Summary
Newcomers can rest easy asPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownditches the old for basically a reboot of the franchise. The game begins with Sargon and his fellow Immortals vanquishing an invading army. Upon victory, they return to the palace, drink the night away, and then the celebrations are halted once it is known that Prince Ghassan gets kidnapped.
So, once again, Sargon and the Immortals are off on a rescue mission which leads them to ruins within Mount Qaf. That’s the basic setupto this Metroidvania, andThe Lost Crownhas plenty of more twists and turns in the narrative. It also has a lot of fun and thoughtful quotes to keep track of, so let’s mention a few with spoilers turned on.
8“Onward Immortals!”
Vahram
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s opening is wild, like some sort of Persian anime team of superheroes. The Immortals represent the best of the best, and they seemingly have superpowers too since they have colorful glowing auras.
This line is said by the leader, Vahram, as they run onto the battlefield during the tutorial. It’s kind of likeCaptain America telling The Avengersto assemble in the comics. Not many Metroidvanias start in such an epic manner, and the rest of the game does not disappoint in the cutscene department.
7“Death Has Come For You.”
Sargon
This is another great line said during the tutorial, although it’s uttered by the protagonist, Sargon. The first boss battle against General Uvishka is not that hard, but it is a good demonstration of how elaborate boss battles can be in the game.
In defeat, General Uvishka pretends to surrender, but once Sargon’s back is turned, he throws his trident at the protagonist. Sargon counters and tosses the spear back, which knocks General Uvishka through a wall as if he were nothing. As the general dies, Sargon whispers this line, which is just a great badass moment like he’s in some sort ofcheesy 80s action movie.
6“I’m A Warrior Not A Seer.”
Neith
Those unfamiliar with this series may not know that the 2000s rebootadded time-based mechanics, which were big during that era. From there, it became a staple of the franchise, with every subsequent game incorporating the mechanic. Still, it has been over a decade and newcomers may not have known this, which is why the opening of Mount Qaf could be surprising. Neith, another Immortal, looks at this giant ruined statue suspended in midair alongside Sargon.
Sargon asks what’s going on, which is when Neith fires back with this comment. Neith is here to fight and not to think, which is a fun line that brings something into question: Why isn’t there an Immortal who is just in charge of research? If the team was more diverse, they could have saved more lives later on.
5“One Single Night…That Has Lasted Thirty Years.”
Nojan
Time travel and time-related mechanics were indeed huge during the 2000s, but the gimmick hasn’t been used as often recently. It hasn’t been used to the horrific degree shown inPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownonce Sargon discovers Nojan.
This line from him is unsettling, and if the game leaned harder into itshorror elements,The Lost Crowncould have truly been a transformative Metroidvania. Nojan is practically a skeleton even though he was just in Mount Qaf for a day. The time dilation in this area affects everyone differently, from aging them in hours to making copies pop up like a bad clone of Multiplicity.
4“Watch Out For Traps, They Don’t Care Much For Duty.”
Fariba
Mount Qaf is not an abandoned location as some characters have been stuck there for literal years and not exaggerated years like Nojan. Fariba, for example, is a young girl who helps Sargon throughout the game, like with the introduction of The Eye of the Wanderer. Players can talk to her as a side option instead of just using her to buy maps or hints.
Through the many conversations they have, this random Fariba quote stands out. Sargon is hellbent on rescuing Prince Ghassan as it is his duty. Fariba reminds him, though, that traps and his enemies don’t care about trivial things like duty, which is certainly true.
3“A Fight Between Two Immortals, And No One To See It!”
Orod
To bring anime up again, Orod is kind of like Goku fromDragon Ball Z. Even though he sides with Vahram technically, it’s easy to tell that he just likes to fight. Orod has been itching to test how far Sargon has come in his training, so he challenges him to a duel.
It ends in his defeat, which showcases that Orod knew Sargon wasn’t a traitor all along because, again, he just wanted to test his mettle. It’s a sad moment for Sargon as he cares for his comrade, and things will only get worse for the protagonist’s psyche after this.
2“We Are Warriors So That One Day Others Don’t Have To Be.”
Menolias
Menolias is another member of the Immortals that Sargon has to face in battle. He’s not as into it as Orod though, but like Sargon, he puts duty above all other rationalities. Even though Vahram might be extreme in his path, Menolias believes in the greater good and hopes Vahram can bring peace back to the kingdom.
This is a great line about warriors from Menolias, but it has some undertones that he isn’t thinking about. Menolias’ defeat is even more heart-wrenching than Orod’s since it breaks Sargon’s will to fight even more.
1“Bloodline Is Not Everything.”
Prince Ghassan
After Menolias, a good portion of the rest of the game finds Sargon struggling with the notion of fighting back against Vahram. How could he, a lowly human, stand up against Vahram who was seemingly chosen by the gods and is also the rightful heir to the throne? Before the final confrontation, Prince Ghassan reminds Sargon that it takes more than blood to rule a country.
This also applies to being a heroic warrior because, like it or not, Sargon was chosen to possess an awesome power that can help bring balance back to the land. It’s a tale reminiscent ofStar Warswhen it comes to following the path of light or dark betweenJedi and Sith.
