New screens of the next generation Prince Of Persia were unveiled at E3 a few days ago. It's pretty clear that Ubisoft is leading POP into another direction. The cell-shading effect and Icelandic tunes serve as the biggest hints.

From the looks of it, the Prince is no longer able to deny the laws of physics either. He certainly can't mess with time. A secondary character has been added, presumably to make up for this minor stint of crapiness. Elika essentially wanders around with The Prince and does everything that he does: exploration, puzzle solving and some acrobatic ninjitsu. Elika also does an unusual amount of rescuing. If The Prince climbs a pole but slips -- Elika saves him. If The Prince jumps face first into the poison ivy -- Elika saves him. If The Prince is suffering from a massive head wound -- Elika saves him. Elika is always trailing behind.

Ubisoft says there are three categories of health: Healthy Weakened Grounded
If you notice, there is no DEAD category. A euphematic "grounded" has occupied that space. If The Prince is "grounded," Elika jumps into rescue-mode. Did you hear that? The Prince is f*cking invincible! I believe this is the only thing that can possibly make up for the lack of time-control.

Now some quick differences between the two princes

Old Prince Of Persia
Occupation: Sultan
Weapons Of Choice: Broad Sword & Time Dagger
Special Powers: Bending time

New Prince Of Persia
Occupation: Thief
Weapons Of Choice: Long Sword & Gauntlet
Special Powers: Invincibility

Now think about it. Could Jake Gyllenhaal play either of these men?
Check out the trailer and see for yourself