Verdict Summary
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a metroidvania game that suffers from a slow start, with its initial hours featuring overly simple platforming and a lackluster narrative. However, as the game progresses, it introduces more complex mechanics and abilities that significantly improve the gameplay experience, making the latter part of the game much more engaging.
Need to Know
Genre: Time-bending metroidvania
Release date: January 18, 2024
Expect to pay: £45 / $50
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Reviewed on: Nvidia GeForce RTX3070, AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, 32GB RAM
Gameplay Review
Initial Impressions
The gameplay of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown starts off with a simplistic approach to platforming, which may not immediately grab the player’s attention. The beginning hours are characterized by basic movements such as jumping, sliding, and ground dashing, with little to challenge the player’s skills.
Time Powers Unleashed
However, as the game progresses, it introduces a variety of new abilities that significantly enhance the gameplay and add depth to the puzzles and platforming challenges.
Story and Characters
The narrative of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown centers around a new protagonist, Sargon, who is a member of the Immortals, tasked with protecting Prince Ghassan and the safety of Persia. The story unfolds with Sargon’s mentor, Anahita, taking Ghassan to Mount Qaf, a place where time behaves erratically, leading to a series of mysterious events and characters emerging.
Combat System
The combat system in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is intricately tied to the Time Powers that players acquire throughout the game. These powers are not only essential for navigating the platforming challenges but also play a crucial role in combat, allowing for a variety of attack strategies and maneuvers.
Accessibility and Difficulty
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown offers a range of difficulty settings and accessibility options to cater to different player needs. The combat difficulty can be adjusted through standard options or fine-tuned with sliders that control aspects such as damage dealt and received, meter buildup, and the timing windows for parrying and dodging.
- Exploration mode provides a traditional metroidvania experience.
- Guided mode offers a more straightforward approach by marking objectives and blocked paths for easier navigation.
- The Memory Shard system allows players to take screenshots of areas they wish to revisit and pin them to the map.
- Option to bypass difficult platforming challenges for accessibility.
In conclusion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown presents a metroidvania experience that is initially hampered by a slow and unremarkable start. The early hours of the game may test the player’s patience with its simplicity and lack of narrative engagement. However, those who persevere are rewarded with a more compelling second half that showcases the game’s true potential with intricate platforming and inventive puzzles.
