DaRmaZat 
As a devoted member of the Immortals, Sargon, also known as “the Rashabar”, embarks on a quest filled with mystical enemies, haunted landscapes, and the ever-looming threat of rogue allies. Unfortunately, Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may not leave the PoP fan base quite as satiated as the long-awaited Sands of Time remake would. However, its Metroidvania elements do succeed in bringing a unique flavor to the iconic franchise, which was parked for over a decade.
Combat is key
Almost immediately, the narrative prompts Sargon to act with Anahita, his own mentor, going rogue and kidnapping Prince Ghassan. A serious incident which results in a royal order from Queen Thomyris to save him, of course. Not standing out as a major highlight, the story suits the game’s purpose just enough: to keep building up tension, for even more intensive fights. Its straightforward nature regularly shows its backbone, keeping players engaged with the unfolding events.
As a core aspect of the gameplay, the combat doesn’t introduce any groundbreaking mechanics, either. However, swinging both swords and wielding that bow always feels pretty enjoyable, which makes the lack of innovation here far more forgivable. Facing Kushan warriors, archers, ghosts and alternate versions of himself, Sargon’s encounters with his enemies luckily stay diverse and challenging most of the time. Introducing a timing-based parry system which fills his special ability bar and a notably expansive list of perks, the action gameplay of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown never really disappoints. Due to solid telegraphing during its fast-paced combat, victories remain satisfying.
In that context, the first real fight against General Uvishka proves to be a useful lesson, as well as a nice warm-up for the tight combat controls. It’s clear right off the bat that a healthy portion of wit, and especially fast reflexes, will certainly be needed. Not only during the many fights against the usual nuisances which deserve to be punished for threatening the beloved city of Persepolis, but also against bosses, and there are many of them. Most of the combat fun also lies within these boss battles, where it’s mandatory to first pick up their specific attacking patterns.
The inclusion of a Mana bar with multiple phases, called Athra Surges, adds an additional layer of depth and variation when controlling Sargon. Thanks to the Wak-Wak trees, the act of dying only requires replaying a small gameplay segment, reducing a lot of frustration. These magical trees serve at least three purposes: as energy restorers, arrow providers, and, not to forget, checkpoints. The optional Memory Shards add a refreshing touch as well, allowing players to manually mark interesting map locations and offering a reminder to revisit these places.
Not always amazing, but still a maze-thing for platforming
At the same time, Mount Qaf presents a challenging and yet intriguing maze riddled with puzzles. Going too far, either vertically or horizontally, can get Sargon lost very quickly. Luckily, time crystals collected throughout the campaign can be exchanged for some desperately needed maps, encouraging exploration and additional discovery. Along with the possibility to buy hints and gear upgrades from vendors, the many treasures containing valuable amulets make it worthwhile for Sargon to go on a side trip now and then. Occasional encounters with companions like Menolias, Neith, and Orod, introduce unique powers, and contribute to some tension in the storyline.
As the story progresses, Sargon also acquires some special movements. One of these is Rush of the Simurgh, which can be compared to Hollow Knight’s Dash. Further on, other moves like a double-jump and a grapple will follow as well. Of course, all of these are undeniably heavily reminiscent of what can already be experienced in similar titles within the genre. But still, all of these abilities succeed in making the platforming sufficiently satisfying, particularly because of the extra options for progression they offer. Because, and this must be said, the platforming aspect of the game is remarkably fluent and exquisitely challenging as well. Just like in its combat, propulsion in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown often demands both quick wits and really fast reflexes.
Unavoidable shortcomings, as nothing is perfect
Despite all aforementioned positive aspects, some shortcomings cannot be concealed, even when they are related to the excellent combat. It’s noticeable that it falls a bit short of perfection when handling multiple enemies simultaneously for instance, because of the absence of enemy locking. Also, the lack of stamina for dodging is a bit weird, and the occasional softlock situations can be experienced as very frustrating. Certainly, the frequent enemy respawns can get annoying as well. The game also leaves you with the urge to leave behind unsolvable puzzles, without sufficiently motivating you to return later.
As a plus, the many possible adjustable accessibility (including difficulty) settings cater to a variety of players. On the graphical side, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown doesn’t do anything wrong with its charming 2D art style, but doesn’t make an indelible audiovisual statement, either. However, now and then, the game boasts its mysterious and fitting soundtrack, enhancing the overall atmospheric experience.
In conclusion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a respectable effort from Ubisoft to revive this long-gone franchise. While it never reaches exceptional or captivating heights, it still offers a satisfying experience for fans of the Metroidvania genre, very challenging combat or for people who just can’t get enough of Prince of Persia lore.
Reviewed on PC.
Download code provided by the publisher.
