Prince of Persia and I have a connection. Back in the days when computers were rare in schools and children would fight over who got to play on them, the original Prince of Persia was one that was often loaded up via floppy disc. Of course, we had no idea of where to go or what to do. But seeing each other die repeatedly to traps and surprises always amused us as we gawked at the cartoon-like animations.
Having fond memories of the classic Prince of Persia 2D titles, I was exceedingly excited when The Lost Crown debuted at Ubisoft’s show this past summer. Even better was learning it was being developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, developers of the beloved Rayman Origins and Legends. On paper, this was a match made in heaven. And thankfully, it wasn’t merely on paper.
Sturdy Foundation
In The Lost Crown you take the role of Sargon, the youngest of several warriors forming a group named The Immortals who oversee the protection of Persia. After a brief introduction to the supporting cast, an event occurs to, no pun intended, the prince…of Persia, and The Immortals set off to an ancient city in the mystical Mount Qaf to attempt to uncover what’s really going on.
Perhaps the most important aspect to understand about The Lost Crown is it is a full-blown Metroidvania. As you initially set out, you have the most basic set of skills and abilities as it eases you into the flow of the game and early level design. Fortunately, it feels engaging immediately, and it took no time at all for me to feel invested in my surroundings and the role of Sargon as the protagonist.
As with any good Metroidvania, your capabilities continually expand over time and encourage you to continue exploring new, progressively more challenging areas. This is one of the many highlights of The Lost Crown. Its ever-expanding map and level-design are brilliant and reach heights that few games in the genre do. In combination with a steady cadence of discoveries, side stories, and upgrades, you rarely want to put the game down.
Also spread across Mount Qaf are a large number of secrets that you can uncover organically over time. Revisiting areas is very often rewarded with a new path or upgrade item, which is another aspect that adds to the addictive gameplay loop. Since the map expands greatly over time, and you’ll be revisiting areas frequently, it’s fortunately well-implemented. It’s easy to identify the paths you need to take with additional details featured in each area through unique artwork. Using the menu, you can also place markers as reminders as you see fit. It’s a small touch but one I found myself using quite often.
Spread throughout the game world are “Wak-Wak” trees which act similar to a Dark Souls bonfire: you refill all of your items and health, but the area’s enemies respawn. Eventually you unlock some fast travel locations to go alongside a few of the Wak-Wak trees, but early-on it can be a little bit of a chore working your way back through the levels repeatedly, particularly if you simply want to explore.
Polished by Friction
As you continue exploring Mount Qaf and conquer the various challenges throughout, you’ll unlock new weapons and abilities. A wide-range of powerful amulets can also be found or earned, each of which provides an enhancement or additional protection. All of your weapons and amulets can eventually be upgraded at The Haven, a small sanctuary featuring a few noteworthy NPCs. Here, you can purchase upgrades, hone your skills with a trainer, learn more of Mount Qaf’s lore, and even buy hints relating to your main objectives.
The trainer is a nice addition and functions much like the training mode in modern fighting games. He will walk you through each aspect of the combat system and enable you to practice and perfect your skills while being invincible. Dodging and parrying are critical to success, and the combat styles contain a great amount of depth, particularly in the later areas of the game, so being able to practice them in a safe environment is welcome.
Complimenting your overall loadout are “Athra Surges,” which essentially act as a super-ability. As you conquer enemies and parry or dodge attacks successfully, you build your Athra Surge meter up which enables you to unleash an ultra-powerful attack that can wipe out multiple enemies at once or bring a boss to its knees. Extremely powerful surges can be acquired in the later stages of the game and require 2 or 3 full meters to activate. The most powerful ones feature anime-like, cinematic activations and can turn the tide of a battle instantly. Thus, using them wisely is imperative!
Most critically, all of the above, each movement, combo, and parry, can be executed flawlessly due to the level of polish on display. The Lost Crown flows beautifully without fail, and, should you master the inputs and skill combinations, you will be rewarded with highlight reel-worthy flurries of action and chaos.
By the late stages of the game, there are some truly remarkable combinations you can pull off with the full suite of powers and weaponry. Each time I would successfully navigate a tricky level or conquer a challenging enemy was exhilarating. In that vein, The Lost Crown feels infinitely rewarding, which is primarily due to the gameplay and level structure being so keenly designed and polished by the team at Ubisoft Montpellier.
This extends further to the boss battles, some of which are epic on scale that is surprising for a 2D game. Clearly, an extensive amount of time was spent on their design, and it pays dividends through and through. Having cinematic introductions, glorious musical scores, and multi-tiered ability suites, several of them are not only memorable but require every skill at your disposal. I have to specifically applaud the animation and art direction on display in some of the battles as they are incredibly impressive. At times, they are pure spectacle.
If I have any nitpick at all with regard to the enemies, it would be that near the end-game there are a few areas which throw the kitchen sink at you. By that I mean, you are forced to battle of waves of enemies you’ve seen before to progress. I’ve never been a fan of that approach, and I’m not here. Fortunately, those moments are not egregious and only rear their ugly head a couple of times.
Past, Present, & Future
The journey you take as Sargon is filled with twists and turns, some of which I certainly didn’t expect. To be clear, this is not a game grounded in reality. The Lost Crown fully embraces its fantasy roots with not only the combat and movement abilities, but with its narrative as well. It uses that foundation well, though, as the fantasy aspects tie directly into the NPCs, enemies, and boss encounters.
The characters and tales can even be heartwarming at times, which I became really fond of as the game progressed. I’ve written previously about games having heart and why I feel that’s important. For me, it’s an indefinable quality that you simply get when playing certain games. And without question, The Lost Crown has heart and endears itself to you as the player. It gave me flashbacks to the Ori games, which is a compliment in and of itself.
The mythical setting of Mount Qaf is also charming. It hearkens back to classic Prince of Persia in memorable ways while expanding its diversity with pretty, varied biomes to explore. And should you truly enjoy the setting and narrative, there are many collectibles and lore entries spread throughout the regions that provide additional back-story to indulge in.
In my 20-plus hours with The Lost Crown, I was constantly impressed, frequently tested, and often smiling. I adore a well-executed, challenging, 2D game, and The Lost Crown is all of those through and through. And should you want to enjoy The Lost Crown but need assistance in any form, there are a wealth of difficulty options and accessibility features as well. Ubisoft Montpellier has done a tremendous job developing a challenging game that can still be enjoyed by a vast audience.
Fit for a King
After the year we just wrapped up in 2023, arguably the greatest year for quality game releases in history, I didn’t expect to be so thoroughly impressed by the first release of 2024 I played. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a gem. It is smart, beautiful, impeccably designed, and almost flawlessly executed. It’s one of the most fun and rewarding games I’ve played in some time and stands tall alongside some of its best Metroidvania peers. Ubisoft Montpellier, I tip my hat to you. You’ve done it again.
Sincere thanks to Ubisoft for providing the review code for Prince of Persia : The Lost Crown. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here.
