Loulan: The Cursed Sand Preview: Blend of Prince of Persia and Dark Souls Into a Stunning ARPG

Loulan: The Cursed Sand is a new action RPG based on the Silk Road of China’s ancient westertura. Players play as “The Cursed Sand,” a bony warrior armed with the power of sand, who searches through ruins and piles of bones for his princess.

Love and loss, murder and betrayal in a world of Oriental mystique with the destribting influence of an ancient desert kingdom. And if early reactions are any indication, it seems the Prince of Persia reboot fans have been waiting for.

Checkout the game trailer here

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Damned Warrior Hunting for a Second Chance

It is a game about an expelled royal guard whose job it is to return to his decimated kingdom, recover the princess he was sworn to protect and eliminate the man who stole her. Now stricken by some enigmatic curse, his flesh and organs have been replaced by molten gold and coarse silver sand — testament not simply of his might, but all he has lost.

His bone and sand forms can be interchanged at will with each providing its own, distinct gameplay experience as well as special abilities that unlock new areas to explore and videogame scenarios to complete. This binary nature not only influences the way you play it, but acts as a microcosm of the overarching themes of metamorphosis and impermanence that haunt the game.

Top-Down Soulslike Combat in the Age of Tyranids

Combat in Loulan: The Cursed Sand is of a top-down nature, focussed around skill-based combat and timing. Has a point of view reminiscent of ARPGs such as Hades or Diablo, that the combat is closer in feel to actual melee fighting — one-versus-many skirmishes that emphasize smart movement and terrain use.

The enemy formations are well thought-out, necessitating strategy and environment and character skill use by the player. Each one of those encounters feels crafted and not canned, which hearkens back to the cutscenes brought to you by every God of War or Prince of Persia game that ever was.

The Power of Sand — Combining Creativity And Combat

The game's central hook is its sand-based powers. These powers are more than just attacks, but can also be used for puzzle-solving, altering your environment and strategic experimentation.

You can:

• Build sand structure as bridges or barricades
• Blind or snare your enemies in a swirling storm of dull grey-purple.
• Mold the land to access hidden spaces
• Create seamless combat chains by pairing attacks with abilities

That flexibility turns every fight and puzzle into a creative play space, and makes Loulan feel as much about mastery as it does discovery.

Formidable Bosses and Elite Foes

Staying true to its Soulslike roots, Loulan: The Cursed Sand will test anyone who dares with daunting elites and colossal bosses. Every fight is a matter of recognizing patterns, timing your reactions and mastering the sand powers you’ve had to learn.

These duels are emotional and mechanical high points, they urge players forward to evolve their own fighting style while also diving deeper into the protagonist’s cursed journey.

A World Handmade in the Image of the Silk Road

Visually, Loulan is breathtaking. Each frame feels painted with dust and sunlight with an attention to historical detail that echoes the mystique of the lost Kingdom of Loulan — a real historical site buried under the sands of Taklamakan Desert.

From golden ruins and burnt-out temples to haunting oases, the game’s world design carries a palpable weight of history and loss. Some residents have also commended its art direction as:

“The beauty is all rhapsodic, every scene looking as if someone hand-painted it with sand.”

“Love the Middle Eastern music and vibe.”

The music adds to this feeling, with traditional instruments layering sorrowful notes through the melodies, matching in with the game’s theme of despair and determination.

Community Responses: ‘This Is What Prince of Persia Should Look Like’

Since the announcement, Loulan: The Cursed Sand has garnered tremendous interest from the community. The reveal trailer inspired hundreds of comparisons to classic action games — and was met with near-universal praise for its art and tone.

Here’s what players are saying:

General Impressions

“This is the Prince of Persia we should have got.”

“Looks great — love the art direction.”

“Finally, a good game.”

“Game trailer of the year.”

Gameplay Reactions

“At last, a hack & slash that isn’t another Soulslike.”

“Looks like GoW 1 & 2 gameplay.”

“They’re doing some isometric hack n’ slash — nice.”

Comparisons & References

“Prince of Persia × Dark Souls.”

“It’s Prince of Persia meets God of War in a blender with Hades.”

“Hades like game with a Middle Eastern twist.”

“Old-school God of War vibes.”

The recurring sentiment? They believe Loulan: The Cursed Sand is the essence of what Ubisoft’s original Prince of Persia was — mythic storytelling, stylish combat, and stunning world design — reimagined in an indie production with modern sensibilities.

System Requirements (TBD)

Minimum Requirements:

• 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: TBD
• Processor: TBD
• Memory: TBD
• Graphics: TBD
• Storage: TBD

Recommended Requirements:

• 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: TBD
• Processor: TBD
• Memory: TBD
• Graphics: TBD
• Storage: TBD

Concerns and Criticism

Though the community has limited complaints, it does have a few concerns:

• Developer’s failed projects trail 
• Unconfirmed Xbox release
• Overcrowded ARPG market

It’s all valid complaints, particularly when there is no shortage of indie ARPG’s stepping up to the plate these days. But Loulan has such a unique cultural influence and its visuals definitely have some pop that it could stand out if everything else falls into place.

The Voice of the Fans

Some reactions have made Loulan’s reveal into a meme-like testament of sincere praise:

• “Prince of Loulan 😂.”
• “The gaming industry is healing.”
• “Too late, Ubisoft — they already made a good Prince of Persia reboot.”

You don’t see a new IP from some indie team resonate like that from one trailer very often. That alone testifies to the strength of its presentation.

FAQs – Loulan: The Cursed Sand

Q1: What kind of game is Loulan :The Cursed Sand?

A1: It’s an action RPG in the world of the Silk Road (with historical fantasy tweak), so you can assume that it will let you experience unique kind of adventures from attacking another tribe’s to city, memorizing how to call creepy spirits somewhere out there and violence.

Q2: What are the platforms for Loulan: The Cursed Sand?

A2: Platforms have not been officially announced, but the trailer indicates a PC release will be first. Console releases are often asked about by players, who want the game on both Xbox and PlayStation.

Q3: Can you tell us more about the content of this game?

A3: Top-Down Melee Combat with Dual Form Mechanics (Bone & Sand forms), puzzle solving, exploration and boss fights inspired by Dark Souls and Prince of Persia.

Q4: Is Loulan: The Cursed Sand multiplayer?

A4: No multiplayer has been revealed. The status quo is that its going to be a single player, narrative driven game.

Q5: When is Loulan - The Cursed Sand going to be released?

A5: No release date announced yet. Details will be forthcoming, but after the recent announcement trailer, that’s all systems go: NEW RESIDENT EVILLLLL (and no doubt people wanted to know what those Who You Gonna Call looking lights would represent).

Q6: What’s this about people comparing it to Prince of Persia?

A6: It’s very reminiscent of the classic Prince of Persia series with it’s art style, desert setting, smooth combat and Middle Eastern flair — but in a much darker, tragic tone.

Final Thoughts

Loulan: The Cursed Sand became one of the most popular indie RPGs this year. Of ancient mythology, hand-painted artistry and skill-based combatIt has struck a deep chord with players looking for something new — but still familiar.

If the final game can live up to that promise, Loulan might find itself nestled among the current crop of indie standouts such as Hades and Blasphemous, while doing some sand-footed dance of its own in history.