Summary
ThePrince of Persiafranchise has endured for 35 years now, though it hasn’t stayed in fans' good books for nearly as long. Debuting all the way back in1989,Prince of Persiabecame an immediate success, mostly due to its more realistic approach to platforming that was achieved through rotoscoped animations. Since then, the originalPrince of Persiahas been ported, remastered, and remade more than any fan would initially think possible. It’s clear that the original 1989Prince of Persiawas truly one of a kind, andPrince of Persia: The Lost Crowndoes its best to honor that.
The first mainline entry in 14 years,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownis the return to form for the series that fans have been pleading for. And whilePrince of Persia: The Lost Crowngoes out of its way to establish a brand-new identity for the long-running action/adventure franchise, it isn’t afraid to hearken back to its beloved roots, delivering a game that not only references the original 1989 title, but modernizes it in some big ways.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a Love Letter to the 1989 Original
How Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s Gameplay Modernizes the Original
The original 1989Prince of Persiawas a2D side-scrolling adventuregame that heavily revolved around realistic platforming. One of the first to do it,Prince of Persiadidn’t have the same floaty controls asSuper Mario Bros. or other contemporary platformers, but instead used rotoscoped character animations to deliver a more visceral platforming experience, where every jump could mean the difference between life and death.
Most of the originalPrince of Persiasees players slowly make their way through the underground labyrinths of the royal palace, leaping over cascading platforms and instant-killing spikes that reside below them.Prince of Persia: The Lost Crowncarries a lot of this forward, with many of its opening areas containing similar-looking spike pits and crumbling platforms. But whilethe originalPrince of Persiaencouraged a very methodical, deliberate type of platforming,The Lost Crownis all about speed and style, evoking those same classic franchise elements but giving them all a modern gameplay makeover.
This is especially apparent with the addition ofspecial abilities inPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown. At the start of the game, players are tasked with simply jumping over spike pits and leaping off platforms just like the good old days, butThe Lost Crownquickly starts adding more and more depth to its platforming experience. First, players will unlock an air dash that lets them reach platforms and walls a bit further away, then they receive a ranged weapon that allows for some satisfying midair platforming, and then they unlock the ability to shift reality, making platforms appear and disappear at will. With these abilities,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownrecognizes its roots and how important they were to the franchise, but also understands that it needs to evolve with the times and offer something new.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s combatoffers a similar story. In the originalPrince of Persia, combat was extremely rudimentary, with it often boiling down to just waiting for an enemy to step closer before running them through with a single sword attack - though a parry mechanic does play a key part inPrince of Persia’s tougher fights.Prince of Persia: The Lost Crowncarries this combat forward as well, but modernizes it heavily again, with parries, dodges, combos, and special abilities all adding necessary layers of complexity to the experience.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
WHERE TO PLAY
Dash into a stylish and thrilling action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world where the boundaries of time and space are yours to manipulate. Play as Sargon and evolve from sword-wielding prodigy to extraordinary legend as you master acrobatic combat and unlock new Time Powers and unique super abilities.UNLEASH YOUR INNER WARRIORUse your Time Powers, combat, and platforming skills to perform deadly combos and defeat time-corrupted enemies and mythological creatures.LOSE YOURSELF IN THE PRODIGIOUS MOUNT QAFDiscover a cursed Persian-inspired world filled with larger-than-life landmarks and explore a variety of highly detailed biomes, each with their own identity, wonder, and danger.LIVE AN EPIC ADVENTUREImmerse yourself in a Persian mythological fantasy through an intriguing and original story as you use your wits to solve puzzles, find hidden treasures, and complete quests to learn more about this corrupted place.
