Review

Prince of Persia is back with a bang!

11-1-2024

After more than ten years, Prince of Persia is celebrating a comeback as a Metroidvania with The Lost Crown. Reactions to the first trailer in the summer were subdued. Mistakenly, as it turns out.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the first Prince of Persia game since 2010 (I’m not counting the mobile title Escape 2) and it’s not what fans want. The protagonist isn’t the prince, it’s not a continuation of the popular Sands of Time series from the noughties, and the animated film graphics don’t fit the image of the Persian prince, whose realistic graphics were so admired in the original version. So, it wasn’t a matter of if, but how badly Ubisoft Montpellier would mess up The Lost Crown.

After almost 30 hours of play, I’m taking the crown off. It’s the best Metroidvania-style game since Metroid Dread. And that was my game of the year for 2021.

Jordan Mechner developed the first Prince of Persia for the Apple 2. Inspired by the fairy tales from One Thousand and One Nights and the Indiana Jones films, the action platformer was one of the first cinematic video games. As a nameless prisoner, you had to free a princess from the Sultan’s clutches. In order to get the most natural animation possible, Mechner filmed his brother and recorded the movements on the computer. This technique – known as rotoscoping – had previously only been used in animated films.

The prince in the DOS version.
Source: Simon Balissat

When the prophet goes to the mountain

The premise of The Lost Crown is simple: the Prince of Persia has been kidnapped and taken to Mount Qaf. I’m supposed to free him from the clutches of my crazy former mentor Anahita. I play as Sargon, an elite fighter who – together with his squad known as The Immortals – searches on and around the mountain for the prince.

Above all, Sargon can hit.
Source: Simon Balissat

It soon becomes clear that nothing on the mountain is as it seems. Time is going crazy, soldiers, zombies, animals and ghosts are attacking us and our comrades are losing it. I explore the world more and more deeply and start to doubt my own perception more and more.

It helps that I keep getting new powers from the mysterious bird Simurgh, who has his nest on the mountain. With every newfound power, I go even more mad. Luckily, the few creatures that live on Mount Qaf help me. These include a quirky old man, a gruff blacksmith and a cheeky local girl who makes money by selling cards and tips.

On and on…

I also urgently need the cards she’s selling. Characteristic of Metroidvania games, the stage is made up of large levels. The path is the goal; exploring the level is the main part of the game. This works incredibly well with The Lost Crown. At first, I move slowly and sedately between lush forests, damp caves and arid deserts. Little by little, I unlock new powers that give me more mobility.

I can only activate this lift with a special ability.
Source: Simon Balissat

Suddenly, the cliff that previously towered high above us is accessible, or I can call the lift that previously wouldn’t move. This also means that I have to go back to places I’ve already been later in the game because new paths open up. One feature that makes navigating the levels much easier is a kind of camera. I can take a snapshot of my current location, which is then plotted on the map, so I can see immediately whether I can use my new powers to make a difference in the old spot. Ingenious!

Climbing is also one of the protagonist’s main activities.
Source: Simon Balissat

In the levels themselves, between the safe ground and fragile platforms, there are sharp spikes or angular crystals that mean certain death. This requires skilful finger gymnastics on the input device. Some of these sequences are based on the «trial and error» principle. Not a big deal as death costs me some of my life force but doesn’t mean the end of the game. Sargon is simply transported to the beginning of the sequence and I can try again.

Of course, traps with spikes are a must.
Source: Simon Balissat

Fighting like Conor McGregor

Between or during these sequences, an enemy rabble tries to attack me. I slaughter desert snakes, forest gnomes or wild birds with the help of my sabres, a bow or a frisbee – called the Chakram. The fights are like a deadly dance where I anticipate enemy attacks, dodge them or counter them in order to strike back with full force. The more skilfully I do this, the more Athra energy I collect. This can then be converted into devastating special attacks.

Crash, bang, wallop!
Source: Simon Balissat

Such Athra powers are particularly helpful during the boss fights, which are spread over the entire mountain. These are opulently staged confrontations in several acts, announced by cartoon-like clips that demand everything I’ve got. Blunt blows result in certain death, so I have to manoeuvre skilfully, wait and strike at the right moment to keep the upper hand. Internalising the enemy’s attacks can become an entire evening’s task on the higher levels of difficulty. The satisfaction is all the greater when I put an end to the spectacle with the final blow.

How tough do you like it?

Speaking of difficulty, in contrast to other Metroidvania titles, Prince of Persia can be shifted gradually between beginner and immortal. In addition, I can intervene and adjust enemy damage, enemy health or environmental damage as I see fit.

The level of difficulty can be adjusted individually.
Source: Simon Balissat

Fighting is also made easier by upgrading our weapons at the blacksmith or by wearing amulets that strengthen my weapons, reduce damage or even freeze time after successful deflections. However, I only have a limited number of slots on my necklace, so I have to opt for fewer amulets.

The options also include displaying the next destination on the map in order to move forward more quickly. This option turned out to be deceptive for me, as the destination is displayed, but the way there remains hidden.

Persian voices

In terms of technology, the new Prince of Persia impresses across the board: a constant frame rate of 144 fps on the PC ensures silky-smooth gameplay. And you can get up to 120 fps on PS5 and Xbox Series X. I didn’t encounter any bugs. I only got stuck once, but I’m not sure whether I just couldn’t find the way out. Everything is designed with so much attention to detail that I’m constantly amazed.

For example, it wasn’t until the end credits that I found out that there was even voice acting in Farsi, the Persian language. How cool is that? Speaking of audio, the soundtrack deserves a mention. It sits somewhere between rock guitar and ethno-jazz and constantly surprises – from calm atmospheres to progressive symphony – without ever seeming intrusive.

My precious! Of course, treasure chests are essential.
Source: Simon Balissat

Verdict: the prince is dead, long live the prince!

Who would have thought it? Prince of Persia is back with a bang! The Metroidvania treatment has done our ageing prince some good. They haven’t reinvented the wheel, but the developers at Ubisoft Montpellier are masters of all things 2D. A world full of secrets, epic boss fights, tricky platforming sequences and enchanting animations ensure the first big surprise of the gaming year.

The minimalism is great. The experience isn’t diluted by hundreds of new weapons and skills. There are no microtransactions for better weapons. I never get distracted, so I can put concentration into my tasks in the game world. Only the main character Sargon and the story deserve a little more depth in my opinion. But this doesn’t detract from the fun of the game.

Almost out of nowhere, Prince of Persia has become a contender for the «Metroidvania of the year» award.

Enchanté, your excellency!

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is available from 18 January for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Switch. The game was provided to me by Ubisoft for testing purposes.