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 is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC on January 18, 2024.