Ubisoft Montreal's revival of Prince of Persia. Fluid acrobatics, a dagger of time that rewinds, Arabian Nights writing. Sumptuous art direction and levels staged like ballets. An absolute masterpiece of adventure platforming.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player12+
Description
The Prince of Persia battles time warriors released by the Sands of Time in this Ubisoft GameCube Prince of Persia. Published by Ubisoft, released in the United States in November 2003. Action-adventure with time manipulation, prince wall parkour and palace guardian bosses.
Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Ubisoft Montreal revives the Oriental tale in a sandstone palace bathed in gold and ochre, where broken columns and drifting veils echo Persian miniatures. The architecture reads as an acrobatic playground, and the warm light wraps every hall in an Arabian Nights reverie. A visual setting of timeless elegance.
Stuart Chatwood weaves a rare fusion: Middle-Eastern percussion and instruments, the spellbinding voice of Maryem Tollar and surges of rock guitar. The music breathes with the game, contemplative in the deserted gardens, electric the moment the sands release their monsters. A sonic identity that lastingly shaped the series.
The Prince narrates his own tale, and his voice-over corrects the game in real time: 'no, that's not how it happened' when you die. The power to rewind time is no mere gimmick, it runs through a story of betrayal and redemption alongside Farah. Writing that fuses mechanic and narrative with a rare elegance for its time.
The initial NTSC pressing of Prince of Persia The Sands of Time is the Ubisoft launch edition, predating Rev 1. Collector value comes from the modest GameCube print and from the cult status of Mechner's game.
Is Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time still worth playing in 2026?
A franchise renaissance by Ubisoft Montreal under Jordan Mechner's wing, The Sands of Time reinvents Prince of Persia by blending fluid acrobatics, stylish combat and the famous time rewind system through the magical dagger. The Persian palace, the oriental soundtrack and the Prince's poetic writing build a magnificent universe. An absolute reference of two thousands action adventure, the title keeps all of its grace and remains a timeless classic still today truly here in the catalogue.
