Ubisoft answer questions on the climax of the Prince of Persia series in an interesting Q&A session with Prince of Persia 3's Artistic Director!

Ubisoft have released a press release in the form of a question and answer session. The interview took place with Ubisoft's Olivier Leonardi and began with him being asked the main difference in terms of environments between POP3 and it's two predecessors. He responded that POP3 would be the end of the Sands Trilogy and that it would be the climax of the POP series.

For the first time in the franchise, POP3 will take place primarily outdoors in Babylon, his home city. "Our goal is to make Babylon feel like a rich, vibrant city... but plagued by conflict. That is a huge challenge for our team!" said Leonardi, who explained he took inspiration from the real-life cities of Cairo, Marrakech and Casablanca in the creation of the game. The pre-production of the game was actually done by Ubisoft's studio in Casablanca, which allowed the team to draw on their daily life to add authenticity to the game.

New to the game will be a complex "city above the city" on the rooftops, which will be "the player's kingdom." says Leonardi. "Being a powerful acrobatic warrior, here the Prince reigns as a predator. High on the rooftops, the player will see foes and objectives from a distance. Massive jumps and amazing heights will give players a great sense of vertigo. Conversely, when the Prince is in the streets, the claustrophobic environment will serve to reinforce the feeling of being hunted."

The city will feature many contrasting environments, with a mighty palace and lowly sewers, a lighter "high city" of wealth and prosperity and a darker "low city", home to the poor and decrepit. "Our ambition is to deliver the organic feeling of a Middle Eastern city to players, with its intricate networks of streets and its typical "living" elements. The player will experience Babylon by day and night, which will bring even further variety to his experience."

Asked about the Tower of Babel in the game, Leonardi commented that it would be omnipresent throughout the game. "In POP3, the tower serves as the Royal Palace. It is divided into two parts. The first part is inspired by the bark of a tree � a defensive layer that protects the palace from enemy projectiles or sand storms. The second part � the Royal Palace, is much more open with terraces, apartments, the throne room and the famous Hanging Gardens. All of this splendor overlooks the whole city of Babylon."

We'll have more information on the third and final Cube Prince of Persia game before its release later this year.