May 1^st, 2008 (11:58am) - Sick of rewinding time? Angst-ridden brat-prince getting on your nerves? Just need a change of pace in your Middle Eastern mythology inspired gaming? Then do we have news for you. Ubisoft’s hallowed Prince of Persia series will be seeing several overhauls for its next-gen debut.

The company has revealed that they’re taking the series in an all-new direction, one which appears to have no connection with the Sands of Time universe. The graphics are reportedly going to be cel-shaded, so anyone turned off by the grimy and edgy look found in Warrior Within, and to a lesser extent The Two Thrones should be at peace.

The new story will cover an actual Persian myth and story in "Arabian Nights." The legend tells of twin deity brothers, Ohrmazd and Ahriman. Ahriman is evil and was imprisoned in a magic box after a battle with his brother, but he eventually an unsuspecting thief accidentally frees him. Ahriman has the power to remake the world in his image, and this thief (your prince) will need to rise up and set things right.

As the prince attempts to defeat Ahriman, the world is healed and made beautiful again. The game’s creative director, Jean-Christophe Guyot, said the game is "Zelda-esque" with "old school, very contrasting levels."

Combat has also seen some retooling, being described as Soul Calibur as opposed to God of War. The platforming, however, will remain largely intact. The prince has access to spiked gloves when climbing to slide along walls, which could open up new elements in gameplay. The game world is said to employ a combination of sandbox and linear environments, and makes use of "assault courses" to challenge players.

We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available. A release date is currently unknown, as are what systems the game will appear on.