It’s a good time to be a fan of the Prince of Persia series. A remake of the brilliant Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is still in the works, despite a few bumps in the road. And Ubisoft Montpellier have also just snuck out a little something to hold us over. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown came out of nowhere and serves as the first major instalment in the series since 2010’s Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.
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The Lost Crown brings the spotlight well and truly back onto the franchise. A slick and polished Metroidvania adventure that celebrates the series’ 2D side-scrolling roots, but also feels like a title built for 2024.
For all of its 2D Prince of Persia odes, nods and influences, The Lost Crown is unafraid to mix up the formula. For a start, you don’t play the titular Prince. Instead, you fill the sandals of a new hero called Sargon. You are a member of an elite group of seven warriors called The Immortals, whose job is to protect Persia from any and all threats.
Nothing Sacred
Things all kick off when a once-loyal soldier kidnaps Prince Ghassan – the heir to the throne of Persia. So, it’s up to Sargon and his gang of heroes to travel to the cursed city of Mount Qaf to rescue the Prince. And you may as well get to the bottom of what’s really going on since you are there.
And, all is not as it seems. Dark powers are at work and the city is trapped in a timeless place. A temporal limba where time has been shattered, and the tortured souls of those trapped there hunt for peace.
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It’s a solid tale, well told and well paced. You are greeted with one mystery after another and are always kept on your toes on the story front. It blends series lore with ancient Persian mythology to whip up something highly intriguing and interesting.
Upper Hand
And while the story of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is good, the gameplay is outstanding. The entire repertoire of movement feels great. Jumping, sliding, air dashing and quickly travelling your way around the huge hulk of a city is a joy.
Movement is pin sharp though weighted and starts out simple, but soon ramps up to the point you’ll be tackling complex platforming sections – where timing and precision are key, as you chain together jumps and slides, all while the world around you is falling apart.
And the extremely healthy Metroidvania-style core under all its glitz and glam doles out novelty and challenge at a perfect pace.
Kiana Kombat
When not dodging pitfalls and walls of spikes, you’ll be fighting for your life against a host of enemies and bosses. The difficulty is such that a well-timed dodge or parry is truly the difference between life and death.
The enemies you face are ever evolving. You always have to pay attention to their moves and patterns, as each will need a unique combo of defence and attack moves to overcome.
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has a nice depth to the combat system that is enriched by a slick buff system. You manage these buffs by collecting amulets and spending time crystals to upgrade yourself and weapons.
Puzzle Pounder
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown also features the Athra Surges; a series of powerful moves you can collect and unlock. The Athra Surge system adds an extra layer to combat, and can really save your bacon in a boss fight.
All these elements come together to create a buttery smooth fighting system that grows with you as you get stronger and begin understanding the world. Fights that you may have found challenging, become a walk in the park and give way to even more challenging encounters.
Exploring the Depths
The world of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is extremely well-designed. It creates an ever evolving Metroidvania style flow. You’ll find new and diverse biomes each with their own feel and look.
It also has that rewarding hook of making it worth your time to go off the beaten track and explore every nook and cranny. You’ll always be rewarded when your curiosity takes hold. Be it some collectables or a mini-boss fight – you never truly know what lies ahead.
Artistic Powers
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is visually striking, with a heavily stylised look. The game blends a ruined and burnt-out world with some magical touches of colour bringing it all to life.
The soundtrack similarly creates a memorable tone and mood. More importantly, the score knows when and where to make its presence felt. The voice acting is very good across the board. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown features an interesting mix of accents, especially for a game set in the Middle East.
Shining Statue
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is that rarest of things these days – a true surprise. This entry could be overlooked with the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake on the way, but it deserves your time.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown serves as a spiritual successor to the series origins. It resurrects a style long considered unfashionable in the AAA sphere, but beats the big drum to its own rhythm.
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And The Lost Crown succeeds as a 2.5D action-puzzle-platformer by framing the genre’s strengths in new and interesting ways, as well as perfecting the central pillars of the experience.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown also does something that decades-old series often fail to do. That is, create something that fans and newcomers can enjoy. I just hope this isn’t the last time we’ll see Sargon and co.