Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a side-scrolling Metroidvania-style action game, developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, who are best known for creating games like Rayman Legends, Beyond Good and Evil, and Valiant Hearts. This is the first proper Prince of Persia game in over a decade (remember The Forgotten Sands?), and bucking the 3D action/platformer trend that the series has been following since The Sands of Time, The Lost Crown takes the franchise back to its 2D roots. Thankfully, this is a spin-off that’s surprisingly fun to play, rich with content, and crafted with passion.
The Tale of the Cursed Mount
Flipping the script of the expected formula, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown does not see you controlling the eponymous royal heir. Instead, you play as Sargon, one of the Seven Immortals, warriors who act as royal guards and protectors of Persia. After enduring an attack from a rivaling nation, Sargon is betrayed and the prince of Persia is kidnapped, sending him on a rescue mission to the cursed Mount Qaf. Diving into the danger headfirst, Sargon must unravel a deep-seated conspiracy and prove his loyalty to save Persia and the world beyond.
While the premise is interesting enough to get Sargon’s journey started, the intrigue wears off after a few hours. Apart from some quirky characters and cool moments of environmental storytelling, the core narrative rarely gripped me. The Lost Crown is definitely a gameplay-focused title, but even so, it’s obvious that the developers have tried to deliver a narrative that is both enticing and culturally accurate. Sure, the lip-syncing might be a little scuffed in cutscenes, but The Lost Crown features a full Farsi voice-over, which is a worthwhile trade-off. It might not be the best story ever told in a Prince of Persia game, but for the Metroidvania genre, it’s a commendable effort nonetheless.
Slash, Dash, Explore, and More
It’s a good thing that Ubisoft Montpellier leaned into their strengths and chose to make Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown a 2D action adventure, because it’s a damn good one. While slightly reminiscent of the 1989 original, The Lost Crown modernizes every aspect of its gameplay, providing stellar combat, exploration, and traversal. It’s fast, snappy, and feels great to control, rivaling other titans in the genre like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Dead Cells, and Hollow Knight.
Mount Qaf is broken up into roughly 10 different zones, and while the first few run together, you’ll explore some truly evocative areas during your adventure. Even with an excellent map system that offers custom waypoints and snapshots to spark your memory, there’s an emphasis on discovery, as the game rarely points you directly toward your next goal. It’s fun to get lost in the delve, desperately seeking the next replenishing Wak-Wak Tree checkpoint to refill your limited potions and assess your surroundings.
As you make progress through Mount Qaf, you’ll unlock various abilities like the double jump, air dash, and more, making it easier (and faster) to get around. Sargon is equipped with dual swords (and eventually a bow and chakram), which can be upgraded at the blacksmith Kaheva to dole out more damage. Combat offers a nice mix of combos, air juggling, and ranged attacks, along with parries, dodging, and more. You’ll also find amulets that provide passive skill buffs, unlock devastating Athra Surge attacks, and more. These various gameplay mechanics are introduced at a perfectly steady pace, slowly ramping up the power fantasy at a digestible and satisfying rate.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has plenty of side content too, including various fetch quests, hidden bosses, and collectibles to find. While exploring, it’s common to encounter agility courses, puzzle rooms, and other self-contained challenges that shake up the standard gameplay loop. Overall, The Lost Crown has some remarkably impressive level design that encourages curiosity, and I had a blast searching through every nook and cranny of Mount Qaf.
