General Gaming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (PlayStation/Xbox/PC/Switch) - update (09/05): Mask of Darkness DLC teaser trailer and blog post (09/17 release)

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · June 8, 2023

**Kal-El814** · June 8, 2023

Looks good!

legend · June 8, 2023

I like it! I was a big fan of the original 2D Prince of Persia games (and the 2d remake they did).

Best · June 8, 2023

DO NOT like the visual style and I despise 2-D games. Out.

**stepee** · June 8, 2023

Ok yes please I’ll take one of this on my deck to go ty

Brian · June 8, 2023

6 minutes ago, stepee said:

Ok yes please I’ll take one of this on my deck to go ty

Best · June 9, 2023

Ok I was being a bit harsh. It has it's charm from that trailer but it's not for me. I'm sure it will be solid for those interested.

Keyser_Soze · June 9, 2023

I like how it's a throwback to the original games but it's kind of a hack and slash not instadeath puzzle game like the original games.

crispy4000 · June 9, 2023

I'm just glad they're doing something with PoP. 2D again is a great idea.

Spawn_of_Apathy · June 9, 2023

I wasn’t getting “like the original” vibes from that. I was getting “modern day MetroidVania” vibes from it.

AbsolutSurgen · June 12, 2023

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Will Put Your Combat, Platforming, and Puzzle-Solving Skills to the Test (ubisoft.com)

crispy4000 · June 12, 2023

That air dash (air walk?) looks so inspired by Metroid Dread's. Not that I'm complaining. Setting up warp points also looks nifty.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · June 13, 2023

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · June 13, 2023

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · June 13, 2023

On 6/9/2023 at 9:50 AM, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

I wasn’t getting “like the original” vibes from that. I was getting “modern day MetroidVania” vibes from it.

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How Ubisoft Is Bringing Prince of Persia Back as an Anime-Like Metroidvania - IGN

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The developers behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown explain how they reimagined the classic series for a new generation.

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A brand new Prince of Persia was fully revealed at this year’s Ubisoft Forward, and it’s quite literally in a different dimension to the beloved Sands of Time games. Made by the folks behind Rayman, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2D game that revisits the series’ platformer roots.

To find out more about this unexpected return we spoke to three developers from Ubisoft Montpellier, who told us how they’re relaunching Prince of Persia as an anime-inspired Metroidvania.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · June 13, 2023

Hands-on previews:

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Hands-On Preview - IGN

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Prince of Persia has transformed into a 2D Metroidvania for its next outing, The Lost Crown, and it's already looking like a smart, challenging pivot for the series.

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It’s been 13 years since we last had a brand new Prince of Persia game, and during that long, long wait you may have wished that you could turn back the sands of time and return to an era when the series was in full swing. That’s sort of what Ubisoft has done with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, but rather than revisiting the early 2000s 3D action-platforming it has rewound the clock over three decades, back to the series’ 2D roots.

Much like the original Prince of Persia from 1989, The Lost Crown is a side-scrolling adventure in which you must avoid deadly platforming traps as you journey through ninth-century Persia in the hunt for missing royalty. Spikes line corridor floors, murderous pendulums swing across your path, platforms break beneath you, and – for fans of really deep cuts – you’ll even have to contend with your own doppelganger. Thankfully your protagonist, a warrior named Sargon who exudes more cool than a refrigerator, has taken a few hints from The Sands of Time and packed some temporal-bending powers for his mission.

For the most part, though, The Lost Crown is something new. This interpretation is a full-blown Metroidvania, and Rayman Legends studio Ubisoft Montpellier has crafted a sprawling, interconnected map that takes you from haunted dungeons to the heights of Mount Qaf, the mythical mountain from Arabic folklore. That classic level design is blended with elements you’ll recognise from the Metroidvania greats, including precise swordplay that makes extensive use of parries, nail-biting bosses, and a variety of amulets that augment your abilities in substantial, meaningful ways. And, from what I could tell from about two hours of hands-on time, it’s shaping up to be pretty good.

My demo began just after the tutorial, and introduced Sargon and his fellow warriors – a group called The Immortals. There’s a clear comic book and manga influence in their characterisation – huge personalities with even bigger muscles – which makes it immediately clear that this is a very different proposition to the classic games. And, as you may have already noticed, you don’t play as the Prince of Persia. Instead, the titular character is The Immortal’s mission; he’s gone missing and it’s up to you to bring him back home.

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Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown is so much better than it looks in the reveal trailer

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We've played four hours of Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown and came away very impressed with its nimble platforming and Metroidvania combat.

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And based on almost four hours of play time with it, I reckon the team at Ubisoft Montpellier are right on the money with this one. As I wrote on Thursday, The Lost Crown sees you stepping into the boots of Sargon, a superpowered guardian fella who's the youngest hero of a new group of characters called The Immortals. He's on a mission to rescue this game's prince, who's been abducted and taken to the mysterious and forbidden city of Mount Qaf. But when Sargon and his fellow Immortals finally arrive at Mount Qaf, you quickly understand why no one hangs around here anymore. It's a teeny bit cursed, you see, and the flow of time is rather all over the shop. Luckily, Sargon is the only Immortal who can manipulate the past and present, and as your team split up to cover as much ground as they can, Sargon's left on his lonesome to traverse the twisty-turny labyrinth of this sprawling, abandoned metropolis.

My preview session began as Sargon enters Mount Qaf for the first time, which is a little way into the game after its opening tutorial siege. It had also been specially prepared for my play session, locking off several of its Metroid-like pathways so we could focus on the task at hand - exploring its initial citadel and adjoining autumnal forest areas, where the manticore boss Jahandar lay in wait at the end of it for us. These are the locations you'll see in my screenshots, but I also got to play another section further on in the game that focused on a place called the Sacred Archives, whose shifting staircases moved up and down in time with Sargon facing left and right, and the Pit Of Eternal Sands, whose smashing pillars everywhere made for a very tricky platforming challenge.

With so many routes sealed off during my demo, that obviously makes it tricky to comment on whether its map will be packed with the kind of neat shortcuts and interconnecting pathways we've come to expect from a modern Metroid-like. I will say that the hand-drawn map I saw on the studio walls looked pretty large by my count (and that was with several areas hidden away under scraps of paper to keep them from view as well). There, I could see a handful of ways each area would loop back round to other sections of the map, but even if it does end up leaving something to be desired on this front, I'm pretty confident that its combat and its platforming chops will more than make up for any deficiencies in its exploration.

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Looks To The Past To Build A New Future For The Franchise - GameSpot

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Ubisoft Montpellier hopes to use its 2D platforming prowess to create a new chapter in the long-dormant Prince Of Persia series.

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In a presentation, director Mounir Radi spoke of a desire to bring back the "core ingredients" of Prince Of Persia: platforming, puzzle-solving, time-based powers, and a sense of adventure. This new outing is set in a "legendary Persia", that is described as an "age of Heroes and Gods." Players take on the role of Sargon, a young and impetuous hero who is part of a superhero-esque gang of seven warriors known as The Immortals. Sargon and The Immortals journey to Mount Qaf, a land cursed with time anomalies, to rescue the kidnapped son of the Queen of Persia--the developers notably didn't use his proper title when referring to this titular Prince in our presentation.

Immediately apparent is the game's striking visual style. Combining 3D foreground environments with painterly 2D backgrounds, its vast world is made up of several visually distinct biomes: beams of light beat down over the deserted streets of the Lower City; leaves drift serenely through an Autumnal Forest; sand dunes swallow crumbled ruins in the depths beneath the city. The backgrounds are richly detailed and are clearly intended to demonstrate Persia's rich environmental diversity beyond the stereotypical deserts and temples seen in Western pop culture, but always with a high fantasy flavor. Sargon can encounter behemothic beings working a lava-fueled forge, bands of floating scripture weaving through sand-filled caves, and broken statues frozen in mid-air, bound by Mount Qaf's temporal curse.

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Devs On Respecting Legacies, Creating A New Chapter, And Impressing Jordan Mechner - GameSpot

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A trio of developers behind Ubisoft Montpellier's new entry to the Prince Of Persia franchise talk about their varied influences and bringing the series to new audiences.

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Ubisoft Montpellier has revealed Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown, the first new entry into the franchise for 13 years. Announced during Summer Game Fest on June 8, the game marks a shift in style that draws inspiration from modern metroidvania games, as well as Prince Of Persia's origins as a 2D adventure platformer.

During a preview event at their studio in Montpellier, France, GameSpot sat down with The Lost Crown director Mounir Radi, producer Abedlhak Elguess, and art director Jean-Christophe Alessandri to discuss the game's development, their desire to respect Persian culture, and their hopes for the next chapter in the franchise.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may not be the game you were hoping for, but trust me, it's the one you need | PC Gamer

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Ubisoft is going back to Prince of Persia's roots with a modern twist.

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"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 really does. The Lost Crown is still filled with gorgeous Persian architecture, mind you. 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. Yep, Prince of Persia is back, and this time it's brimming with style.

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 the excellent 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 while imagining a new future for the series and features all sorts of utterly devious puzzle platforming with some mighty satisfying execution.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Preview: The Reboot We've Needed

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I have a confession to make: I don't really like Ubisoft's Prince of Persia series. Growing up, I [...]

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Unlike most other games in the action-platformer genre, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has a staggering amount of depth with its combat mechanics. Sargon, the new player-controller character, comes equipped with a pair of swords, a bow, and a boomerang-style weapon that can all be used to chain together combos and take down foes. Outside of simply having these tools at his disposal though, it's the manner in which Sargon can use his weapons that makes The Lost Crown incredibly fun. The swordplay, in particular, allows Sargon to launch enemies into the air, strike downward at them from above, or carry out a string of basic attacks to send them flying across the screen. Combat is fast-paced and allows for a ton of experimentation, especially when rotating between melee and ranged weapons within extended combos.

Where the action gets even more intense, though, is when you take into account the time-shifting abilities that are present within The Lost Crown. Similar to Sands of Time, Sargon is able to use some unique powers that allow him to create a "clone" at a set point on the map and then snap back to that point with a single press of the button. When returning to this clone, Sargon's animation picks up exactly where it left off when creating the clone. This isn't only used for puzzle-solving purposes, but it also lets Sargon do things like wind up an attack, create a clone, and then return to that fixed point to finish out a string of attacks against a baddie that may have come into the path of the clone.

Greatoneshere · June 13, 2023

I'm slowly getting hype. The art is definitely eye catching.

Brian · December 13, 2023

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · December 14, 2023

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown has a big, brewing frenemy battle on its hands, and it can't come soon enough

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We've played the opening hours of Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown ahead of its release in January 2024, and its free d…

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Back in May when I first played Ubisoft's new Metroid-like Prince Of Persia game, The Lost Crown, ahead of its reveal at this year's Summer Game Fest, I got to sample several hours' worth of some of the early areas inside its cursed mountaintop citadel of Mount Qaf. Some of protagonist Sargon's powers had been unlocked early to give us a taste of his abilities, and on the whole, I had an exceedingly good time with it. One thing was missing though, and that was any kind of narrative framing for why Sargon was here in the first place. Sure, we'd been told ahead of time that Sargon's main mission in The Lost Crown is tracking down and saving the eponymous Prince of this game, but I didn't actually see any of this in action. Anything with the slightest whiff of story about it had been expertly excised from that initial demo build, and I was left none the wiser about how those opening hours of The Lost Crown would really play out in the final game.

Now, I've been able to play the game from the beginning, with all the story bits slotted back in and Sargon's powers unlocked in the correct order. You may have got a glimpse of some of that stuff in the new trailer released during last week's Game Awards. In the space of two minutes, it sets the scene for Sargon's rescue mission by first introducing all of his fellow warrior mates, and then seconds later showing how they're all at each other's throats as they get increasingly turned around in Mount Qaf's labyrinth. And oh my, I can practically feel all the inevitable backstabbing from here. It's going to be delicious, I can tell, and I can't wait to slice them all six ways to Sunday when The Lost Crown comes out in January.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is Hollow Knight meets Rayman Legends and I'm here for it | GamesRadar+

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a brilliant Metroidvania spin on the classic IP

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I doubt any of us expected Prince of Persia Metroidvania on our 2023/2024 bingo cards, but I'm thrilled it's happening. After spending four hours with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, it's easy to see that Ubisoft Montpellier has created something quite special. On the one hand, it's an excellent Metroidvania set in the constantly evolving world of Mount Qaf; and on the other, it's a Prince of Persia game that lives up to the gameplay tropes set by the series some decades ago, albeit with a unique and modern twist.

Its Metroidvania structure and tact that you're not playing as the Prince himself may not have immediately gone down well with fans, but I have a feeling even the most ardent old-school followers will be pleasantly surprised by the direction Ubisoft Montpellier has taken the series in.

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Combat is hard, but not frustrating, which I do love. When you fail it's so easy to see why, and that makes taking on a boss repeatedly more rewarding than soul-destroying – especially when the game gives you the option to just restart the fight rather than teleporting you back to the last Wak-Wak. Parry windows are just generous enough to keep you on your toes without feeling like cheap shots, and dodging is such a fluid part of the combat that you always feel capable of taking on multiple foes at once – even if it doesn't always go as planned.

The bosses are pulled straight out of Persian folklore, which adds to the impressive visual prowess of The Lost Crown. In the opening four hours alone I fought everything from a massive antlered boar that kicked my ass more times than I'd like to admit; to a giant, winged, horned lion with a scorpion tail. These bosses are as impressive in design as they are physicality, with some fights taking a decent chunk of time to complete – even when things are going well.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Preview

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A fresh 2.5D metroidvania spin on the classic action adventure series, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one to keep an eye on for early 2024.

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Rendered in a 2.5D style, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown features a very pretty world for you to explore. It’s all sunlit sands and dilapidated ruins through the stretch of the game that we got to preview, and it’s a step away from the now traditionally darker and slightly emo art style that Warrior Within started in the franchise, but it’s charming and pretty enough in its own right. The character animations are particularly good alongside this, looking especially smooth, and while they sport a modern feeling haircut, Sargon is clearly a Prince of Persia character.

He’s not a prince, though. Instead Sargon is a member of a ridiculously accomplished band of warriors known as The Immortals, sent on a quest to the city of Mount Qaf to try and rescue the kidnapped Prince Ghassan. If you’ve played Prince of Persia you probably know what to expect to find there – enemies, traps, and time manipulation shenanigans, and all three of those are here in full force.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – The Final Preview - IGN

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great fit as a Metroidvania game. It's also no joke in the combat department. As a result, we really enjoyed the first three hours of the campaign during our final preview ahead of its release in January.

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I'll be honest: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sounded just fine on paper, but what I really wanted was the long-gestating remake of the greatest Prince of Persia game of them all, The Sands of Time. That 2003 gem channeled the spirit of the classic original game while brilliantly modernizing it. The franchise has arguably been chasing that high ever since. But that remake is still MIA.

So when I sat down to play the first few hours of The Lost Crown, then, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn't some low-budget, 2.5D attempt to recapture that early 21st-century glory. Instead, Ubisoft's first properly new Prince of Persia game since the 2008 reboot is its own game – a Metroidvania – and it's such a great fit that I'm scratching my head wondering how this franchise and genre never got together before.

Playing as Sargon, one of the not-literal Immortals who safeguard Persia, The Lost Crown promises to be a 20-25 hour romp set mostly in the chrono-cursed Mount Qaf following a betrayal of the highest order. Based on the initial few hours I experienced, I'd say that Ubisoft likely isn't exaggerating; this should be a fairly meaty adventure. And the biggest thing that became quickly and unexpectedly apparent during my quest was that I was going to have to dust off some of my old action-game skills, forged by Ninja Gaiden on Xbox around the same time The Sands of Time came out.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · December 14, 2023

Best · December 14, 2023

I wish it were 3-D like the one I loved in GameCube.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · December 14, 2023

Hands On: Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Royally Delivers On Switch

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You dropped this, Sargon - https://youtu.be/C3LejhmKLu8 Back in June, we went hands-on with Prince of Persia: The Lost Cro...

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Ubisoft kindly invited us to its San Francisco office and let us hunker down with The Lost Crown for three and a half hours. We fought and defeated five unique bosses, acquired plenty of new abilities, and saw the plot take all sorts of twists and turns. Unlike our last demo, we played all the way through on Nintendo Switch this time in docked mode and while some of the impressive in-engine cutscenes may have dropped a few frames, the rest of the game ran like an absolute dream during our time with it.

One element that made itself abundantly clear was that The Lost Crown puts heavy emphasis on story. For most games in the Metroid series, the narrative often takes a backseat and is told through ambient, environmental changes and your overall actions. The eerie feeling you get when landing on a dark and unexplored planet is one of Samus' great hallmarks, and there's not usually much dialogue. The Lost Crown, however, appears to have a much deeper story it wants to tell, with the new protagonist, Sargon front and center. We thought we had this story all figured out after the opening hour, then realized by the time our demo was over we had more questions than we started with.

To add to this, we found loads of lore sprinkled throughout the world in the form of collectible items, and Sargon’s pals, The Immortals, can be found searching the world for answers to their troubles. Occasionally they’ll help progress the story, but other times they’re just available for a quick chat to make the world feel a little less lonely. You’ll also find other characters on your journey who you can purchase items and upgrades from too, who simultaneously can help you breathe a sigh of relief after a potentially tough moment.

Preview: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Brings Back the Series with Style

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Here today, Sargon tomorrow - Recently we went hands-on with Ubisoft's upcoming Metroidvania, Prince of ...

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Narratively, we were quite impressed. The game's opening hours keep things simple but begin to expand the deeper you venture into Mount Qaf. We love a time-warping storyline, so this was right up our street, and we were immediately curious to know more about this eccentric band of warriors. In our travels we came across soldiers lost in time and the body of our future selves, which successfully drew us in and meant we were a little disappointed when our session ended. We went into the game with next to no expectations, so it was a pleasant surprise to be so invested in the story.

Those trails of narrative mystery are scattered across the game's map, amplifying the need for exploration. You'll constantly be taking mental notes of elements that aren't accessible quite yet, and the game's snapshot feature means there's a way to actually mark those areas for future reference. The only major issue is the amount of backtracking, which quickly becomes tedious.

The game does try to keep things fresh by littering its map with platforming challenges. During our preview, we never truly saw the full scope of these platform segments, but if what we did see was only the beginning, it's a great indicator of what's to come. Starting simple yet steadily introducing more challenges and obstacles, the platforming is a lot of fun, but might become rather annoying when you have to pass through them once again. Our Ubisoft demoist did confirm there's a fast travel system to unlock later in the game, but for our portion of the demo and as a game that rewards returning to certain areas, we felt its lack of presence. Although we will admit that this does come with the territory of a Metroidvania.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown preview — A precise, difficult Metroidvania with a ton of great potential | Windows Central

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After over three hours of play time with the new Prince of Persia, I came away very impressed.

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I was a little worried going into the preview that The Lost Crown wouldn't feel as good to play as something like Ori, which counts among my favorite games of all time, let alone in this specific genre. Ubisoft also doesn't always have the best track record of making its latest games feel particularly smooth or graceful, so I had cause for concern. Fortunately, though, my worries were rapidly dashed by Sargon's agility and precision. Even streaming the game over my Ethernet connection to play remotely, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown felt incredibly responsive and consistent.

Oh yeah, did I mention that the soundtrack is composed by the legendary Gareth Coker, my favorite composer responsible for incredible music in the Ori franchise, Minecraft, and even Halo Infinite? Because he is, and what I heard from my preview did sound amazing, exactly as I'd expect from Coker.

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For me, that's the final piece of the complex puzzle that makes a great Metroidvania game. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has excellent and fluid combat, precise platforming, an interesting and varied world, and more secrets than you can count. My only concern is how the game will keep itself interesting for the ~20 hours of content Ubisoft is promising; how will the story, world, and Sargon's abilities evolve over a full playthrough? Right now, though, I'm actually excited for this game. Ubisoft may have made a new Prince of Persia fan in me, as long as the full game coming out early next year preserves the momentum of the opening hours (and it'll need to since it's charging more than a lot of other very good Metroidvanias).

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Hands-On Preview - Metroidvania Royalty

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has the potential of being one of the best entries in the series and one of the best Metroidvania ever made.

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Having had the chance to try out the first three hours or so of the game, I can say with confidence that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has the potential of being not only one of the best entries in a while, thanks to its seamless mixing of mechanics from the 3D entries in the series with elements lifted from the 1989 original game, but also one of the best Metroidvanias ever.

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What is evident right from the first few minutes of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is how the game is the true evolution of the original 1989, as its formula somewhat set the basis for the entire Metroidvania genre alongside the original Metroid. Exploration, for example, seems to be one of the highlights of the game, as the map of Mount Qaf shows its complexity immediately, with multiple paths, some of them inaccessible until certain abilities have been learned. Platforming is mostly straightforward, but some navigational challenges require precise jumping and good usage of different traversal abilities that make completing them quite satisfying. There are even some sequences inspired by Metroid Dread, such as having to avoid the warden in the Library sequence, that, while not exactly original, do a lot to keep exploration fresh. With controls feeling particularly smooth even when playing the game in a remote session, I expect most players will end up exploring the vast majority of the map for how satisfying everything feels.

Combat may not be the main focus of the Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown experience, but it can hold its own quite well, showing that character action DNA seen in other games like the Guacamelee series. Sargon's moveset is rather complex, featuring a variety of regular attacks that have different effects and usages, such as downing enemies or launching them in the air, multiple defensive maneuvers, such as the ability to dodge and parry attacks, which must be mastered to defeat the many enemy types in the game. What's great about the game's combat system is how each attack can be combined seamlessly, leaving players plenty of freedom in how to deal with enemies.

Hands-On Preview: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Console Creatures

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We got a hands-on preview with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Even in its opening hours, the 2D action-platformer provides a rewarding challenge and shows a great deal of promise.

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Harkening back to the original game, in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, each battle sequence feels impactful and meaningful. I found myself falling to even the simplest of foes before I could really grasp and appreciate the game’s approach to fighting. This is no hack-and-slash; this is a game with deceptively challenging enemies that sometimes take numerous attempts to defeat.

A series of offensive and defensive maneuvers are available, including a parry and several special moves that can strike down enemies or even heal Sargon.

I like this kind of gameplay. I find it satisfying to topple a boss or even master a tricky traversal sequence after a few failed attempts. Toss in some health and ability bar management, and you have a great series of battles and platforming in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown that gelled with me.

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown more than justifies its price | Digital Trends

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We played a few hours of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and its way bigger than we expected.

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The first hour or so does a lot of narrative table-setting. I’d take part in a heroic siege alongside a cast of companions before my kingdom’s prince is kidnapped and I’m dropped into the wider 2D world. Throughout my first four hours, I’d meet even more characters that would upgrade my weapons, sell me items, and pass out heaps of sidequests. One had me hunting down a special amulet, though I’d have to dodge a room full of spinning blades to nab it. Another had me fighting a shadow version of Sargon — and it’s a fight I could have easily missed if I hadn’t gone off the beaten path.

The Lost Crown’s world seems massive so far and full of things to collect. In that sense, it’s very much a traditional Ubisoft game, but distilled into a 2D platformer. I’d hunt down collectible pieces of lore, find amulets that I could equip to give Sargon buffs, smash well-hidden pots to complete an overarching sidequest, and snag extra Athra abilities that gave me more powerful special attacks. For genre veterans who fancy themselves completionists, it’ll be very easy to lose hours poking around the various biomes for secrets.

It helps that it’s just so pleasurable to actually play. While I only got a few permanent powers, the platforming is a smooth callback to Prince of Persia’s 2D roots while peppering in more complex movements you’d expect from a game like Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Some puzzle rooms would have me thinking fast as I wall jumped between spikes, grabbed hold of a bar, swung off it, and did a midair dash over some deadly blades. Even early in the game, I’m already hitting some tough platforming challenges that yield a useful reward.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · December 14, 2023

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Hands-On Preview – A Fluid And Fresh Take On A Gaming Icon

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Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Hands-On Preview – A Fluid And Fresh Take On A Gaming Icon

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As a fan of pretty much everything Ubisoft has done with the Prince of Persia franchise (including the underappreciated 2008 reboot), I’ll admit that the reveal of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown threw me somewhat. There’s certainly a precedent for a side-scrolling platformer entry in the franchise, given that’s exactly where it all began, but going purely off of that initial trailer I wasn’t convinced that a metroidvania-esque adventure through a fantastical Persia is what fans would want from a brand-new Prince of Persia game.

After spending nearly four hours with The Lost Crown and chatting with Ubisoft Montpellier’s Game Director, Mounir Radi though, my mind is made up. This is a game that both franchise and genre fans should have squarely on their respective radars for early next year.

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Getting around these distinct environments immediately feels very typical of a Prince of Persia game with Sargon able to run, jump, swing, slide, climb and more with relative ease and speed. Naturally, Mount Qaf is designed to accommodate these acrobatics and offers up a lot of really fun platforming even before you start to accumulate more abilities. Those who enjoyed the movement and environmental puzzles in the 3D series entries will feel right at home here, even with the shift in perspective.

Of course, those games also introduced time-bending mechanics that would become a defining feature, and although you can’t rewind time to escape an unfortunate death in The Lost Crown (that I know of), those time manipulation elements are still here – only in the hands of the game’s antagonist. What this means for players and Sargon is plenty of mystical, magical and mind-bending challenges through the various environments, enemies and set piece moments you’ll encounter. The studio says that making the titular Prince the rescue target and putting the iconic time powers in the hands of the enemy were important decisions in making the game feel familiar to fans while also establishing Sargon as a fresh protagonist with his own journey and playstyle.

PoPTLC_Screenshot_Previews_13122023_6PM_

Prince of Persia returns in a brisk and engrossing Metroidvania

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The Prince is in another castle...

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The Lost Crown, developed by Ubisoft’s Montpellier studio in the south of France — the home of Rayman — is due out on Jan. 18, 2024, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. I had a chance to play it for a few hours via a remote preview event, and found it to be a brisk, entertaining Metroidvania-style game with crisp combat and engrossing level design… and it’s a game that doesn’t star the Prince of Persia at all.

This might be the most puzzling choice Ubisoft Montpellier has made. The character of the swashbuckling Prince has been at the heart of the series since day one; it was his acrobatic move set, as captured in Mechner’s amazingly lifelike rotoscoped animation, that won the first game its acclaim. But while the character you play in The Lost Crown bears a strong resemblance to many previous incarnations of the Prince — swapping those 2003 curtains for a more aggressive mohawk, but keeping the trademark white pantaloons and bare chest — the Prince he is not. He is Sargon, one of seven legendary Persian warriors called the Immortals, and it’s the titular Prince, Ghassan, whom he’s out to save.

Sargon’s overconfident young buck persona is a bit of a video game cliche, and personally I found it a downgrade from the more classical romantic heroism of earlier versions of the Prince. I also didn’t find myself much engaged by The Lost Crown’s story, which involves the Immortals setting off in search of Ghassan after his treacherous abduction in the midst of a war — although I appreciate that Ubisoft Montpellier is attempting to flesh out the rather basic, and at times Orientalist, archetypes of the earlier games with a more richly imagined world of myths, monsters, and warring factions drawn directly from Persian mythology. (There’s even a Farsi language option for spoken dialogue.)

**stepee** · December 14, 2023

Okay they need to stop because all of the sudden this seems too far away even though it’s next month - this is going to be killer on deck.

AshsToAshs · December 14, 2023

I'm very hyped. It looks great.

The platforming looks fun, and even the combat looks very solid.

Best · December 14, 2023

15 hours ago, stepee said:

Okay they need to stop because all of the sudden this seems too far away even though it’s next month - this is going to be killer on deck.

Yea, I might actually bite for deck use only. 2.5D is pretty cool now that I watched more footage.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · December 18, 2023

How Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Leans Into Its Shonen Anime Inspirations - GameSpot

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When designing the game's protagonist, the studio wanted to make sure he channeled Vegeta, not Goku.

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Prince of Persia exists in such a strange place for me. I'm a huge fan of Assassin's Creed, a series clearly built on the bones of a Prince of Persia sequel we never got, but I've never played any of the original Prince of Persia games that inspired that first Assassin's Creed. So to see the series return in 2024 with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is exciting--I can finally see why people liked the lore and mythology of this series without going back to play games over two decades old (and even older if you're counting the original Broderbund titles).

I got to play just under four hours of The Lost Crown during a preview event and thoroughly enjoyed it. The game's first hours feature frenetic combat that encourages you to master cool-looking combos, challenging and intense boss battles, atmospheric music, and memorable characters. And that "The Eye of the Wanderer" feature that pins your screenshots to your in-game map, providing a visual reminder of chests you plan to return to, hidden traps you wish to avoid, and secrets you want to remember? That needs to be included in every metroidvania game from here on out. It's fantastic.

Following my time with The Lost Crown, I sat down with cinematic lead Joseph-Antoine Clavet to discuss the game's inspirations, narrative themes, and The Eye of the Wanderer feature. Our conversation touched on shōnen anime more than I expected, with the likes of Dragon Ball and Naruto popping up.

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Director Explains Anime Inspirations And The Warrior's Journey

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"You cannot go through your life punching everything" - The Prince of Persia series is held near and dear to the hearts of...

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The Prince of Persia series is held near and dear to the hearts of many, whether you fell in love with the original platformers and their revolutionary rotoscope animation, The Sands of Time for its rewind mechanic and magical atmosphere, or maybe even the reboot from 2008 — which we're sad never received a Nintendo release, or a true ending for that matter.

The franchise is back soon with quite a few fun twists in the upcoming Prince of Persia, the Lost Crown, which we've recently been given a pretty in-depth look at. While we were out visiting the Ubisoft office, we also had the chance to pick the brain of Joseph-Antoine Clavet, the cinematic director on this new Prince of Persia.

We got onto talking about all sorts of things, from the team's anime inspirations to what it means to be crafting this new Prince for a modern generation, and what it truly means to have strength. We hope you enjoy.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · January 5

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · January 5

**stepee** · January 5

Ok sweet, I was concerned my toaster wouldn’t run it but it seems like it will be fine!

Keyser_Soze · January 5

Runs 60FPS on a base Xbone. Impressive!

Biggie · January 11

i think the demo is out today

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · January 11

2 minutes ago, Biggie said:

i think the demo is out today

Sure will - it's going live at 1200 Eastern.

**Commissar SFLUFAN** · January 11

Game Information
Game Title: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Platforms:

Nintendo Switch (Jan 18, 2024)
PlayStation 5 (Jan 18, 2024)
Xbox One (Jan 18, 2024)
PlayStation 4 (Jan 18, 2024)
PC (Jan 18, 2024)
Xbox Series X/S (Jan 18, 2024)

Publisher: Ubisoft

Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 87 average - 96% recommended

Critic Reviews

Spoiler

Attack of the Fanboy - Christian Bognar - 5 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a superb Metroidvania that reignites the franchise in exciting ways and only gets better the longer you play it. Meticulously crafted platforming mixed with exhilarating combat makes for a game that is nearly impossible to put down.

Cinelinx - Becky O'Brien - 5 / 5

After being absent for over a decade, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown brings the iconic series back to life with a vengeance.

Dexerto - Patrick Dane - 5 / 5

Ubisoft Montpellier has brought an invigorating energy, with a breathtaking art style, impressively expressive combat, mindstretching platform puzzles, and deeply challenging bosses. When it is all coming together in an audio-visual crescendo, it’s a thing to behold. This ode to Symphony of the Night and other greats in the genre understands what made those so good, and finds new life. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an absolute triumph, charting the future for this fallen franchise. Here’s hoping it finds its audience because it would be a tragedy to have something this good lost to time once again.

Eurogamer.pt - Bruno Galvão - Portuguese - 5 / 5

By combining metroidvania design with the essence of Prince of Persia, The Lost Crown becomes a majestic game, inserted in an already well-known genre, but with its own ideas and electrifying. At some point, the gameplay became so much fun that I found myself thinking that the game just got everything it did right. Ubisoft is to be congratulated because it has achieved a game of great caliber and capable of grabbing you to the point of making you forget the passage of time.

GameGrin - Alana Dunitz - 10 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an awesome action platformer that pulls you in with its beautiful world and lore, evolving the metroidvania genre with a lot of great changes. You must play this game!

NoobFeed - Azfar Rayan - 100 / 100

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is yet another must-have game with a plethora of fresh content. It refines aspects from games like Metroid Dread while including elements from earlier Prince of Persia titles. As a triumphant return to form for the Prince of Persia series and Ubisoft in general, this is undeniably one of the finest games in the series' history and maybe Ubisoft's, too. The visuals are stunning, the plot is interesting and entertaining without being overwhelming, and the gameplay is so fascinating that you won't want to put the game down.

Too Much Gaming - 5 / 5

If you’re a fan of the Metroidvania genre, or action platforming games in general, I couldn’t recommend Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown more. The Lost Crown nimbly juggles combat, character progression, platforming, exploration, environmental puzzle-solving, boss encounters, and storytelling, all without neglecting one element to the detriment of another.

Use a Potion - 10 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is absolutely brilliant, with the excellent combat and traversal of the game complemented by a wonderful world to explore. Whilst it doesn’t necessarily try to re-invent the Metroidvania genre, the way that it delivers every aspect of its design is simply sublime, whether that’s when leaping across the expertly crafted platforming segments or taking on enemies in intense action sequences. The allure of the world design encouraged me to explore every corner of it, whilst the boss battles offer some jaw-dropping sequences that bring each element of the experience together in spectacular fashion.

It’s just an amazing game and a wonderful new direction for the Prince of Persia series to take. It’s left me genuinely excited to see what’s next for the series – here’s hoping it won’t be another fourteen years before we get to see it…

Atarita - Eren Eroğlu - Turkish - 95 / 100

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a game that doesn't compromise on any part of the experience, every part of it is crafted with great effort and care. In one word, it's fantastic.

Digital Chumps - Ben Sheene - 9.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an exceptional entry in the Metroidvania genre. What started out as an inventive spin on the time-bending franchise became a masterclass in 2D combat and traversal. Players wanting a dense, rich map riddled with secrets will find a happy home. Those wishing for surprisingly deep battles and razor-sharp navigation puzzles won’t be let down. With each new moment, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown becomes timeless.

Explosion Network - Dylan Blight - 9.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the revitalization of a franchise that has long been buried in the sand of uninteresting ideas.

Game Informer - Wesley LeBlanc - 9.5 / 10

The Lost Crown makes it hard to put the controller down, constantly urging players to follow its paths just a little further. Following its persistent pull to explore more of Mount Qaf is easy, though, thanks to how good it feels to do so. Between its first-rate platforming and engaging combat and progression, The Lost Crown’s various parts coalesce into a sublime loop. Gameplay is king, and this Prince of Persia understands that.

Gamepressure - Paweł Musiolik - 9.5 / 10

Ultimately, it's hard for me to believe not only that I just played a Ubisoft game. It's also hard for me to believe just how much I liked Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. This is not a good game. This is an excellent title, one of the best in its genre, and if it's not a candidate for the game of the year, it should certainly be nominated as one of the biggest surprises, but from the pleasant category.

Nintendo Blast - Beto Ferreira - Portuguese - 9.5 / 10

With beautiful background sceneries, compelling plot, precise gameplay, well executed platforming moments, and epic battles, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the triumphant return that we have waited to celebrate the 35 years of the series.

PSX Brasil - Luis Guilherme Machado Camargo - Portuguese - 95 / 100

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an excellent metroidvania and should certainly be remembered among the best in the genre.

Rectify Gaming - 9.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown stands as a testament to the harmonious fusion of innovative gameplay, a compelling narrative, and exquisite artistic design. The game not only pushes the boundaries of traditional gaming experiences but also immerses players in a visually stunning world inspired by the rich tapestry of Persian mythology. As players navigate the intricacies of the game, the symbiotic relationship between the evocative soundtrack and striking visuals becomes a driving force, elevating the emotional resonance of the narrative and enveloping players in a truly immersive adventure. The meticulous attention to detail in both design and storytelling ensures that every moment in the game is a memorable one, leaving a lasting impression on those who embark on this captivating journey.

Stevivor - Jay Ball - 9.5 / 10

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown graciously blends the best components of previous iterations -- the original game included -- into what is easily the best Metroidvania game we’ve seen in recent years.

WellPlayed - James Wood - 9.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an expertly executed series revival that displays the best of Ubisoft Montpellier's pedigree while pushing the action-platformer to new highs.

XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 9.5 / 10

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is an instant classic. Full of reverie for the series it takes it to new heights with a damned near-perfect mix of action-platforming goodness. It’s the best type of Metroidvania. One that knows how to pace out the power ups and I hope this is the start of a series of similar titles for the franchise.

ZTGD - Terrence Johnson - 9.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is hands down the best metroidvania that I have played in a long time. My gold standard has always been Castlevania: Symphony of the Night but Ubisoft has really knocked this out of the park. As a long time, fan of the series, I was elated to see the first trailer for this game and am so glad that the team stuck the landing. Sargon is a fantastic character in this universe and I for one am so proud of the fact that he is black and leading this game. I know that some people are upset at not playing as the prince but to those folks I just want to say give this game a chance, if you are a fan of the Prince of Persia series, I can almost guarantee that this game will make you smile. And after the banner year that video games had in 2023, it bodes well for 2024 that the first big game out the gate is as fantastic as Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

Areajugones - Miguel Varela - Spanish - 9.4 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is not only the first major video game of 2024, but it's also one of the best metroidvania of recent years.

The Punished Backlog - Gary Wilson - 9.4 / 10

The Lost Crown isn't a perfect game. Quests can be buggy, graphical errors pop up now and then, and you may find yourself fighting to jump in the right direction. Overall, however, it's a magnificent package that's well worth your time.

Sargon’s journey was a joy to experience, and I will long remember the elation from nailing a hard puzzle. What could have been a simple odd project from Ubisoft is instead both a love letter to a beloved genre and a wonderful next step for Prince of Persia.

My only hope is that you can love the exploration and journey as much as I did.

Atomix - Alberto Desfassiaux - Spanish - 93 / 100

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great and almost flawless return of the beloved franchise. Ubisoft Montpellier scored a triumph with one of the best Metroidvania games since Metroid Dread.

Hobby Consolas - Álvaro Alonso - Spanish - 93 / 100

Prince of Persia returns in style with an exceptional adventure that excels in everything it sets out to do, that does everything so well that it's hard to find faults with it and that you never want to end. After many years missing, the Prince has returned, but he has returned as the king of action and platform games.

3DNews - Алексей Лихачев - Russian - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia is back, and it looks very fresh. One of the best Ubisoft titles in years and a fantastic metroidvania.

Cubed3 - Sandy Kirchner-Wilson - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia is back, Baybee! The Lost Crown is not only a fantastic new entry to the series but one of the best Ubisoft titles in a long time (sorry FarCry and Assassin's Creed!). It's exciting to see the Prince return in such a polished title and it easily stands shoulder to shoulder with The Sands of Time. The adventure of Sargon is one to remember. A heartily recommended title to all who want a fun 2D action adventure!

Digital Trends - Tomas Franzese - 4.5 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a monumental achievement in approachable, seamless Metroidvania design.

Easy Allies - Michael Damiani - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a successful reinvention of the dormant franchise that carves out a marvelous new identity, one that clearly has a bright future.

Fintendo - Miikka Lehtonen - Finnish - 4.5 / 5

"A new king has been crowned."

GGRecon - Tarran Stockton - 4.5 / 5

It's tempting for me to say that Prince of Persia is back with the release of The Lost Crown and leave it that. But that feels like a disservice to a game so boldly different from its predecessors because ultimately it's more than that.

While it certainly still feels like a Prince of Persia game at the core, it stands on its own merits as a consistently brilliant and challenging Metroidvania experience, holding its own against some of the genre's very best.

Game Rant - Dalton Cooper - 4.5 / 5

Both those new to the genre and hardcore Metroidvania fans are going to fall in love with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It's too early to say if it will be remembered with the same fondness as Super Metroid or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic Metroidvania and one of the best games in the entire Prince of Persia franchise.

GameBlast - Victor Vitório - Portuguese - 9 / 10

With Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Ubisoft Montpellier used the solid terrain of the metroidvania legacy to bring new air to the classic series. Even without innovating, the game is built with the good parts of the genre, a confident and excellently executed combination that takes us to a robust, fun and challenging campaign, making it a highlight as one of the best of its kind.

GameLuster - Nairon Santos de Morais - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one of the very best metroidvanias of modern times that revives a fan-favorite franchise with a new coat of paint. Let's hope this means there's a bright future awaiting.

GameMAG - Russian - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great return of the series, as well as one of the bright and exciting projects of the beginning of 2024. The game will appeal to both old fans and inexperienced newcomers.

GameSkinny - Jason Rodriguez - 9 / 10

Overall, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a refreshing take not just for the long-dormant franchise, but for the modern Metroidvania genre. After completing the campaign in roughly 16 hours (with a bit of side exploration thrown in for good measure), I found it’s approachable for newcomers and presents interesting and engaging challenges for hardcore fans. I can only hope that this leads to bigger sequels down the line.

GameSpot - Steve Watts - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia boldly reinvents itself as a metroidvania, and it feels like it has found its new home.

GamesBeat - Mike Minotti - 4.5 / 5

The Prince of Persia series has lived a few lives. It started as a 2D cinematic platformer before evolving into movement-based 3D action games. Now, Ubisoft Montpellier has found a new direction for the franchise that could serve as the blueprint for the series going forward.

GamingBolt - Shubhankar Parijat - 9 / 10

The Lost Crown is a fantastic game. Not only does it capture the biggest strength of Prince of Persia's earliest sidescrolling instalments, it also reinvigorates the series in spectacular fashion with its Metroidvania design structure. From level design to combat, from the platforming to its visual style, from the exploration to the soundtrack, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an impressive accomplishment in more ways than one, and one of Ubisoft's best games in years.

Geeks & Com - Kevin Cormier - French - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Last Crown is a pleasant surprise for the new year. While January is usually synonymous with quiet, gamers have instead got a game of the highest quality to sink their teeth into. We're talking about a game with an excellent lifespan, that's easy to get to, and that restores a much-needed license to a much-needed studio. With more titles to come over the course of the year, we very much hope that Prince of Persia is a harbinger of quality.

Generación Xbox - Frank Montes - Spanish - 90 / 100

A worthy representative of the Metroidvania subgenre

Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an enjoyable and challenging Metroidvania game. Its refreshing setting combined with its intense combat make this journey through Mount Qaf worth the 20-hour trek. The boss fights are a real standout in the game delivering some unforgettable combat encounters.

God is a Geek - Mick Fraser - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic return to the franchise's roots, and one of the strongest examples of the genre I've played.

Hey Poor Player - Andrew Thornton - 4.5 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is, in many ways, a new direction for this series, but there’s enough pulled from the past that it very much still feels like a Prince of Persia game. With excellent combat, some of the best platforming you’ll find in any Metroidvania, a fantastic world to explore, and a series of incredible powers to unlock, The Lost Crown keeps getting more interesting as you make your way through it. Fans of the series, the genre, or simply great games will want to check out Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

INDIANTVCZ - Tomáš Otáhal - Czech - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown perfectly demonstrates what an excellent platformer game can look like. Ubisoft Montpellier has capitalized on its Rayman experience and breathed new life into the original idea of the Prince of Persia in near-perfect form.

Impulsegamer - Nathan Misa - 4.5 / 5

Fun 2.5D platforming, combo-based combat and clever puzzles wrapped in a highly polished, content-filled package. A must-play adventure.

Invision Community - Adam Ligocki - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown doesn’t reinvent the Metroidvania wheel, but it does make the mechanics entirely its own. You can pick up all of the inspirations, but it never feels like anything less than its own thing and is a perfect fit for the Prince of Persia franchise. Ubisoft has started off 2024 with a fantastic, must-play game that is, not only, one of their best games but also one of this year’s best. If this is the future of the Prince of Persia franchise, well then, could I please have some more?

Jump Dash Roll - Connor Shaw - 9 / 10

Driven by first-class gameplay and genuinely brilliant design, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may just be the new standard bearer for an entire genre. A remarkable reboot that will excite fans of both Prince of Persia and Metroidvanias alike.

Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 90 / 100

I never thought 2024 would start with a banger of a 2D title, especially from a company like Ubisoft that's known for copy-pasta open-world games, yet here we are. While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has elements from other 2D search action titles, it adds a few more innovations and uses its platforming and level design talent to create a remarkable and memorable platforming and sword-slinging experience, polish and all. Give this Metroidvania a whirl; you'll be pleased to know that it keeps the Prince of Persia platforming legacy alive and very well, thanks to its new search action trappings.

Leadergamer - Alper Dalan - Turkish - 9 / 10

The game that destroyed my prejudices.

LevelUp - Santiago Villicaña - Spanish - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown takes a lot of elements from other metroidvanias but also adds something unique and interesting to make a game that shines in almost every aspect. It's the perfect comeback for the prince.

MKAU Gaming - Sammy Hanson - 9 / 10

Ubisoft is one of the leading brands in video games today with a library of successful franchises but doesn’t seem to realise the gem and piece of gaming history they have in Prince of Persia. While we can’t say “The Prince is back” since it’s not The Prince you’re playing as, finally getting a new Prince of Persia game after 14 years is still a good feeling. Even if it’s another reboot with a different genre, the latest entry in the legendary franchise is still a fun and challenging game, packed with loads of content with over 20 hours of playtime and plenty of replay value. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an excellent way to start 2024.

MondoXbox - Giuseppe Genga - Italian - 9 / 10

Ubisoft kicks off the year with a brilliant metroidvania, not only successfully refreshing a historical franchise, but also effectively introducing new elements to the genre, while providing challenging, varied and satisfying fights, and very thoughtful environmental puzzles. Definitely suggested to every lover of the genre.

MonsterVine - Diego Escala - 4.5 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a shining jewel in the series and an exciting, and much needed, surprise from Ubisoft.

Multiplayer First - Dean James - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may not have had the strongest response from fans upon its initial announcement, but Ubisoft really knocked it out of the ballpark with this one in the end. Coming in at about the 20 to 25-hour mark for a well-explored playthrough felt just about right for this type of game to avoid overstaying its welcome. Taking Prince of Persia and mixing it with the Metroidvania genre was a brilliant move, as the gameplay and abilities from the series mesh very well with this style, and it makes me hope this is only the beginning of this franchise’s foray into this new direction and is not just a one-off experience.

Nexus Hub - Sam Aberdeen - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is exceptionally good and marks Ubisoft's best game in years - a shot of old-school 2D platforming action that jolts the franchise back to life.

Nintendo Life - PJ O'Reilly - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a slick return to the roots of this franchise that serves up clever 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat, and neat puzzles, all mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open things up to newcomers and casual players. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands and the team hasn't let us down, serving up the first must-play of 2024 in a Switch port that absolutely does the business.

NintendoWorldReport - Jordan Rudek - 9 / 10

There's an absolute treat of a game in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and the ways in which it reminds me of Hollow Knight, Metroid Dread, and of course the original Prince of Persia from 1989 are palpable. The almost-Spider-Man-like traipsing around ruined temples, a frozen sea, and majestic historical cityscapes only got better and better as Sargon's repertoire of moves grew, and even if some of the mid-to-late game bosses ramp up the difficulty a fair bit, there's more than enough fun in returning to exploration to bolster your stats and capabilities. The Lost Crown is a title that I hope people remember at the end of the year when recalling the standout video games of 2024 because there's no doubt this should be among them.

Noisy Pixel - Bailey Seemangal - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an unapologetically stylish and sleek Metroidvania action adventure that boasts magnificent movement and brilliant boss design. Aside from setting itself apart from other entries in the Prince of Persia series, it also stands toe-to-toe with some of the genre's giants. While the narrative isn't comparatively engrossing, this one-of-a-kind journey will undeniably satisfy both beginners and veterans of the franchise. The never-mundane gameplay loop full of ceaseless reward and discovery is one that shows clear, meticulous thought poured into it. At its core, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown redefines what Prince of Persia can bring to the table and proves that it can still shine in the modern age if given enough polish and opportunity.

Oyungezer Online - M.İhsan Tatari - Turkish - 9 / 10

The Lost Crown isn't your typical Prince of Persia game. But it's the first big surprise of this year with its smooth gameplay, challenging enemies and glorious bosses. Ubisoft has not only returned the series to its roots, but also made one of the best metroidvania games ever made. Prince would have been worthy of such a return.

PCMag - Jordan Minor - 4.5 / 5

The thrilling Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown features skillfully designed mazes, dynamic combat, perfect movement, and clever temporal abilities that make for a welcome series return.

Pixel Arts - Danial Dehghani - Persian - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a masterpiece of the action-adventure genre, offering a unique blend of platforming, puzzle-solving, and time manipulation. Its stunning visuals, immersive atmosphere, and compelling storyline make it a must-play for anyone who enjoys immersive and challenging gaming experiences.

PlayStation Universe - Garri Bagdasarov - 9 / 10

An excellent return to the Prince of Persia franchise. The Lost Crown takes the classic Metroidvania-style and builds on it with excellent puzzles, platforming and combat. The Lost Crown is easily the first must have title of the year and shouldn't be missed.

Press Start - Steven Impson - 9 / 10

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Crown. It took me a little under 18 hours to finish the game with quite a bit of exploring off the beaten track along the way – and the next day all I wanted to do was pick the game back up get to more exploring. It's got compelling exploration, great feeling movement, engaging combat and satisfying puzzles. Genuine innovation in the genre and smartly integrated accessibility features make The Lost Crown a game I heartily recommend.

Prima Games - Matt Vatankhah - 9 / 10

A cinematic journey that takes a beloved series to new heights, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an adventure that fans of the genre shouldn't miss.

Pure Nintendo - Jemma Casson - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a splendid return to form for the series. The developers have done a terrific job with an original story and a visually impressive title that's well implemented on the Switch. The smooth gameplay, terrific map system, and satisfying combat and exploration make this a must-play for genre fans.

Pure Xbox - PJ O'Reilly - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastically clever return to the franchise that serves up slick 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat and neat puzzles, mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open this traditionally tough genre up to newcomers. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands, and it's not let us down here, serving up the first must-play of 2024, and we're only just getting started.

SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 9 / 10

It has everything you could want from a game. It will entertain you, it will challenge you, and you will spend a lot of time with it without even a hint of stereotype. The variety of content is truly huge on all fronts, so you won't be bored until the credits roll some 20 hours later. It's a shame that there are a few minor flaws, but they don't detract from the overall experience to the point where you'll be bothered by them.

Seasoned Gaming - Ainsley Bowden - 9 / 10

The Lost Crown is a gem. It is smart, beautiful, impeccably designed, and almost flawlessly executed.

Shacknews - Donovan Erskine - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown shows that this long-running franchise still has plenty of life left in it. The main narrative is sharp, with interesting twists and reveals about the universe at large. It’s only surpassed by the combat, which challenged me in all the right ways.

Slant Magazine - Aaron Riccio - 4.5 / 5

It’s fascinating to see all the ways in which time flows (or doesn’t) throughout the game’s varied regions, as in the frozen Raging Seas, a series of eternally fixed waves and ships locked in battle, some mid-explosion. These places not only serve narrative purposes, but also thematic ones, in that the astral clockwork calendars of the Upper City demonstrate the terrifying effects of broken time as much as the encounters that Sargon may have with alternate versions of himself, some of whom would stop at nothing—including “self”-harm—to break the city’s curse. Put simply, time isn’t merely an effect in The Lost Crown—it’s the consequential core of the game.

The Beta Network - Anthony Culinas - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown wears the Metroidvania belt with panache. The protagonist, Sargon can whip out a whole range of stylish assaults thanks to his handy teleportation maneuvers and flow through the difficult platforming hazards of Mount Qaf like an Olympic gymnast. It’s just a pity that the story isn’t anywhere near as strong. You can’t win them all, I suppose.

TheSixthAxis - Adrian Burrows - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one of the finest metroidvanias I've ever played and a fantastic way to start 2024. Thrilling and kinetic platforming, thumping combat, and a vast game world that demands exploration, and makes it a joy to do. It's time to kick nostalgia firmly in the unmentionables; this is the best Prince of Persia ever.

TrueGaming - مصطفى عرجون - Arabic - 9 / 10

A content-rich experience, offering a captivating mix of gameplay mechanics that make it a unique experience, exceeding expectations with genius level design and a great level of challenge that make it a great start to the year 2024.

Twinfinite - Matthew Carmosino - 4.5 / 5

This is a gamer’s game, and I mean that in a literal sense. It shines with brilliant game design through and through and doesn’t manipulate the player’s dopamine through gotcha microtransaction mechanics. It’s a pure, raw, game experience that respects the player’s skill and time. I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed a game as much as Prince of Persia The Lost Crown in years. If you’re even remotely interested in platformers or Metroidvanias, you owe it to yourself to play this game.

WayTooManyGames - Leonardo Faria - 9 / 10

I had high hopes for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, but it still managed to surpass them. More than just a risky, experimental revival of a dormant franchise, it basically showcases that Prince of Persia works magnificently well as a metroidvania, almost in a "why haven't you done this before" kind of way.

Wccftech - Francesco De Meo - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown couldn't have brought back the series after its more than a decade-long hiatus in a better way. With an engaging story, well-crafted Metroidvania mechanics, and a touch of character-action games features in its combat system, Sargon's adventure will be remembered by fans for a long time, even with its minor issues.

WhatIfGaming - Ali Hashmi - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a return to form for the franchise, and an excellent game that takes the series back to its 2D roots wrapped in a polished Metroidvania experience that's clever, engaging, and full of meaningful content to explore. The fast-paced combat rewards skillful play and the gorgeous art direction brings Mount Qaf to life. I just hope we don't have to wait another 13 years for another Prince of Persia title.

Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an excellent Metroidvania. It doesn't completely break the mold of the genre, but it is firing on all cylinders, and it's a delight from start to finish. The excellent gameplay is bolstered by the anime-inspired visuals to create a distinctive style. The somewhat lackluster plot lags behind, but even that is mostly fun, if unexceptional. If you're a fan of Metroidvania-style games, you're certain to have a ton of fun with Sargon's adventure in The Lost Crown.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great game and a nice pivot for the long-dormant series. The combat is enjoyable, since you never go through that expected moment of weakness like in other games. The crisp controls translate well to platforming that requires a good deal of skill to master but rarely devolves into frustration. The puzzles do an excellent job of being tricky but satisfying to solve. You can still point out a few flaws, like the fact that the story is fairly standard, but those are minor nitpicks that don't stop the game from being a title that's worthy of a classic adventure fan's library.

ZdobywcyGier.eu - Paweł Bortkiewicz - Polish - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one of the best metroidvanias on the market. The Prince has returned in beautiful style, and I hope it reaches the tastes of other gamers so that we get more of it, not another almost 14-year hiatus.

Zoomg - Afshin Piroozi - Persian - 9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is exactly what the franchise needed. The Lost Crown is a creative Metroidvania game with deep combat and satisfying platforming. The story also provides interesting moments with unexpected twists.

Merlin'in Kazanı - Samet Basri Taşlı - Turkish - 89 / 100

If you are interested in the Metroidvania genre, you will love this game, even if it is a new game for Prince of Persia, if you want to play it, you are very likely to like this game, if you are someone who is interested in the genre and loves Prince of Persia, definitely don't miss it. We have a game that is accessible enough to play even for players who are unfamiliar with the metroidvania genre and quality enough to do justice to the genre. It's a very good step towards the revival of the series, let's see what they do with Sands of Time Remake.

DualShockers - Jeffrey David Brooks - 8.8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an excellent new entry in this iconic franchise, and a great entry point for new Metroidvania fans

GAMES.CH - Sönke Siemens - German - 87%

Be it the masterful design of the semi-open game world divided into 13 dye biomes, the continuous introduction of new hero abilities, the thrilling duels with a huge range of enemy types, the challenging puzzles and boss fights, the scope, which is more extensive than many others genre representatives or the variety of accessibility functions - Ubisoft Montpellier undoubtedly delivers one of its best games in recent years! There are minor points of criticism, but in our opinion they are primarily limited to difficulty peaks in some boss fights and the fact that the story doesn't quite as emotionally engage us as that of Hollow Knight or Ori and the Blind Forest, for example.

Gamersky - 心灵奇兵 - Chinese - 8.7 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a bold step for Ubisoft. Not only does it show their great skill in making platform action games, but it also deserves praise for successfully creating a great Metroidvania game at the first attempt. The clever rewind action and memory fragment marking system are also good ideas for the future of Metroidvania games.

INVEN - Kyuman Kim - Korean - 8.7 / 10

Ubisoft Montpellier has successfully combined the expertise gained from the Rayman series with the combat of the Souls series, resulting in a truly enjoyable Metroidvania-style game with various quality-of-life features. Whether you're familiar with this kind of genre or not, it's a perfect game to start the new year with.

GamePro - Kevin Itzinger - German - 86 / 100

The Lost Crown doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does a great job of executing the gameplay loop of exploration, character enhancement and progression.

Gamerheadquarters - Jason Stettner - 8.6 / 10

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is a great Metroidvania experience providing a lengthy, challenging adventure that balances cinematics with gameplay while also evolving the genre.

BaziCenter - جواد محسنی - Persian - 9 / 10

While The Last Crown is not without flaws, the final package is entertaining enough to make it worth your time and money. It's highly inspired by ancient Persia and offers deep and engaging gameplay and beautiful art design, proving that the Prince of Persia universe has massive potential and deserves more attention from Ubisoft.

But Why Tho? - Kate Sanchez - 8.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a vibrant reimaging of ancient Persian myth. It’s a turning of the page for a traditionally Orientalist franchise, and it never sacrifices gameplay to do so. The Lost Crown is the right mix of difficult ingenuity and self-pacing that makes the Metroidvaia inspiration a perfect pairing.

CGMagazine - Philip Watson - 8.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is not just a good Metroidvania game, but it is a great addition to the catalogue of titles in the Prince of Persia franchise.

COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 85 / 100

The Lost Crown is a fun and engaging 2.5D action platformer. It borrows a number of mechanics from several years’ worth of recent Metroidvanias, but adds a few ideas and quality of life features of its own, too. Maybe best of all, it’s a game for both newcomers and Metroidvania veterans

Capsule Computers - Travis Bruno - 8.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s satisfying story combined with a wonderful approach to combat makes this metroidvania a highly enjoyable return to form for the long missing franchise.

Checkpoint Gaming - Bree Maybe - 8.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an incredibly pleasant surprise. Brilliant gameplay and gorgeous visuals make it utterly addictive to play, and in my time with it, I never wanted to put it down. The only fault the experience really has is the story, and while it is perfectly serviceable, it's never sufficiently engaging, even if the gameplay itself is enough to keep you going. If you are looking for a new Metroidvania to sink your teeth into, this is one I can highly recommend, and a strong return to form for the previously long-resting franchise.

Destructoid - Steven Mills - 8.5 / 10

The glimpses of tedium definitely hamper the experience, but few games have managed to get me so excited just for reaching the next boss. If you are a fan of Metroidvania-style games or even just a fan of fast-paced combat with a focus on boss fights, you’ll love this iteration of the Prince (of Persia).

Enternity.gr - Dimitris Vasilakis - Greek - 8.5 / 10

An unexpectedly balanced version of the beloved Prince comes with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

Everyeye.it - Riccardo Cantù - Italian - 8.5 / 10

The Lost Crown is a delightful new beginning for the saga, a project that exudes all the passion infused by its developers

Gameffine - Uphar Dutta, Jay Krishnan - 85 / 100

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a mind-blowing platformer with extremely detailed control over the character for platforming as well as combat. Having such tremendous control requires a serious challenge which the game does not fear to give. The game however does fall short in providing a memorable story and soundtrack. Otherwise, you're looking at a major platformer of the year contender.

Gaming Nexus - Elliot Hilderbrand - 8.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown strikes a harmonious balance between combat, puzzles, and exploration, providing a satisfying blend for players. The shadow of the deluxe edition looms, introducing cosmetic items and early access at a questionable price point. Despite this, the core game experience remains untarnished, making the deluxe edition an optional, albeit somewhat disappointing, add-on. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a delightful journey, offering a well-paced adventure that managed to keep me engaged from start to finish.

Infinite Start - Grant E. Gaines - 8.5 / 10

Overall I think Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a solid experience. It's far from perfect, as it can be surprisingly difficult/cheap/annoying, but most of the time it's a creative metroidvania. Add in some genuinely cool boss battles, climatic parry moves, and countless locations to explore and you have an experience well worth considering.

PPE.pl - Wojciech Gruszczyk - Polish - 8.5 / 10

Ubisoft needs a lot of success, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a very safe and well-paced game. The company doesn't take risks, it manages to tire out and provides a lot of enjoyable gameplay.

Softpedia - Cosmin Vasile - 8.5 / 10

The Lost Crown deserves a chance both from new players and old-time fans of the franchise. Yes, you do not play with the prince, but that does not affect the game experience. Ubisoft managed to put together a challenging and very enjoyable experience that mixes elements from different genres into a real good end result.

The Games Machine - Daniele Dolce - Italian - 8.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does everything it has to do in the best possible way. Or rather, almost everything: unfortunately the plot is negligible and the characters have the same charisma as a puddle. Beyond this, however, the structure of the semi-open world is very complex, the combat system is much deeper than the average of the genre, and the platforming borders on excellence. A return in style for one of the most beloved franchises of all time.

VGChartz - Paul Broussard - 8.5 / 10

The puzzles, combat, boss fights, and general progression all make The Lost Crown a joy to play, notwithstanding some frustrating technical issues and lackluster optional discoverable items.

cublikefoot - Claire Ferrin - 8.5 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a solid metroidvania and easily one of the best I have played in years.

Spaziogames - Francesco Corica - Italian - 8.1 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown managed to swipe away every possible doubt after its first reveal, proving itself to be a metroidvania well developed, fun and with the right ideas.

Daily Star - Tom Hutchison - 4 / 5

A decent and difficult start to console gaming in 2024.

Digital Spy - Ben Rayner - 4 / 5

After 2023, a year in which the games industry saw so many people removed from their jobs due to what can only really be seen as corporate greed and an obsession with profits before people, assets before art, it’s good to see a big studio create something smaller but no less special. And we can only hope this happens more often and leads to a more stable industry for the talented and passionate people that makes these things possible.

Entertainment Geekly - Luis Alvaro - 4 / 5

This new chapter in the storied franchise melds combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving, delivering an exhilarating gaming experience that redefines the series’ legacy.

Eurogamer - Christian Donlan - 4 / 5

Ubisoft ditches its normal formula and finds the ideal way to bring gaming's original Prince back to life.

FandomWire - Lisa Tolmak - 8 / 10

The stunning visuals and superb animations elevate the entire experience. This game emanates style from every corner, with each of its vastly unique biomes coming to life with awe-inspiring visuals. From eerie sewers and lush forests to opulent palaces and icy mountains, each biome is an entirely different world with a distinctive atmosphere.

Bombastic soundtracks set the vibe in each level and rev up during boss battles, while the overall sound design allows you to be fully immersed in the world. Gorgeous and detailed cinematics to boot, continuously had me staring at the screen in awe. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a stylish and challenging action platformer that nails every aspect that makes a great Metroidvania and pushes the genre forward with its clever Memory Shard feature. and while I encountered a particularly disappointing bug, the game’s excellent platforming, tough, rhythmic combat, and stunning visuals more than made up for it.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown isn’t just a powerful new contender in the Metroidvania genre, it’s also a worthy entry in the series that adds new flavor to the franchise. Even if you’re disappointed that this isn’t The Sands of Time Remake you’ve been waiting for, The Lost Crown is a jewel of a game that you shouldn’t let slip through your fingers.

Final Weapon - Saras Rajpal - 4 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic introduction to the Metroidvania genre. Despite a predictable story and graphical oddities, the game's accessibility options, unique gameplay, and thrilling level design make it a great choice for anyone hoping to get into the Metroidvania genre for the first time.

GameSpew - Richard Seagrave - 8 / 10

Having been away from our consoles for some 14 years, we’re glad that Prince of Persia has made a return. And while we’d welcome another 3D action adventure entry with open arms, Ubisoft’s choice to adopt a 2.5D Metroidvania format for this foray is a shrewd one. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has everything you’d expect of a Prince of Persia game, from tense, thoughtful combat to challenging platforming. Yet thanks to its youthful flair and genre-shift, it feels fresh and unlike anything else currently in the Ubisoft library. For Prince of Persia fans and those who enjoy Metroidvanias in general, this is very much worthy of a recommendation.

GameXplain - Joey Ferris - 8 / 10

Video Review - Quote not available

Gameblog - KiKiToes - French - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown ticks all the boxes of the perfect metroidvania.

Gamefa - Mostafa Zahedi - Persian - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an amazing 2D experience that embarks you on a great adventure in ancient Persia. from thrilling bossfights to entertaining characters, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown delivers almost everything you expect from a 2D metroidvanian experience

GamesCreed - Jay Claassen - 4 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great release for the franchise, and the story has a lot of depth that will keep you going for hours on end. All this, combined with the visuals and sound design, builds into a great game with a familiar atmosphere we all know and love, but from a critical point of view… The AAA price does not detract from the fact that it’s still an indie side-scroller. However, if you’re willing to pay the piper, it becomes a matter of perspective as to whether or not it’s worth the price.

GamesRadar+ - Joe Donnelly - 4 / 5

For those wanting more in the same vein as 3D adventures like The Sands of Time, this ain't it. But it is a return to relative form for a series whose last mainline outing landed 14 years ago – it's just disappointing that this very good game was held back from true greatness.

Gaming Age - Matthew Pollesel - 8 / 10

The big drawback to The Lost Crown is that if you’re not already a fan of Metroidvanias, it’s hard to imagine anything here will suddenly make you a believer in the genre. It’s a well-made Metroidvania, to be sure, but there’s nothing here that breaks new ground.

GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak - 80 / 100

Elegance, finesse, style – whatever you want to call it, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has it. It sets the stage with familiar Prince of Persia elements while performing them in new ways. The production comes with a few stumbles, yet The Lost Crown always recovers with style, proving itself as a worthy heir to the elegance that this series represents.

Hardcore Gamer - Chris Shive - 4 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown combines elements of the classic 2D games with the 3D reboots to create a solid metroidvania. In fact Prince of Persia translates to this genre so well it's surprising it took until 2024 to happen. The gameplay is a mix of fighting, platforming and puzzles that are balanced in a way where things never get stale. Many of the obstacles Sargon faces will present a challenge and only the most skilled players will make it through without falling prey to a trap at least once, but none are so challenging that they can't be overcome with a little perseverance. The same can be said for the combat, where learning the intricacies and nuance of the combat system is an important part of winning against the challenging boss fights. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may not revolutionize the genre, but it's one of the better metroidvanias to come out in recent years.

IGN - Phil Hornshaw - 8 / 10

Returning to a 2D perspective lets Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown perfect its controls and combat while capturing everything that was great about the heyday of the series.

IGN Italy - Angelo Bianco - Italian - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a good metroidvania that makes its intriguing gameplay its most appreciable aspect, which offers many accessibility-related options that allow the game experience to be fully customized. Although it is not flawless in some aspects, such as an uninspired character design and a difficulty balance that is not properly calibrated, Ubisoft Montpellier's new game is a must play for all fans of the genre and the Prince of Persia franchise.

IGN Spain - Rafa Del Río - Spanish - 8 / 10

The saga's return to the 2D platform genre in the form of a modern metroidvania leaves us with a challenging and sometimes desperate, but always delightful experience.

Metro GameCentral - GameCentral - 8 / 10

It bears little resemblance to any of its predecessors, but The Lost Crown is one of the best Metroidvania games of recent years and a highly enjoyable challenge.

Niche Gamer - Fingal Belmont - 8 / 10

Apart from the skin-crawling modern sensibilities affecting the narrative and an unmemorable soundtrack, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown swings for the fences and hits an impressive balance of action, exploration, and puzzle-solving. This is a hearty and beefy epic that will satisfy veterans of the genre and push them to their limits.

PowerUp! - Adam Mathew - 8 / 10

Whichever way you look at it, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is another fine entry in the modern-era Metroidvania renaissance. It absolutely deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as games like Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, and Metroid Dread.

Push Square - Stephen Tailby - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown puts its best foot forward with rewarding and satisfying gameplay at its core. Combining the series' 2D past with the time-bending powers from later games, this Metroidvania is a brilliant blend that brings the franchise back in a fresh new way. While it can sometimes look a little underwhelming, and the sheer size of the game threatens to slow its own momentum, the fluid, challenging platforming and combat are so fun that any shortcomings fade into the background. This is an overall great action adventure with a lot to offer.

Screen Rant - Kaitlyn Peterson - 4 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great new addition to the Metroidvania subgenre that offers players unique combat and a good time.

TechRaptor - Robert Scarpinito - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a competent, action-packed metroidvania that mostly balances the rule of cool with exciting combat and responsive platforming. If you like over-the-top shonen anime, it’s worth checking out for the boss fights alone.

The Game Crater - Jayden Hellyar - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown breathes new life into the beloved franchise by delivering a captivating 2D Metroidvania experience.

The List - Murray Robertson - 4 / 5

It certainly looks the part: lush, dynamic backgrounds are detailed with cascading waterfalls, impossibly huge machines and enormous mythical beasts. And this is just as well given that players will become very acquainted with the map. When new abilities are unlocked, it’s necessary to return to previous locations that can then be explored further. And in order to keep track of awkward sections, it’s possible to pin screenshots to the map, a neat feature we’ll hopefully see taken up by other games. The Lost Crown is a bold new entry for this series and a great entry point for players new to the genre.

The Outerhaven Productions - Alex Santa Maria - 4 / 5

With its impeccable style and fast action, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a prime example of Metroidvanias at their best and worst. Setting a foundation for greatness, a follow-up that overcomes those weaknesses could truly take the throne.

TheReviewGeek - Greg Wheeler - 8 / 10

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown is a great Metroidvania. It’s very easy to get addicted to exploring every nook and cranny of this world, and it helps that the visuals are gorgeously rendered too. It’s certainly no Hollow Knight or Castlevania, but Lost Crown is a solid, highly enjoyable game with a harmonious balance of combat, puzzles and exploration.

TrueAchievements - Tom West - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic entry into the platforming and Metroidvania genres. While it falls short in some areas, which can leave you feeling somewhat frustrated, the overall experience is a sequence of satisfaction-inducing challenges. As the first new entry into the franchise we've seen in some time, The Lost Crown is a fantastic place for Ubisoft to start, and I'd like to see more.

Twisted Voxel - Ali Haider - 8 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown marks a significant shift from the series' traditional 3D action and platforming to a Metroidvania-style game with cell-shaded art and side-scrolling combat. Despite initial skepticism from fans, its exceptional platforming, engaging gameplay, and return to the series' roots have made it an unexpected hit, offering a fresh experience while maintaining the essence of the beloved franchise.

VG247 - Dom Peppiatt - 4 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a smart game that makes you feel even smarter. It’s a Metroidvania that’s learned from the best, but without sacrificing any element of its own personality – for better and for worse.

VGC - Jordan Middler - 4 / 5

Prince of Persia was long in need of a resurrection, and in The Lost Crown, it's found it. Excellent platforming, clever puzzles and a huge map make one of the best Metroidvania's in years, and kicks off 2024 in style.

VideoGamer - Tom Bardwell - 8 / 10

Through a blend of a Metroidvania structure and a dutiful nod to its side-scrolling past, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a lean and assured mechanical treat.

Wolf's Gaming Blog - Baden Ronie - 4 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a pleasure to play and a welcome return for a series that has been dormant for far too long, even if it doesn’t have that much in common with its fully 3D ancestors. A weak story and a few pacing issues hold it back from breaking into the highest echelons of the Metroidvania genre and duking it out with the likes of Hollow Knight, but it’s pretty far up there and a fantastic way to kick off the year. It might even be in the top 10.

XGN.nl - Theo Weber - Dutch - 8 / 10

Ubisoft has Prince of Persia returned with a completelt new look and feel. The world of this metroidvania is huge and there is a lot to do. That also means a lot of running, climbing and fighting, but not a lot of depth unfortunately. Also there are a few misses opportunities. Still, this is a game you surely have to play this year!

Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 7.9 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown managed the leap into the new genre of Metroidvanias really well. The battles are challenging, moving through the levels is enormous fun and there are visually impressive counterattacks to marvel at. The fact that the characters and story are inconsequential and the backtracking can be a bit tedious should not deter genre fans too much.

New Game Network - Ben Thomas - 79 / 100

The Lost Crown is a good modern template for an old franchise, taking the essence of Prince of Persia into a familiar metroidvania format. With fun combat, good boss battles, and smooth platforming mechanics, only the convoluted levels and overlong platforming keep it from being timeless.

Flickering Myth - Shaun Munro - 7.5 / 10

Less a staggering reinvention of the series than an impressive adjunct, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown should appeal to both long-time fans of the franchise and even those with little interest in Metroidvanias.

PC Gamer - Mollie Taylor - 72 / 100

A palatable metroidvania with a mediocre story, my biggest frustration with The Lost Crown is how long it takes to get to the good stuff.

PCGamesN - Will Nelson - 7 / 10

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is simultaneously overblown and undercooked in some areas, but it nails the fundamentals of combat, platforming, and exploration, making for a strong Metroidvania adventure and an exciting new entry in a legendary game series.

Xbox Achievements - Josh Wise - 70%

Fluid platforming and frenetic combat, with some lovely spectacle and a dull story.

eXputer - Usama Mehmood - 3.5 / 5

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, has completely subverted my initial expectations, providing us with a great game to kickstart 2024 off.

Chicas Gamers - Álvaro Bustío - Spanish - Unscored

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown was an enormous challenge that Ubisoft Montpelier has managed to take on and master. Something as complicated as making a saga that hibernated while waiting for the right moment to wake up shine. Thus, we find a title that is far from the saga that became so popular on PlayStation 2, but returns to its origins with a game that is reminiscent of the original installment of everything, and in which exploration was its pillar. In this way, we find a very fun game that has everything: action, puzzles, platforms, exploration, etc... Where, thanks to a series of exquisitely interconnected maps, you are continually encouraged to explore with very satisfactory results for the player.

An adventure that, although the entire focus falls on that triptych (adventures, exploration and platforming), relegates the narrative to something secondary, thus offering us a character that is comfortable to control and who responds really well to command, never leaving us sold or doing something. that we would not want to do. Sargon's adventure can take us, depending on how skilled we are, between 20 and 25 hours to finish. The game has also a Deluxe edition that includes an amulet that will warn us when a secret is nearby and a new appearance for Sargon.

Console Creatures - David Pietrangelo - Recommended

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a welcome return to the franchise. It packs a punch with exciting combat, challenging platforming, great visuals, and tons of secrets to uncover.

Digitec Magazine - Simon Balissat - German - Unscored

Almost out of nowhere, "Prince of Persia" has become a contender for the "Metroidvania of the Year" award.

Duuro Magazine - Krist Duro - Essential

Through ingenious level design and gratifying systems married to intensely satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay, The Lost Crown reinvents Metroidvania conventions while carving out its own new legacy.

Echo Boomer - João Canelo - Portuguese - Essential

Ubisoft revives one of its most important and assertive titles in its catalog. It’s not just a good metroidvania: it’s an excellent Prince of Persia.

Entertainium - Eduardo Rebouças - Worth your time

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an exciting addition to the admittedly crowded market in its particular style of play, but it’s one that does enough of its own flavor and delivery that makes it very much worth playing. That’s all too true for those who’ve enjoyed Prince of Persia in the past thanks to its ties in design to the classic games of the past in the form of traversal and to some degree, some of its combat encounters. For as limiting as these games can be simply due to the tenants of the genre, there’s enough here to make this one stand out from the pack.

Kotaku - Levi Winslow - Unscored

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an exceptional Metroidvania that’s as accessible as it is punishing. It’s an impressive accomplishment, one that exemplifies how approachable doesn’t mean dumbed down. I’ve certainly had my fair share of frustrations during my multiple hours with it, but I’ve also come away from The Lost Crown feeling more excited about the genre than I have been in a long time.

One More Game - Chris Garcia - Buy

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a supremely stylish and stellar start to 2024, and coming from a company that usually just spews out open-world titles, this is such a welcome entry in their portfolio. Developing this as a "smaller" title worked wonders for the game, as Prince of Persia fits perfectly in a Metroidvania setting that puts gameplay at the forefront of it all.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Katharine Castle - RPS Bestest Bests

Fearless but intensely friendly, Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown is a deep and challenging Metroid-like with some of the best platforming this side of Moon's Ori games.

Skill Up - Ralph Panebianco - Unscored

Video Review - Quote not available

Vamers - Edward Swardt - Essential

From the way Ubisoft have crafted an immaculate world based on history and mythology, through to how the narrative plays into the gameplay, the talent at Ubisoft Montpeiller have done the franchise proud. Prince of Persia The Lost Crown emerges as a refreshing addition to the works of time shifting sands. While diverging from its recent third-person entries and returning to its roots as a side scrolling title, it masterfully aligns expectations from fans of both the licence, and the genre. The game captures the brilliance of the original Prince of Persia titles while conforming to modern mechanics in order to deliver a thoughtful, yet nostalgic experience. Prince of Persia The Lost Crown impresses with its impeccable world building, engaging lore, and compelling narrative; standing as a testament to how well looked after the franchise can be, when in the right hands.

gameranx - Unscored

Video Review - Quote not available

AbsolutSurgen · January 11

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is simply beautiful across all platforms

WWW.EUROGAMER.NET

With Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, UbiSoft has completely eschewed its typical open world formula, instead choosing…

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From a Digital Foundry perspective, however, one of the most surprising aspects of The Lost Crown is its engine - UbiSoft has a full suite of internal technologies at its disposal, including the UbiArt Framework used in Rayman - but this new game leverages the Unity Engine instead. This is neither good nor bad, per se, but it is interesting given Ubi's resources. Historically, multiplatform Unity games have produced uneven results in our tests with the Switch versions typically suffering but, in this case, UbiSoft has done a remarkable job.

The visual makeup itself is simple but effective. It's very much a game that follows tried and true rendering paradigms. There's no ray tracing here, no cutting-edge visual effects or anything like that - but they're not really needed. Instead, it's about creating a strong aesthetic within the constraints of their target - which, if I had to guess, is Nintendo Switch.

Given the camera angle, the team has managed to dial in a suitable level of detail. Models are not exceptionally high-poly but still well-detailed. Texture work is designed to convey a painterly style rather than realism. Lighting is entirely baked yet still approximates things like light bounce to a rough degree. All versions feature dynamic shadows (including self-shadows) and there are plenty of dynamic lights and shiny surfaces within. The backgrounds feature a nice sense of depth and give the impression of exploring a large space.

Animation is stylised and over the top with elements like the running animation recalling Rayman's sense of movement plus there are some slick sequences used to accentuate Sargon's movement and finesse. This is an example of the development team dialing in a very specific style then nailing it. The goal was never to push technical boundaries - it was to create something that operates smoothly and consistently within their visual framework. Sometimes high performance, responsiveness and a cohesive design makes the most sense.

I was surprised when I found out this was a full price game.

General Gaming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (PlayStation/Xbox/PC/Switch) - update (09/05): Mask of Darkness DLC teaser trailer and blog post (09/17 release)

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