‘Rant-review’ combines analysis with uncut opinion that looks more at the context surrounding the game than what the game itself contains.
Rule of thumb when making a video game is to have a reason for making the game. This is the problem with The Forgotten Sands: it doesn’t have one. There is no legitimate reason for its existence, and this irks me greatly.
I would be more accepting of its existence if the game wasn’t rife with problems. The sword-fighting feels stale and monotonous and when you’re thrown into fighting set-pieces with whole squadrons of the undead the monotony is amplified. It’s a development no-no to have enemy fights triggered by entering an area and it’s an even bigger no-no to bunch the enemies up together in big groups like a moshpit – increase the difficulty of fighting your opponents through game progression, don’t increase the amount of them.
Swinging & jumping around the environment still has a bit of its charm left...
Another problem is the game’s length (or lack thereof). I completed it in one sitting and was done with it – Ubisoft threw in a point-based upgrade system but after the halfway mark I was already overpowering my enemies with just a couple of powers. There are collectibles which give you extra points outside of killing enemies but unless you have a guide-book handy you won’t find them all first time round, meaning you won’t fully upgrade the Prince.
Re-playability value here is very low: getting all the collectibles alone isn’t a good reason for playing the game through again because you have no personal connection to the game whatsoever.
You don’t feel for the characters – The Forgotten Sands is an empty, hollow experience of swinging on poles and jumping around things. The game tries to make you feel for the Prince’s dilemma of having to kill his brother to save the kingdom but it’s hard to feel sympathetic to his plight when the Prince constantly throws out cheap one-liners while running around the place. There is a side character who acts as a helper but her purpose wears thin and when she literally becomes integral to the storyline you spend the rest of the game wishing she didn’t exist – she provides sword sound effects later on that are not too dissimilar to Maria Sharapova playing tennis.
I’ll play nice for a little bit by detailing a few redeeming features the game offers: there is a marginally acceptable storyline running through it and there are a couple of enjoyably reminiscent cut scenes and gameplay mechanics that add a rewarding level of nostalgia. The time-reversal system is still fun to use too and Ubisoft included the ability to freeze water when you stop time, which gave the game a rare breath of fresh air.
Reminiscent is not good enough though: if I’m expected to pay £40 for a video game I don’t want to play a six/seven hour game that is almost completely void of ingenuity or originality. I appreciated Ubisoft’s attempted rebooting of the Prince of Persia franchise a few years ago: it was a bold move and while it didn’t pay off it showed that Ubisoft were willing to take a risk in the hopes of giving gamers a new experience within the Prince of Persia franchise.
For some reason, The Forgotten Sands includes an Arena mode where the focus is purely on the poor sword-fighting. It's not like the enemies were varied either: the genericism was copy and paste clear...
It appears though that my admiration of Ubisoft’s boldness was short-lived – what Ubisoft have done with Prince of Persia is what Marvel did with the Hulk film franchise. Rather than allow the reboot of their franchise to continue despite mixed critical reception, Marvel opted for sticking to the norm and making a more fan and franchise-friendly Hulk film that was comfortable in the norm. Ubisoft have done the same with The Forgotten Sands, although Marvel did a better job with their reboot of a reboot.
I can understand why Ubisoft would want to go back to basics but what I can’t understand is why they actually did. The Forgotten Sands doesn’t need to exist – it’s interquel status is very clear as you realise rather quickly that you’re not playing anything innovative or creative. You don’t remember the story, you don’t feel any connection to the game or the characters within it and when you’ve finished with it you’re still having that aching for Sands of Time you had pre-Forgotten Sands.
If The Forgotten Sands exists to unofficially accompany and make money off the film release, shame on Ubisoft. If it exists because Ubisoft wanted to try and forgot their failed Prince of Persia reboot by making a back-to-its-roots game that lacks creativity or purpose other than to give in to the fan demand, then shame on Ubisoft.
Rating: 
