Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Switch Review - The Prince of Platforming Goes Metroidvania

Now this is what I call a comeback. The last time I remember booting up a Prince of Persia game was in 2007 when the Wii got its port of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (Prince of Persia: Rival Swords). The classic video game series, which began way back in 1989 as a side-scroller created by Jordan Mechner, has sadly been dormant for over a decade, with Ubisoft electing instead to focus more on its spiritual successor, the Assassin’s Creed franchise.

But while Assassin’s Creed has grown into a behemoth of a property with a shift to open-world gameplay, Prince of Persia has always been more of a focused action-adventure experience. Interestingly enough, when Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was first revealed as a 2D action platformer, I saw a lot of fans of the ‘08 revival series confused and/or disappointed that the series was heading back to the second dimension. Count me in as one of the few who, upon seeing that Prince of Persia was returning as a Metroidvania developed by the legendary Ubisoft Montpellier (the Rayman series, Beyond Good and Evil), was genuinely excited. This was something very different for the series, and definitely a step in the right direction after a decade of mobile games. What I didn’t expect was to be blown away by the experience. 

This Sargon isn’t from Akkad, but he’s a nimble lad

In The Lost Crown, you’ll be stepping into the sandals of Sargon, a member of an elite group of royal warriors called The Immortals. He’s a dual-swords specialist who can perform combos both on the ground and in the air. The story begins in the midst of a warzone, but after Sargon and company triumph on the field of battle, disaster strikes at the royal palace and its surroundings as the Prince is kidnapped by undead warriors. Sargon strives to uncover a traitor to the crown while stuck in a realm where time itself is simultaneously fixed and malleable - a massive city frozen in a time warp. I hesitate to reveal too much, as the story is best experienced firsthand but suffice it to say Sargon will face foes both realistic and supernatural in his quest to save ancient Persia. The narrative also dabbles in themes of Persian mysticism and even history, which to me added a great deal of atmosphere and flavor, keeping me engaged even at times when not much else was happening.

While the trailers looked promising, they didn’t begin to capture how great the game feels to play. The Lost Crown’s protagonist may have a controversial modern look with a silly haircut, but don’t let that fool you - he controls like a perfect blend of old-school and new-school 2D precision platformers. Like Hollow Knight’s knight, Sargon uses bladed weapons and can launch and combo enemies. Early on, Sargon will unlock an air dash akin to the one in the MegaMan X series, and like in those games, he can slide into tight spaces, dash on the ground, and wall-jump. He can also backflip, which is useful for dodging both obstacles and foes. There are also a lot of unlockable skills called Time Powers, such as the ability to create a warp point, that complement his set of movement and combat options.

Combat-wise, there’s also a parry/dodge system. Parrying in this game is really rewarding, and enemy attacks are sometimes color-coded. An enemy’s attack might flash bright yellow (parryable) or red (dodge only), so you’ll be best served by fighting methodically and paying close attention to your foes. I never once felt like I was out of options in battle - if I messed up, it was generally my fault. Sargon also has special abilities called Athra Surges, which can do cool things like hit multiple enemies, create a healing circle, or make Sargon temporarily faster and stronger. He can use them once his Athra meter builds up, usually from dealing damage.

Sargon can equip various Amulets, which often offer gameplay-altering skills akin to Hollow Knight’s badges. These can offer all sorts of buffs, such as temporary health boosts, increase Sargon’s main combo, multiply aerial damage, provide him with (essentially) Bayonetta’s Witch Time, or allow him to dodge in place. What’s more, Amulets can be upgraded at the Shop, so it’s fun to mix and match them depending on the situation, or stick with a few staples for a consistent loadout. He can also upgrade his swords and bow, and buy more health-restoring potions. The game allows you to essentially ‘farm’ for these upgrades, but you should be able to get through it with minimal or no grinding.

Level design on par with Metroid Dread

I was quick to fall in love with the way that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown lays out its levels and handles saving, fast travel, and backtracking. This is a huge interconnected map, but there are many fast travel points, Wak-Wak trees to heal (and change your loadout) at, and shortcuts. While you might get into situations where you feel like you’re trapped in a labyrinth with limited resources, the game really opens up once your traversal options improve. The game also introduces a novel concept - the ability to drop markers, paired with a screenshot, of any rooms you might need to revisit later. This proved to be immensely helpful for finding secrets.

There’s a great variety of areas you’ll be visiting - a city with a multitude of waterwheels, poison swamp sewers, catacombs, a sacred archive, a massive forest, a mountainous temple, a pit of ever-falling sands, an underground pirate cove - the list goes on. Each of the locales has its own flavors, and many boast unique enemies and environmental challenges. I found almost all of the game’s puzzle/platforming rooms an absolute delight to tackle, but I wouldn’t blame any players frustrated at being gated by a precise series of jumps or a head-scratching Time Powers puzzle.

Technically fine-tuned, with flexible difficulty options

In terms of sound design, The Lost Crown is atmospheric and immersive. The score, which changes based on your location on the map, is equally transporting, and while sometimes the Middle Eastern strings and flutes of some areas can lull one into drowsiness, the many boss themes are all excellent, blood-pumping tracks.

Technically, The Lost Crown runs marvelously on the Nintendo Switch, and I can only imagine how smooth it is on other platforms. Helpfully, difficulty options are highly adjustable, as you can tweak elements such as environmental damage, enemy damage, and even the parry timing. This should help players who want to simply speedrun and not have to worry about farming for health and damage upgrades. I found Hard to be a suitable difficulty. The Lost Crown also boasts a surprising length of around 15-20 hours (normal) or 20+ (completionist). I had initially thought that the game was too long, as I started to feel frustrated by the map’s sheer size, but the many ways in which the map connects back to itself, as well as the flexibility of late-game traversal options, let you zip through by the late game.

When considering the game’s few weak points, I honestly had to stop and wonder if they truly were weak points, as most are barely worth mentioning. The game seems to lack atmosphere at points, although it’s not for a lack of trying - merely a function of a strong focus on practicality in the level design and subdued audio choices. The character design will be hit-or-miss, depending on your tastes. Story progression happens sporadically, but that’s par for the course for Metroidvanias. Of the many side characters, I found only a few to be truly memorable. On the Nintendo Switch, the lack of a quick-save feature was a little frustrating, especially later in the game where there are challenges that can take some time to beat.

Resetting the Clock on this Beloved Series

Without much fanfare or focus on microtransactions, Ubisoft Montpellier have simultaneously revitalized the dormant Prince of Persia franchise while mic-dropping the entire Metroidvania genre by creating a nimble protagonist and interconnected world on par with the likes of Metroid Dread and Hollow Knight, and even improving upon them in some ways - it’s longer than Dread, and improves on the slow pacing of Hollow Knight.

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. It is precisely balanced in its level design, difficulty, and in exploring the depths of its many genres. It’s no small feat to have so many balls in the air - 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. Most Metroidvanias pick a couple of areas to focus on and don’t shoot for the stars so boldly, but The Lost Crown is proof that you can have your cake and eat it too.

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Verdict: 5/5 (Exceptional)

*We’ve recently changed our review score format from a 10-score rating to a 5-score rating. You can check out the definition of the new review score system on our About Us page.

PROS

• One of the best modern Metroidvania games, hands-down

• Excellent progression, engaging combat, strong level design, and badass bosses

• A wide range of difficulty options

CONS

• Love-it-or-hate-it character designs and presentation

• Lack of a quick-save feature for convenience’s sake

What I’ve Played 

• Beat the main campaign at 22 hours

• Found 27/35 Amulets

• Got 23/31 Spirited-Sand Jars

• Unlocked 49/56 Wak-Wak Trees

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