Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the rare video game that has me excitedly googling and going down research rabbit holes because of the knowledge of the world and the inspirations it provides. For example, did you know that The Immortals – which you may know from the movie 300 — was a real heavy infantry unit in ancient Persia, consisting of warriors trained from the age of 5? I didn’t, until Prince of Persia: The Lost CrownThe fusion of history and mythology overwhelmed me and wouldn’t let me go. The game’s protagonist, Sargon, is one of the Immortals, and in the ten hours I’ve played this game so far, I’ve put down my Nintendo Switch dozens of times to learn about the nooks and crannies of this game. layered world.
I started this review with erudite praise for it The lost crown because everything else I have to say about this game will be drenched in simplistic, childish glee. It feels so damn good to swing Sargon’s swords in this game; maybe it’s the animation of the light shimmering on the silver surfaces of the blades, maybe it’s the smooth rhythm of connecting multiple swings into a full combo. But because The lost crown is basically a Metroidvania – meaning the emphasis here is on exploring and discovering power-ups and abilities that make this easier more exploration – Sargon’s swords are just the tip of an extraordinary iceberg of combat techniques.
If you don’t want to hear about the rest of Sargon’s abilities, that’s all you need to know The lost crown is the perfect package – an excellent Metroidvania with beautiful environments, challenging yet intuitive puzzles, beautiful music and even better voice acting, plus those history-meets-myth stories that might spark your imagination and curiosity – then you can stop reading right now . Go ahead and buy this video game. It’s great, okay? We can’t just do that participation we should explain that in a review Why, and I will. But if there was ever a time to just do it believe methis is it.
Image: Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft via Polygon
Image: Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft via Polygon
Image: Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft via Polygon
Still here? Okay, great. So Sargon’s adventure really begins after the first 30 minutes, when you start getting your first few power-ups. Additionally, many of the abilities break the Metroidvania standard in unique ways. The bow and arrow, for example – a mainstay in many games from the genre – quickly functions as a boomerang. Early on, Sargon has the ability to slide across the floor, allowing him to dart under huge enemies so he can stab them in the back, or slip under small crevices to explore new areas. That’s cool and all, but what’s better than sliding across the ground? Sliding into the sky – in the form of a gust of air reminiscent of Hollow Knight or Celeste. That’s a classic move in platform games, but what matters here is how they actually work feeling – every power The lost crown is smooth and satisfying, and every time you discover a different skill it feels powerful and exciting rather than overwhelming or overcrowded. To be honest, I haven’t finished the game yet, but the more I play and the more I discover, the more I enjoy the whole experience.
I don’t expect or even need a Metroidvania to have a story beyond a simple explanation as to why your character is exploring an unknown area. But The lost crown also delivers in the field of stories. As my colleague Oli Welsh noted in his glowing preview of the game, the main character is not the titular Prince of Persia, which initially struck me as a strange departure from the rest of the series. However, now that I’ve seen more of the game, I love this decision. Sargon is reminiscent of Link in The Legend of Zelda; Early in the game, once Prince Ghassan is kidnapped, Sargon quickly becomes embroiled in the political intrigue and magical dust clouds surrounding this event. He is a talented warrior, but he is also naive and endearing as Link can often be. He is determined to right this wrong, but is also shocked to learn that the problem is not always the best course of action. And like so many Zelda games – not to mention Prince of Persia games, especially those from 2003 Sand of time — The lost crown turns out to be a story about time travel, fate and the realization that yourself can be both the most stubborn enemy and the most valuable ally.
Image: Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft via Polygon
The palace intrigues of The lost crown has many twists and turns; Some of my favorite characters ultimately betrayed Sargon, and some of my early suspicions about what will happen next have been blatantly ignored. It’s not like, Game of Thrones-level complex or adult-oriented; a 10 year old historical fiction nerd would probably love it as much as I do, and would follow the story just as easily. The bosses, platforming and puzzles can be difficult, but the game features an extensive range of difficulty modes and additional customizations, including the option to skip certain platforming sections entirely. This doesn’t ruin the game in any way; the combat and environmental puzzles are both exciting pursuits in their own right.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may seem like a bit of an odd digression from the long-running series, especially considering the Sand of time remake that has been delayed and rebooted and remains an unknown quantity. But it’s a fantastic Metroidvania about a character you wouldn’t expect in a series that desperately needed someone to blow the dust off. Not only does Prince of Persia look downright shiny again, it’s now a more vivid reflection of the history and myths that served as its inspiration.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be released on January 18 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Windows PC. The game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch using a pre-release download code from Ubisoft. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.