Prince of Persia lost crown

Once one of the most beloved video game franchises, Prince of Persia has been lost to the sands of time. (Pardon the pun!) With the latest release dating way back to 2010, it seemed like Ubisoft, and even the fans of the series, have all but forgotten about it. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the remake of The Sands of Time seemed to have been stuck in a development limbo for eternity. So, no one could blame the fans for wishing the Persian prince would just kindly crawl back into the depth of oblivion. Enter The Lost Crown, the soothing light at the end of the tunnel.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown takes a step back, in the most positive way. Ubisoft wisely didn’t set itself up for failure by setting unrealistically high expectations. Instead of releasing another Assassin’s Creed clone (as if there aren’t enough of them already), it focused on delivering a solid, fun gaming experience on a smaller scale. The Lost Crown is a 2.5D side-scrolling platformer, reminiscent of the earlier days of the franchise.

For the first time in the series, the main character is not the titular prince himself. The Lost Crown follows an original character, named Sargon, a talented but inexperienced member of the Immortals (an elite military unit of ancient Persia), who is tasked with rescuing the prince and safely returning him home. The Lost Crown’s story did a good job of keeping me invested throughout the whole game. The characters, especially Sargon, are well-developed and well-acted. It’s a pleasant and welcome surprise for us Iranians that Ubisoft has employed a cast of professional, experienced native voice actors for the Persian localization. The localization was executed perfectly, making the experience all the more enjoyable for us Iranian gamers. But that isn’t to say that non-Persian speakers will not enjoy the voice acting. Not at all. In fact, I believe the English voice actors have done a great job as well.

Let’s be honest. We all know that no one is playing a Prince of Persia game for its highly captivating narrative. We’re all here for one reason: fun, engaging gameplay. There are two types of people: 1) those who are sick and tired of all these Metroidvania releases and 2) those who can’t get enough of them. If you belong in the first camp, The Lost Crown is going to be a tough sell. But if you’re one of the latter, you’re in for a treat. The Metroidvania-based gameplay loop and map design suck you in the moment you pick up the controller. The controls are responsive and smooth. Sargon’s movements, especially when he engages with the enemy, are so detailed and polished. Enemy designs are varied and highly detailed, and the boss battles are unique and challenging. The game encourages you to use every trick in the bag to overcome the bosses.

However, combat is hardly the main focus of a Metroidvania. You’ll spend most of your time platforming and solving well-designed environmental puzzles. Time manipulation is an important element in the design of these puzzles and platforms, which is reminiscent of The Sands of Time trilogy.

As with most Metroidvania titles, The Lost Crown involves moving back and forth between various sections of the map. Several parts of the map are accessible only after acquiring certain upgrades, so make sure to visit the previous sections after unlocking an upgrade. If this sense of completion and seeing the whole map changing color one room at a time is what you enjoy as a gamer, you’re going to have a good time with The Lost Crown.

This latest Prince of Persia installment is made with the Unity engine, which is more than capable of supporting a 2.5D side-scrolling game. The Lost Crown is not exactly a model of graphical fidelity, but it does look pretty. The environment and character models are designed with care, and the vibrant colors never get dull. The music department deserves a lot of credit as well. They have done a good job of capturing the mythical vibes of ancient Persia and its rich history.

While not being a main entry in the series, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a spin-off title worthy of the name of Prince of Persia. The bar was high, but I’d say The Lost Crown more than meets the expectations. It’s a fun, solid gaming experience and a beacon of hope for the strong return of the Persian prince.

Rating: 90/100