Project #2 - Case Study 4

Another example of siblings is Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.
Spoilers ahoy, since explaining the story is necessary to explain the characters.

In a way, this is a slightly different scenario to those which I had already looked at, while on the other hand it could be argued that it comes down to the same thing.

At any rate, Forgotten Sands begins with the Prince on his way to visit his brother Malik and his kingdom in order to learn from him, to find that the city has come under siege. Malik is a capable man, but he welcomes the Prince's arrival and enlists his help in defending the city. He is central to the plot of the game, since *spoilers* it is Malik who insists on releasing Solomon's Army which doesn't turn out the way he intends it. Because of the Prince's brother, the player is hurled into a battle against raging sand monsters. 

The relationship between the two seems to be a strong one, enough that the Prince begins to notice the changes in Malik as the game progresses. A strong character though Malik is, initially leading them all, he beings to lose his way and the player experiences the Prince's dismay. There is a familiarity in this discord, as it can represent real life situations. Again, it is the topic of family that creates a strong link between the character and the player. The Prince's concern is reflected on us.

Another point is that Malik is likeable character, as is the Prince, and the player feels the rift forming between them as Malik is consistently separated from his brother by a hair's breadth representing the differences in their morals in a way. Then, when Malik is eventually consumed by Ratash, the Prince is burdened with the task of having to attack his own brother.

The significance of Malik being his bother here is that the Prince is forced to turn on him, which puts him in a moral dilemma - as well as the player in his shoes. Malik is a constant presence in the game, and the Prince battles to preserve his brother's moral judgement. In other words, Malik is of great significance in Forgotten Sands and plays a particular role, so much so because he IS the brother of the Prince. In this case, it would be far weaker a plot should it be any other character. In Forgotten Sands, Malik is an integral part of the game space, since he is the reason for the Prince's coming to the Kingdom and the ruler of it.