Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was the best game I played during Summer Games Fest

The first new Prince of Persia game in 13 years might not have been what you expected. The initial announcement at Summer Games Fest, and the subsequent Ubisoft Forward trailer, did little to persuade the general gaming population that the world was ready for gaming’s oldest prince to return to our screens.

Check out the comments on any Youtube video, or search social media for feedback on the game, and you’ll see what I mean: Ubisoft has a tough battle ahead if it wants to convince people that this completely original, detached prince and disengaged from all that has come before, it is the right path for the IP to follow.

But, having had about an hour of practice with the game, I’m convinced. Developed by artisan hands at Ubisoft Montpellier (the brains behind the Rayman games and the phenomenal UbiArt Engine), Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown scratches a very specific itch for gamers who like the adrenaline rush of a Metroidvania that doesn’t Don’t throw away your punches.

The Lost Crown is difficult. Surprisingly so. Expect you to react quickly, think ahead, and mix up your combat and platforming skills quickly and consistently, keeping momentum and using that flow to overcome the various hazards and enemies that fill the game. Inertia means death; move, respond and retaliate and you will go far. Even at an hour long demo, the developer was keen to make sure this lesson was well digested.

Throughout all the introductions and trailers you’ll see for the game, you’ll notice Ubisoft describing your new hero, named Sargon, as a “gifted young warrior” who is “acrobatic”, “fast” and “agile”. This has influenced how the game plays out: you’re encouraged to dash into combat to start an encounter, ducking under projectiles and launching your undead opponent into the air, before lunging at them with an aerial combo. He brings them back down to earth, hit them, and shoot out, unscathed, ready for battle once more. It’s a compelling flow of combat, not easy to get right in a Metroidvania.

And then, of course, there are the powers of time. That special ingredient that makes Prince of Persia stand out from the rest. These temporal techniques have been well discussed in The Lost Crown, and they lost none of their splendor when the modern Prince of Persia experience was compressed into two dimensions. The concept is simple; you activate your powers in one spot, do a couple of jumps or attacks, then press a button to return to where you first activated them.

This simple execution trick means Sargon never has to slow down. If you find yourself on a tricky platforming section with multiple swinging traps synchronized on a deadly timer, you don’t have to stop, wait, run, stop, run, jump, wait. No. Your timing powers speak of that choppy pacing that can stop the platforming momentum (and fun) in its tracks – getting into the rewind flow and making the most of the momentum that comes with it is vital to this game. And I can only imagine how fiendish the puzzles will get, much later in the game.

The actual platforming is just as slick as the combat, and there’s also a very good parry, done with beautifully stylized animation, that you can fall back on if things get too difficult. The only boss I ran into in the demo, a true manticore like meat sponge, took a lot of punishment before going down. But once you realize that this game is constantly testing you (making sure you know how to use your special abilities, your time travel, your platforming, your combos), it’s easy to handle. Although I hate to say it, the boss made the game remind me of hardcore action RPGs; He studies the moves, knows his openings, takes advantage of them, wins.

Given the skepticism with which the game was received, I imagine a lot of the words in this article are falling on deaf ears. The Lost Crown may be a hard sell for some; It’s not the Sands of Time remake we were promised (which is definitely not cancelled, by any means, not at all), and it’s not a great 3D action-packed game either. But it’s very, very good. If you have even a passing interest in modern classics like Hollow Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest, Axiom Verge, or any of the other 2D masterpieces that have reinvigorated the Metroidvania genre, The Lost Crown is definitely a game to keep your eye on.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown launches on January 18, 2024 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.