Not the Prince of Persia game you wanted, but the one you need
Prince of Persia meets Dragon Ball Z wasn’t the elevator pitch I expected when I visited Ubisoft’s Montpellier studio last month, but that’s exactly what I got. The team frequently cite anime – and their love for it – as the inspiration behind the exuberant visual style for the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
You wouldn’t think it would work, but it does. The Lost Crown is still filled with gorgeous Persian architecture. Sprawling sandy columns and intricate statues adorn the small section I was given a hands-on with. But when I parry an enemy or unleash a super move, the landscapes are splattered by explosions of colour and animations that look like they’re straight out of Street Fighter or Dragon Ball FighterZ. Prince of Persia is back, and this time it’s brimming with style.
EMBRACE TRADITION
I know it’s not exactly the Prince of Persia fans have come to expect, especially with the hotly-anticipated Sands of Time remake currently drifting on the desert winds. I’d consider it no bad thing that it’s going for such a different feel, though. With the team behind Rayman Legends working on The Lost Crown for the last four years, the result is a gorgeous 2.5D sidescroller that hearkens back to Prince of Persia’s origins, plus all sorts of utterly devious puzzle platforming and some mighty satisfying execution.
I CAN MIX AND MATCH THESE MOVEMENT AND COMBAT ABILITIES TO TAKE ON ENEMIES
Preserving the 33-year legacy of the series while giving it a modern coat of paint has been a core goal of The Lost Crown’s development. This means waving goodbye to the unnamed Prince and saying hello to new hero Sargon. It does feel strange bidding farewell to the series’ most recognisable face, but this upstart seems like a rather likeable young fella.
The team describes Sargon as being like a tiger, which emanates from the way he moves and fights. I’m able to sprint and airdash across large distances, slashing down upon enemies with my sword or taking a shot at them from a distance with my arrows. When I wanted to play more tactically, I could wait for the perfect moment to parry their moves and deal tons of damage. Sargon is also blessed with the classic time powers, being able to slow things down or use teleportation to anchor a past version of himself to zip back to at any moment.
I can mix and match these movement and combat abilities to take on enemies. Some require me to dash behind them and perform a melee combo at their backs, and I was able to leap into the air and swing my weapons down on two enemies on either side of me in a beautiful double-whammy attack. I could use my teleport to give m
