Ubisoft’s 2003 title, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, utilises architecture for both gameplay and narrative reasons throughout the game. On one hand, the game’s architecture and and setting in India are used to complement and facilitate its primary gameplay. On another, the level design and gameflow itself aids in establishing narrative context. Through innovations in character movement and control, as well as contextualisation of mechanics and narrative devices, the game manages to create an cohesive and engaging experience for the player.

Producer Yannis Mallat and define the goals of the game was to create challenging level design, and showcase exciting animation and movement. In the same way that its 1989 predecessor captivated audiences with rotoscoped character animation, this entry aimed to achieve similar results with fluid and elaborate movement. As a result, the story and environments of the game arose out of a need to facilitate for these goals.

Director Patrice Désilets explains that the time-reversal mechanic was added in order to compensate for the decreased precision of navigating 3D space. Similarly, this also affected the narrative as being told through flashback, echoing and perpetuating this concept of time travel. Hence the need to reverse time as a means of reducing frustration partially dictated the game’s aesthetic, narrative structure and themes.

The inclusion of such agile movement and puzzle platforming is therefore complemented by the Indo-Islamic architecture of the game, which not only establishes and reinforces the player’s location throughout the game, but also lends itself to the needs of level design. Expansive, open spaces between platforms enforce the necessity to wall run, while open spaces and high ceilings justify the inclusion of columns as a means of vertical navigation.

Interestingly, the game also weaves sources of health regeneration into its narrative presentation. As opposed to including stereotypical game symbols, Prince of Persia instead chooses to contextualise healing as thirst, as represented by the variety of sources of water placed into each level. Having the prince drink water allows him to heal in a manner that does not break suspension of disbelief, as it remains contextually-relevant. As decorative water fountains and pools fit the established setting better than any kind of health pick-ups, the game’s presentation is hence not undermined by such game elements.

This relationship is bidirectional however, as the level design also serves the narrative in return. For example, a set of painted murals are placed in the level to provide backstory for the player. Additionally, they are deliberately placed on a ledge where the player is taught about wall running – a core mechanic of movement throughout. As the player is most likely going to fail on their first attempt of this particular puzzle, they are presented with this form of implicit narrative without the necessity for cutscenes or cinematics.

While the gameplay and level design were the starting point for the game’s narrative and architectural decisions, it by no means has prevented the designers from interweaving both aspects, creating a truly harmonious experience.