The canceled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake featured new time-bending mechanics and a tribute to the 1089 original, according to a new report.
New details about the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake have surfaced through a series of posts from Reddit user SocramVelmar (via princeozzyX on Twitter/X), who worked on the now canceled project. Engaging directly with fans, the developer offered insight into the game’s troubled development, creative ambitions, and the factors that ultimately led to its cancellation.
According to SocramVelmar, while the remake was “close” to completion, it was not truly “ready.” Internally, there was no single, unified creative vision guiding the project. Leaked character designs were not final and were representative of an ongoing, and often contentious, design process. Multiple interpretations of how the game should be designed led to frequent back-and-forth, making it difficult for the project to have a consistent vision.
Despite these issues, the remake reportedly stayed faithful to the core identity of the 2003 original. The Dagger of Time, a central mechanic in The Sands of Time, remained largely unchanged. The foundation, including fluid platforming, clean swordplay, and the seamless blending of combat and platforming, also remained intact. Rather than leaning into flashy combos or overly complex systems, the combat encouraged timing, positioning, and environmental awareness.
The development team had also layered some new time-based mechanics on top of the 2003 original’s gameplay for the remake. For instance, instead of using time purely as a rewind tool, the remake experimented with the idea of time leaving “echoes.” Players could briefly cooperate with past versions of the Prince, having an earlier action complete a jump, hold a lever, or distract an enemy while his present version moved forward. These mechanics were described as a natural evolution of the original concept rather than gimmicks.
The developer also revealed subtle nods to the franchise’s roots, including a tribute to the original 1989 Prince of Persia. One moment referenced a tense fight, where precise timing was everything.
Ultimately, the project was canceled late in development amid internal uncertainty and concerns over layoffs.
