Prince of Persia has held a prominent position within Ubisoft’s gaming portfolio, particularly celebrated for the PS2-era reboot trilogy. The trilogy, spanning from 2003’s Sands of Time to 2010’s Forgotten Sands, contributed to the franchise’s stature, releasing almost annually during that period. However, the series entered a prolonged dormancy thereafter. Recent developments indicate a revival, marked by the upcoming Sands of Time remake and the emergence of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Positioned as a 2.5D Metroidvania action platformer, The Lost Crown charts a bold and somewhat divisive course for the series. While some observers perceive it as a departure from the grander scale adventures of the past, others assert that The Lost Crown stands as one of the franchise’s paramount achievements. Check out our thoughts in our Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review.
The Prince of Persia
The narrative of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown centers around Sargon, a member of Persia’s elite warrior force known as the Immortals. Tasked with rescuing the kidnapped titular Prince, Ghassan, Sargon and his fellow Immortals find themselves on Mount Qaf, a location where the conventional rules of time and space appear to lose their grip. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown‘s storyline weaves through intriguing twists and flashy action sequences reminiscent of an anime.
The game’s distinctive cartoony art style complements its stylish cut-scenes, although opinions vary on its in-game presentation. While not inherently lacking, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown‘s visuals occasionally flirt with a dated and generic feel, despite the intentional stylized art. While some players may overlook these graphical nuances, others might find themselves somewhat put off by the visuals as they navigate the landscapes of Mount Qaf.
Metroidvania paradise
Upon Sargon’s arrival at Mount Qaf, players are granted the freedom to explore within the confines of his abilities. Following the Metroidvania blueprint, players encounter inaccessible areas that can only be revisited once Sargon attains new powers. The arsenal of abilities includes standard fare like a dash and double jump, alongside more intriguing time-based skills cleverly integrated into the gameplay.
The gameplay mechanics of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown encompass a trinity of combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving. Sargon initiates with basic strikes, progressively acquiring more advanced moves throughout the game. His dash, double jump, and other abilities contribute to increasingly complex platforming sequences. When not engaged in combat or navigating treacherous traps, players find themselves entangled in tricky puzzles that demand thoughtful deployment of Sargon’s unique skill set.
Utilize your full skillset
Traversing Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown‘s expansive Metroidvania map involves a symphony of fighting, platforming, and puzzle-solving, ensuring a diverse and engaging experience. The game adeptly balances the challenges associated with each element. Platforming, for instance, can pose genuine difficulty, with certain sections evoking a Celeste-like design. Yet, the game manages to keep frustration at bay, partly owing to the exhilarating nature of the platforming itself. Sargon maneuvers through small openings, swings off poles, and dodges obstacles with precise timing, all contributing to an adrenaline-pumping experience.
The challenging platforming sequences seamlessly integrate with the game’s combat dynamics. While common adversaries are dispatched with relative ease, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown introduces genuinely formidable boss fights. These intense battles showcase the best aspects of the game’s combat, compelling players to deploy the full range of Sargon’s abilities for survival.
Soulslite
Although not a soulslike, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown infuses a soulslike feel into certain boss battles, challenging players, especially on standard difficulty settings. Expectations of frequent deaths in these encounters add to the intensity. The developers, however, skillfully walk the fine line, ensuring that the difficulty enhances the experience rather than transforming it into a hair-pulling frustration. The repetition of some bosses might border on monotony, but the overall thrill and edge-of-your-seat fights outweigh this minor drawback.
The pinnacle of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown‘s gaming experience resides in its boss fights, each delivering moments of triumph that resonate with the satisfaction of conquering challenging adversaries in renowned soulslike titles. The only downside is the recurrence of certain bosses, which could potentially dull the excitement, but the overall thrill prevails.
Level the playing field
Players grappling with particularly challenging bosses have options to level the playing field. Although Sargon himself doesn’t undergo leveling up, players can enhance his stats by discovering hidden items within Mount Qaf’s twisted corridors or investing in weapon upgrades and amulets. The game’s expansive map features extensive optional areas, offering valuable rewards for those willing to explore beyond the main quest.
The vastness of Mount Qaf, the setting for The Lost Crown, adds to the game’s allure. Secret rooms and hidden areas beckon exploration, turning each venture into a rewarding experience. However, the game’s backtracking mechanism, inherent to the Metroidvania genre, occasionally borders on the tedious. Fast-travel rooms, while present, might not be abundant enough, subjecting players to stretches of repetitive backtracking.
Genre innovations
Yet, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown introduces a noteworthy quality-of-life feature: Memory Shards. These shards mark the map and capture images of the immediate area, allowing players to document obstacles for future reference. This innovation transcends conventional map marking, offering players the ability to assess the worthiness of backtracking to specific areas. Memory Shards, in essence, redefine the Metroidvania experience and serve as a potential blueprint for other titles in the genre.
Memory Shards aren’t the sole quality-of-life enhancement in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. The game extends a high degree of customization to players, enabling them to tailor the experience to their preferences. The pre-set difficulty options, coupled with the ability to create a custom difficulty, allow players to adjust the combat and platforming challenges according to their skill and preference levels. This inclusivity extends beyond combat and platforming, with optional objective markers that can be toggled off for those seeking a more traditional Metroidvania experience.
Conclusion
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown positions itself as a game accessible to both newcomers to the genre and dedicated Metroidvania enthusiasts. Its appeal lies in its ability to deliver a fantastic Metroidvania experience while standing among the franchise’s elite titles. The game strikes a balance between challenging gameplay, thrilling boss battles, and an expansive world, offering an immersive and satisfying gaming journey that resonates with both its heritage and contemporary gaming expectations. Whether navigating the challenging platforming sections, engaging in intense combat, or unraveling the mysteries of Mount Qaf, players are in for a memorable and gratifying adventure within the Prince of Persia universe.
Pros:
- Flexible Difficulty Settings and Customization Options
- Thrilling Boss Battles and Sense of Accomplishment
- Engaging Narrative
Cons:
- Repetition of enemy types
- Limited Fast-Travel Options
Grade: 9
That was it for our Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is currently available through Amazon Luna, Boosteroid and GeForce Now. Be sure to follow us on Twitter right here.