One of the first major releases of 2024 isPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a new Metroidvania set in thePrince of Persiauniverse and the first game in the series in 13 years. In ourhands-on preview ofPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown, we walked away suitably impressed not just by the core gameplay loop of the title, but all the ways it innovates and expands on the Metroidvania genre. It should come as no surprise that the Metroidvania genre is a perfect fit for thePrince of Persiafranchise, given its roots, but perhaps not in the way everyone is expecting.
Ahead ofPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s release, Game Rant had the chance to sit down with several members of the development team at Ubisoft Montpellier and ask some questions pertaining to the game’s narrative, structure, influences, combat, and more. One of the topics that came up was the question ofhowPrince of Persia: The Lost Crowncompares to other modern Metroidvania titlessuch asHollow KnightorBlasphemous, and the insight from the studio shows thatThe Lost Crownis shaping up to be its own unique Metroidvania while still adhering to the formulas of the genre’s all-time greats.
The Lost Crown is a Prince of Persia Game First, Metroidvania Second
Despite seemingly coming out of nowhere as thenewest game in thePrince ofPersiaseries,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownhas been in development for quite some time, with several members of its team envisioning aPrince of PersiaMetroidvania right from the project’s conceptualization.Prince of Persia: The Lost CrownSenior Producer Abdelhak Elguess notes that introducing the Metroidvania genre to the franchise has been a goal for Ubisoft for quite some time, thanks to its natural fit within the context of the series' gameplay.
There has been this desire for a long time. The metroidvania genre allows us to truly bring together the essence of what a Prince of Persia is. It is possible to do combat, platforming, and puzzles at a very high level. And as in Prince of Persia, immersion in a world is central, the possibility of exploring and traveling freely in various biomes seemed central to us and respectful of the freedom that we wanted to give to the players.
In terms of indie games, few genres have seen as much of a renaissance in the last decade as Metroidvanias, with several new standouts that have come to redefine the genre released since 2017.Hollow Knight, bothBlasphemousgames, andbothOrigamescan count themselves in the conversation for “best Metroidvanias” alongside the genre’s forefathers. In deciding how to tackle making a new Metroidvania, the team behindPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownmade the conscious decision to play to its strengths.
Rather than exist solely as a Metroidvania with aPrince of Persiasetting and style,The Lost Crownis an action-platformer like thePrince of Persiaseries' origins that is elevated through Metroidvania elements. When asked how Prince of Persia fits into the Metrodvania box like some of the aforementioned games, director Mounir Radi would explain that,
The Lost Crown, like all its predecessors, is first and foremost an Action Adventure game that uses the Metroidvania codes to elevate its formula. This is a genre that tends to highlight a world structure, governed by a mechanical progression (a world gated by abilities)…The best way to classify Lost Crown would be “it’s a Prince of Persia game!”
When working on a series like Prince of Persia, it’s important to start with the pillars…Prince of Persia are action-adventure games for me, offering a clever balance between narration, action, platforming, and puzzles, and the same goes for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. The game isinspired by the Metroidvania genre, but the term in itself is above all representative of the structure of the world and the rules allowing the player to evolve in it.
By embracing the core aspects of what makes a goodPrince of Persiagame but filtering them through themechanics of the Metroidvania genre,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownlooks to offer something wholly new to players when it releases in just a few weeks.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
WHERE TO PLAY
Dash into a stylish and thrilling action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world where the boundaries of time and space are yours to manipulate. Play as Sargon and evolve from sword-wielding prodigy to extraordinary legend as you master acrobatic combat and unlock new Time Powers and unique super abilities.UNLEASH YOUR INNER WARRIORUse your Time Powers, combat, and platforming skills to perform deadly combos and defeat time-corrupted enemies and mythological creatures.LOSE YOURSELF IN THE PRODIGIOUS MOUNT QAFDiscover a cursed Persian-inspired world filled with larger-than-life landmarks and explore a variety of highly detailed biomes, each with their own identity, wonder, and danger.LIVE AN EPIC ADVENTUREImmerse yourself in a Persian mythological fantasy through an intriguing and original story as you use your wits to solve puzzles, find hidden treasures, and complete quests to learn more about this corrupted place.
