (or other mounts). It makes that companionship tangible. A horse may be fast transportation, and it may even join you in combat, but you need look no further than Shadow of the Colossus to know that a horse can also be so much more than that. Does riding a horse not feel like bonding with it over time? Does it not change your movement in a tangible way such that partnership feels different (better) than isolation? You pull the reigns of the horse to tell it where to go, like pulling Yorda's hand to guide her out of danger. The horse ??or Yorda could kick you and reject you, but instead they trust you, and you trust them; you feel that in a physical way, for hours and hours of in-game experience, and it has a subtle but very warm effect.

I remember playing Brütal Legend and feeling a sense of bonding during certain team-ups with the AI teammates - but none of those team-ups were gratuitous (they were always combative/strategic), and they were always very short in duration. I remember ho??isting a Razor Girl up onto my shoulders and thinking to myself: Imagine a game where the player hoists an AI friend up onto his shoulders and carries that friend around because it just feels nice to do that. Suppose it were a game where a mother or a father figure could hoist an AI child figure up onto their shoulders and carry them around in the game world, maybe for gameplay reasons, but also because affection is its own reward.

Observation 5: Game mechanics are not people redux

How do ??Elika and Yorda differ in combat situations? About as widely as possible!

Elika suffers the same problem in combat as she suffers in platforming: She feels a bit like a second character model tacked onto the player's own independent actions. In combat, enemies in the game will sometimes cloak themselves in a black murk that makes them invincible to basic ??attacks unless the player presses Y to summon Elika out of thin air and have her leap at the enemy's face, blasting them with light like a human flash grenade. Tellingly, if the player misuse??s this ability and it fails, Elika is knocked unconscious and does not revive again for a short while, making her abilities inaccessible to the player. In other words, Elika is one of the player's "spells" and she even has a cooldown.

On memory, I remembered Yorda being utterly usele??ss in combat. She served absolutely no purpose other than as a damsel to be rescued and protected. However, when I got back into the game, I found my memory didn't quite do her? role in the combat justice.

What you find is that the shadow monsters try to avoid you or wait for an opportunity to creep up on you and attack. They also try to divert your attention away from Yorda so that other shadow monsters can sneak in and steal her while you're distracted. Knowing that abducting Yorda and pulling her through a spawn point is their end goal, though, is also the key to your strategy. When the shadow monsters are circling around you but evade too quickly for you to hit them, you can put some distance between yourself and Yorda to divert their attention and tempt them to close in for the steal. Then you charge them?? with your wooden plank, swinging like mad.

It seems counter-intuitive ??at first, but it's often a good idea to grab Yorda's hand and lead her directly to a shadow monster spawn point. If they grab her and you're far away, you may not reach her in time to rescue her. But if you are right next to a spawn point, you know which one they'll take her to (nearest) and you'll be right there to pull her out when they try to drag her through.

In other words, whereas Elika is in essence just another one of the player's attacks, the combat strategy in ICO revolves entirely around Yorda. Yorda is, essentially, the ball in the game of ICO. When Elika goes down in combat, there is nothing you can do for her, but she's also not in any real danger anyway. The only thing you feel about it is the length of the cooldown. But if Yorda gets taken, your entire strategy changes immediately. The whole point of the combat is ?to protect your friend and keep her safe, yes, but it's not just about keeping her HP from dropping to zero (thus avoiding the dreaded escort mission).

Yorda makes the combat part tug-of-war, and part cat-and-mouse?. The enemies are trying to pull her away from you into oblivion, and you are trying to hold onto her. That in itself has more emotional impact than just stopping bad guys from beating on her. But since the strategy of the combat can also mean using her as bait from time to time, the combat is also about letting go of a helpless friend's hand in the height of danger and asking her to trust you, assuring her that you'll be back befor?e anything bad happens, while not being 100% sure if that's actually true...

.?..but you gotta keep up that cool confidence, right?

The fact that the game does so much outside of combat to make you care about Yorda once you stumble into it should not be ignored. I??t's very possible the c?ombat would not evoke these feelings if I did not already feel a certain companionship with Yorda going in, which the combat only reinforces.

Final Thoughts

I've struggled to come up w?ith a concise way of expressing all of the above in a neatly-packaged TL;DR format. I'm not even sure I've done a good j?ob explaining in the examples above. Maybe the core idea is that players may be more likely to feel empathy - whether it's for a mute girl you found in a cage or a horse you found and tamed in the wild - if it feels like both parties could leave at any time, yet they choose not to. Choosing to stay must have practical benefits. Yes, a competent partner is very useful; but it must also have emotional benefits - holding hands or hugging your horse are tangible things that just feel good.

Companion Cube gives you a practical bo?ost, sure, but you also hold down that button to carry Companion Cube with you, as if holding its hand or tucking it under your arm, from one adven??ture to the next. The idea for Companion Cube was born when it was observed that players could stop holding the cube when it was no longer useful to hold it...but they chose to keep holding it, and keep on holding it - even though it had no dialogue or animations or further use! They didn't keep it because it was useful or competent (although it was both of those things). They kept it because it felt bad to leave it. Not just because something useful was being taken away, but because they were essentially being asked to stop holding hands. But they didn't want to. Holding hands feels good. When given the option, it feels good to keep holding hands.

The post Yorda vs. Elika: Gameplay, AI, and human empathy appeared first on Destructoid.

Along with 13 games!

The Xbox One might not have many exclusives to its name, but the biggest feature it has over the competition is backward compatibility. Starting tom??orrow, that service w??on't be limited to just the Xbox 360 as Microsoft is bringing original Xbox games to the service. To make things better, two absolute classics are being brought over and I'm eager to jump back into the boots of Ryu Hayabusa.

The initial list contains the following 13 games:

• Black
• BloodRayne 2
• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
• Dead to Rights
• Fuzion Frenzy
• Grabbed by the Ghoulies
• Ninja Gaiden Black
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• Psychonauts
• Red Faction II
• Sid Meier’s Pirates!
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• The King of Fighters Neowave

I'm surprised to see Dead to Rights and Fuzion Frenzy, since both of those games weren't even well received in their day. Still, getting Ninja Gaiden Black and Crimson Skies is fantastic, not to mention we'll be getting the best console port of Psychonauts and Sands of Time along with the knockout Knights of the Old Republic. There are enough games here to last ???us until the next wave of Xbox classics reaches the XBone.

As previously mentioned at this year's E3, all digital purchases from the 360 marketplace will carry over and you can even use your original Xbox discs. No need to triple dip on purchases like a certain platformer holder (*co??ugh* Sony *cough*). All games will also render in 1080p and have higher framerates alongside faster load times. Sounds like the best way to play Xbox games will be on Xbox One, moving forward.

First 13 Xbox backward compatible games for Xbox One announced?, available October 24 [Gematsu]

The post OG Xbox backward?? compatibility is coming to Xbox One tomorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

Spyro, Crash, Tearaway, and more

Whether it's games, movies, books, whatever, I love listening to creators talk about their craft. It can be enthralling to hear how the creative process differs between not only mediums, but individuals. One video series I'm fond of is Devs Play, a show put on by Double Fine and 2 Player Productions where seasoned developers chat a??bout their games and share fun old anecdotes.

While the first season touched on a bunch of genres, season two is centered on platform-action games. Specifically: Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Assassin's Creed II, LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway, Crash Bandicoot, and Jak and Daxter.

With that last episode now on YouTube, I figured a roundup was in order. I'm only a few minutes in and Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin has already spoken about how he split his time during development (half management, half particle? systems) and how Jak was designed by committee, with different regions in mind, while Daxter had more of a singular vision. So, pretty goo??d!

That's it for the main season, but there is going to be a bonus episode with a mystery guest soon. Their identity will be unveiled once the crowdfunding campaign for Psychonauts 2 wraps up.

The post Devs Play season two has over five hours of game makers? chatting appeared first on Destructoid.

The short-lived adventures of pornman and porngal

The Internet Archive has added to its archive with nearly 2,400 MS-DOS games that are all playable right in your browser, right here.

I've flitted between between Prince of Persia, Donkey Kong, and Aladdin within minutes, mostly abandoning them after remembering that I hate playing platformers with a keyboard. Also, what. This Donkey Kong is messed up.

I also checked out Softporn II as soon as I read the name. The lewd, 1985 text ??adventure is meant to set you up with, "the female of your choice" (ahh, yes, the female) whom you give commands like "have her lick my rod." There are even 22 endings, including the 1 true ending where??in "you get rich."

Unfortunately, after naming myself, the male, "pornman," and the woman, "porngal" (black hair, brown eyes), I was immediately stumped by Softporn II. It asked for porngal's bust measu??rement and wouldn't accept, "hell yeah," "big" or "tits." I entered a number at random, completely unaware of what it would translate to in real-life proportions, and did the same for the waist and hip measurements. The game responded, "If you want a freak show, go the circus." Rude. I have no idea what these numbers should be and I can't find a guide anywhere. Old games are hard. 

I Google'd "correct bust/waist/hip" measurements and was able to proceed with 36, 24, and 36, but got uncomfortable when the game asked if porngal was older than 18 or not (of course she is). And then again at "deep red, granite hard nipples." What an odd game. Plus, porngal did not want to slip away for banging to a TGI Friday's bathroom. Rude. I actually formally lost when I coul??dn't pick a correct place to go. Tip: "your house," "home," "car," "alleyway," "TGI Friday's bathroom" are all no-go. Probably should've went with hotel but, c'mon, they're expensive.

Anyways I'm going to stop playing this game now, but please tell me if you get any further with porngal (or the female of your choice). 

The post Wolfenstein, Prince of Persia,?? Softporn II: 2,400 MS-DOS games playable free in-browse??r appeared first on Destructoid.

Recommendations: Rayman Origins, Far Cry 2, Beyond Good and Evil

GOG has GOT a Ubisoft sale this weekend. 60% off a whole host of games. A lot of Might and Magic, along with some Rayman games (you've played Origins, right?), Tom Clancy games, and Prince of Persia games. Most are the price of a coffee.

There's also Beyond Good and Evil if you still need it, along with Far Cry 2, which ?I might just buy because I think I'm going to love it.

What are you in for? Full list here.

The post Ubisale: Bunch of Ubisoft games on sale on GO?G this ??weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

A tweet pulled

We heard some rumors of a new 2D Prince of Persia that could use the Rayman Legends engine a few days ago. And now a tweet from Drew James, a Ubisoft engineeer with the username @UbiDrew, shared above image, asking "What next for #PrinceOfPersia?" James copied in @UbiReflections and other Ubisoft employees, including Jade Raymond. VGleaks has a screencap, which is nice as the Twitter account it?? came from has since been deleted.

Was this just a cruel tease? Was he just trying?? to fuel the fire? Or was it just a really bad choice that he's currently in trouble for?

If this?? is legit, we'll likely hear something at E3.

The post More new 2D Prince of Persia hints on Twitter? appeared first on Destructoid.