I think they actually nailed the aesthetic in the 2008 game, but I'm still annoyed how in every iteration the Prince just looks like an average white guy, blue/green eyes and everything.I'm playing the 2008 game currently and I'm impressed that Elika speaks Persian/Farsi when performing magic (usually stuff along the lines of "show us the way"). They also tied it into Zoroastrian mythology as well which was neat. Would be cool if future games tapped into the Shahnameh for inspiration.
But yeah agreed. They could do a more fantastical/mystical game based on the Shahnameh stories (or just Persian mythology in general), would be a welcome change from the Medieval/Nordic/Greek themes we've had so much of.