Prince of Persia
 | It has been suggested that Elika (Prince of Persia) be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2009. |
| Prince of Persia franchise | |
|---|---|
| File:Princeofpersialogo.jpg The official logo for the game franchise, Prince of Persia | |
| Developer(s) | Brøderbund, Red Orb, Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher(s) | Brøderbund, The Learning Company, Mattel Interactive, Ubisoft, Sony Computer Entertainment, |
| First release | Prince of Persia 1989 |
Prince of Persia is an action-adventure video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. Through the various titles, the series has been developed and published by many different companies: the first two games in the series, Prince of Persia (1989) and Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame (1994), were developed by Brøderbund; in recent years Ubisoft has developed the games, starting with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003). Originally it was primarily a side-scrolling platform video game, the franchise has evolved to three-dimensional action-adventure games, and will spawn a film.
Games
Main series
Spin-off and remake titles
Stories
 | This section possibly contains original research. (May 2009) |
Because of the several reboots the franchise has witnessed, many different stories are told through the games. They all share similar story elements; for example, they are all set in ancient Persia, and they all feature a man who is adept at acrobatic feats attempting to save a plot element in that particular story.
Original trilogy
One day, the Sultan of Persia went to wage war in a foreign land and his vizier, Jaffar, is left to rule in his stead. Jaffar locks the nameless protagonist up because the Princess, Jaffar's love interest, has taken an interest in him. Jaffar then locks up the Princess herself, giving her an ultimatum; marry Jaffar, or die within an hour. The nameless protagonist escapes his prison, and climbs to the top of the tower, to where the Princess is imprisoned, facing a variety of resistance along the way. The Princess' room is guarded by Jaffar, whom the Prince defeats, saving Persia and rescuing the Princess.
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame takes place eleven days after the events of the previous game. During this period, the Prince was hailed as the hero who defeated the evil Jaffar. He turns down all rewards, instead asking for the Princess' hand in marriage which the Sultan of Persia reluctantly agrees to. He then becomes the Prince of Persia, hence the title of the series. As the Prince enters the royal courts of the palace one day, his appearance turns into that of a beggar. Nobody recognizes him, and when he attempts to speak with the Princess, a man who shares his appearance emerges from the shadows, ordering him to be thrown out. With guards pursuing him, the Prince jumps through a window and flees the city by way of merchant ship. The ship is struck by lightning, cast by the man the Prince saw in the royal courts, just after a mysterious woman appears in the barge and asks the Prince to find her. The Prince regains consciousness, and finds himself on the shore of a foreign island. As the Prince finds his way back to Persia, he finds many useful tools in his quest against Jaffar. At one point the Prince's mother, revealed to be the mysterious woman on the ship, shows herself, and explains about her husband's death, and her plight to abandon the Prince so that he might live. In a temple, the Prince finds that he can separate from his body, transforming into the shadow that Jaffar's magic mirror created in the events of Prince of Persia. The Prince uses this motive to steal the sacred flame of the temple, and then travels back to Persia. Here he immediately encounters Jaffar, who flees. The Prince transforms into the shadow bearing the blue flame once again, and pursues Jaffar, whom he catches and casts a blue flame at, defeating him. The Princess awakens from a spell Jaffar set upon her, and the Prince orders Jaffar's ashes be scattered. As the Prince and Princess ride into the distance, however, it is revealed that a witch is watching them through a crystal ball.
Prince of Persia 3D begins with the Prince and Sultan of Persia visiting the Sultan's brother, Assan. Soon enough, the Prince's personal body guards are killed, himself locked in the dungeon, and the Sultan taken by Assan. The Prince escapes the dungeon, and it is revealed that the Sultan of Persia promised Assan many years ago that his daughter would marry his son, Rugnor, not the Prince. The Prince finds the two, but Assan kills the Sultan by mistake, while trying to kill the Prince. Assan runs, but the Prince decides to pursue Rugnor instead, who has taken the Princess of Persia captive. The Prince and Rugnor have many standoffs, but when it becomes clear to Rugnor that the Prince won't give up, and the Princess won't submit to him, he decides to kill her. He ties her to a large gear machine, attempting to crush her. The Prince, however, arrives before this happens, kills Rugnor, and deactivates the machine. The Prince then escapes with the Princess, via a flying beast, but the Prince takes the Princess in the opposite direction of Persia, rather than towards it.
The Sands of Time trilogy
Passing through India en route to Azad, King Shahraman and his son, the Prince, conquer the Maharajah of India for honor and glory. After looting the city, they continue to Azad. In Azad, the Vizier of the Maharajah tricks the Prince into releasing the Sands of Time, using the Dagger of Time. The Sands infect everyone in the kingdom, turning them into monsters. The Prince, Farah, and the Vizier remain unchanged due to their possessions; a dagger, a medallion, and a staff, respectively. On a journey to repair the damage he has caused, the Prince teams with Farah to return the Sands of Time to the hourglass, using the Dagger of Time. As they make their way to the Hourglass of Time, the Prince hesitates, and the Vizier uses magic to throw him and Farah into a tomb. The Prince awakens, and the Dagger and his weapon have been stolen by Farah, who left him with her medallion so that he would not be affected by the Sands of Time. The Prince pursues and catches her, but she falls to her death. Driven by grief, the Prince stabs the top of the hourglass with the Dagger of Time, locking the Sands of Time back into the hourglass, reversing the events of the game. The Prince awakens prior to the invasion of the Maharaja's kingdom, and makes his way to Farah's bedroom. He tells her a story about the events of the game, as she does not remember, but the Vizier shows up, and fights the Prince. The Prince emerges victorious and gives the Dagger of Time back to Farah, then leaves India.
Seven years after the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Prince finds himself hunted by the Dahaka, the guardian of the time line. Because the Prince escaped his fate, the Dahaka tries to ensure that the Prince dies as he was meant to. Seeking counsel from an old wise man, the Prince learns of the existence of the Island of Time, where the Sands of Time were created, which was ruled by an Empress of Time. The Prince sets sail for the Island of Time to attempt to prevent the Sands of Time from being created, by traveling backwards through time. He believes that if there are no Sands of Time, the Dahaka will cease to exist as well. Exploring the island, the Prince saves a woman named Kaileena, from a woman named Shahdee, in the process traveling back through time using a portal. Unable to grant the Prince an audience with the Empress of Time, Kaileena reveals that activating two towers will unlock the throne room where the Empress hides. The Prince ultimately activates both towers, and returns to the throne room, only to learn that Kaileena is actually the Empress of Time. The Prince kills Kaileena, and returns to the present, believing that he has cheated fate, but soon discovers that when he killed Kaileena, the Sands of Time were created from her remains so, in essence, he created them. The Prince then discovers an artifact called the Mask of the Wraith, which is said to have the power to allow its wearer coexist in the same time line with his former self, as a Sand Wraith. The Prince wastes no time finding and donning the mask, transforming into a Sand Wraith. The Prince then makes his way back to the throne room, having an encounter with his other self, who is shortly thereafter killed by the Dahaka, allowing the Prince to remove the Mask of the Wraith. The Prince decides that killing Kaileena in the present, rather than the past, will cause the Sands of Time to be created, but they will not be found by the Maharajah, and thus, he will never have released them in Azad. The Prince forces Kaileena into the present, but plans change when the Dahaka appears. The Prince and Kaileena eventually defeat the Dahaka, who was attempting to kill Kaileena. They both then set sail for Babylon together.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones follows Prince of Persia: Warrior Within by a few weeks. Upon returning to Babylon, he is horrified to find the city is ravaged by war. His ship is attacked and he and Kaileena are thrown overboard, with Kaileena taken prisoner after drifting ashore. After fighting his way through the city, the Prince discovers that as a result of his efforts on the Island of Time to prevent the Sands of Time from being created, the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time never happened, thus, the Vizier was never killed. The Vizier now possesses the Dagger of Time, and his magical staff, as well. The Vizier is in search of the Empress of Time, Kaileena, and so has captured her. Just as the Prince finds Kaileena, the Vizier kills her and unleashes the Sands of Time. Then the Vizier transforms into an immortal being by impaling himself with the Dagger of Time, which now contains the Sands of Time. The released Sands of Time also strike the Prince, infecting an open wound on his arm and embedding the daggertail. The Prince breaks free of bondage, and escapes, grabbing the Dagger of Time in the process. As the Prince travels through the city once again to kill the Vizier, he encounters Farah, and the two decide to travel together. As the game progresses, the Prince finds that the Sands of Time have affected his mind. He has essentially been split into two personalities; one which, for the most part, strives to do good, although is fueled by vengeance; and the cruel Dark Prince, who is manifested by an internal voice that attempts to convince the Prince that they are the same person, and that the Prince should strive to serve only himself, using his vengeance as a catalyst for the Prince's emotions. As the game progresses, the Prince learns more about the nature of the Dark Prince, who is in fact, not a part of the Prince, just the manifestation of the Sands of Time trying to overcome him. When the Prince finally finds the Vizier, he is cast into a dried well, where the indwelling Dark Prince vies more aggressively for control. The Prince eventually finds the dead body of his father, who he had hoped to reconcile with, and faces his wrong actions. By accepting the consequences of what he has done, he silences the Dark Prince, seemingly in permanence. The Prince escapes the well, and once again confronts the Vizier, who he kills by impaling him with the Dagger of Time. Kaileena appears to the Prince and cleanses him of his infection by the Sands of Time, and all his wounds. As the Prince leans down to reach for his father's crown, he is confronted by the Dark Prince, who draws the Prince into his mind, where the two struggle for control. The Prince eventually realizes that fighting the Dark Prince will only intensify his anger, thus feeding the Dark Prince, so he decides to simply ignore the Dark Prince, who is eventually silenced, starved of anger and aggression. The Prince then awakens in Farah's embrace.
Prince of Persia
The adventure begins as the Prince is caught in a fierce sandstorm while travelling, causing him to lose his donkey and to stumble into a canyon. He then unexpectedly meets Elika, who immediately runs from some armed men, urging the Prince not to follow. The Prince does, though, and defeats them when he catches up with Elika. She then requests that he follow her to a temple at the center of the kingdom. When they arrive inside the temple, Elika's father, who commanded Elika's pursuers, destroys the tree of life, which begins to free the dark god Ahriman. With the tree of life destroyed, Ahriman begins plaguing the land with his darkness, or Corruption. Elika explains that there are multiple fertile grounds found throughout the land that she has to reach and heal in order to let the tree of life regain power to stop Ahriman from escaping.
As the Prince and Elika travel to and heal each fertile ground, Elika reveals her past; first her mother died, and then Elika did as well. Her father, the Mourning King, could not handle his grief, and made a deal with Ahriman, Elika's life in return for his freedom. Ahriman first resurrected Elika, and did so as long as Elika's father could keep his part of the deal. After the lands have been cleansed of Corruption, the duo returns to the temple to cleanse it as well; a necessary and final step in stopping Ahriman. Inside the temple, the Prince and Elika are confronted by the Mourning King. After being defeated by the duo, he jumps into the Corruption below. Ahriman then rises to oppose the duo, but is unable to defeat them before Elika heals the tree of life. To seal Ahriman again, Elika transfers her own life into the tree, causing her to die again. The Prince, driven by grief, destroys the tree of life, and gives its life force to Elika to resurrect her, but in doing so also fully releases Ahriman. The Prince then carries Elika into the desert while the temple is destroyed and Ahriman escapes.
Then, in the downloadable Epilogue content, the Prince brings Elika to an Underground Palace, seeking refuge from Ahriman. The duo makes their way through the dungeon, confronting Ahriman's minions many times. Elika expresses disdain for the Prince's decision to free Ahriman many times along the way. In a final confrontation with the Mourning King, the Prince pushes him into some spikes, impaling him. The Prince and Elika then flee, as Ahriman then tries to kill them himself. They get away, but Elika leaves the Prince in search of the Ahura.
Prince of Persia graphic novel
Jordan Mechner finished writing the story for a graphical novel in 2007. The novel was written by A.B. Sina, and illustrated by Alex Puvilland and LeUyen Pham. It was released by First Second Books in autumn 2008.[1][2] The story ties together the Princes of the first two game series into a single history, jumping to and from the 9th and 13th centuries. However, it still separates the continuities of the 2008 game and 2010 film.[3]
Film project
Before the series reboot of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, screenwriter Robin Morningstar entered into correspondance with Jordan Mechner about approaching a studio with a film project of the series. His script was based on the story of the original 1989 game. Robin Morningstar was cut out of the process by Jordan Mechner's attorney shortly before the reboot and Disney acquiring the film rights.[citation needed] The film in production shares no similarity with Robin Morningstar's script.[citation needed]
The film project, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, is due out in May 2010.
Recurring Elements
The Shadow
The Shadow is created in Prince of Persia when the Prince leaps through a magic mirror. The Shadow mimics the appearance of the Prince, but is clad in darker colored clothes. It hinders the player's progress several times throughout the game, but in the end the Shadow and the Prince merge, becoming a single person once again. The Shadow returns in Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame, but this time, rather than being a separate being which hinders the Prince's progress, the Prince can become the Shadow, abandoning his body to become an invisible ghost. The Shadow allows the Prince to retrieve a sacred blue flame from a temple, as the Prince is killed by a guard. When the Shadow retrieves the blue flames, the Prince rises again, this time possessing the flames himself. During the end events of the game, the Prince takes the appearance of the Shadow again, using it to launch the sacred flame at Jaffar, killing him. The Shadow then merges again with the Prince, making no further appearances.
The Dagger of Time
The Dagger of Time is a powerful weapon, capable of allowing its wielder to harness the power of the Sands of Time, and manipulate time itself. If the wielder steps into a large concentration of the Sands of Time, the Dagger of Time will allow them a brief look into the future. The Dagger of Time also is capable of making its wielder immortal. If the wielder uses the weapon to harness the power of the Sands of Time, then impales themselves with the blade, it will embed the Sands of Time into that wielder, making them immortal. The Dagger of Time is also the "key" which opens the lock on the Hourglass of Time.
The Dagger of Time was created on the Island of Time for the ability of controlling the sands, as indicated by the Vizier in Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, who expressed his feelings over finding it there. It was stolen from the Island of Time before the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time by the Maharajah of India, along with the Hourglass of Time, which contain the Sands of Time. The Prince uses the Dagger of Time to release the Sands of Time during the events of the game. This brings about a plague of sorts; only carriers of the artifacts of time avoid mutation, and the resulting monsters can also only be killed by the artifacts of time. At the end of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Prince uses the Dagger of Time to lock the Sands of Time back into the Hourglass of Time, reversing the events of the game. He then gives the Dagger of Time to the Maharajah's daughter, telling her to lock it in the Maharajah's treasure vaults.
It is revealed in the Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones that the Vizier is alive again, due to the Prince's manipulation of the time line. Upon searching the Island of Time, the Vizier finds the Dagger of Time again. He kills the Maharajah of India, and uses his army to invade Babylon, the place where the Empress of Time will soon arrive. He uses it to kill Kaileena, releasing the Sands of Time once again, but then impales himself, which makes him immortal. During this transformation, the Prince retrieves the Dagger of Time once again. At the end of the game, the Prince uses the Dagger of Time to kill the Vizier. The freed Sands of Time form a physical manifestation of the spirit of Kaileena, who takes the Dagger of Time from the Prince, and destroys it, along with the Sands of Time.
Awards
The success of the Prince of Persia series resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the series 6 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include, "First Motion-Capture Animation in a Video Game" and "Highest Rated Platformer on PS2 and Xbox".
References
- ^ Gamasutra: Q&A: Mechner Talks Prince Of Persia Movie, XBLA Remake
- ^ MTV Multiplayer: Our Giant Guide To Video Game Comics
- ^ Casey Seijas (2008-10-01). "Creator Jordan Mechner Explains The 'Prince Of Persia' Universe, And Where The New Graphic Novel Sits". MTV Splash Page. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
External links
- Prince of Persia Official Website
- Prince of Persia Wiki - detailed information about the Prince of Persia series
- Prince of Persia at MobyGames
- Prince of Persia at the Macintosh Garden
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