Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown almost seems like a laboratory for Ubisoft. The developers have mixed in a good number of new ideas and experimented with various gameplay styles in this title. This has brought out a thrilling dystopian landscape that is at once reminiscent of the traditional Prince of Persia style but also offers tons of new possibilities to players.

Here is a review of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown that details all the ups and downs of this title. The review is for the PlayStation 5 console, but the title is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and desktop as well.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Review – A Detailed Analysis

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown goes straight in with the big guns. Sargon, the principal character, opens a new time for Prince of Persia – an era that combines the concept of the original in 1989 while adopting Metroidvania. The outcome is that the gameplay matches up to what some fans of genre contemporaries like Dead Cells and Metroid Dread might experience.

It nearly seems like you’re participating in a nostalgic mashup when you play the game. Backed by amazing music, you battle using some of the best combat mechanics while managing dodges from classic spikes and guillotines. But The Last Crown is far more than just an unorganized set of mechanics. This 2.5 D side-scrolling adventure gives players new ways to map out dungeons, an amulet system to increase health and damage inflicted during battle, and a challenging yet flexible combat system to take on a range of foes.

At more tough levels, everything blurs together as you carefully and slowly advance through the game by dodging, slashing, dying, respawning, and repeating.

Among the most noticeable aspects of The Lost Crown is its unique emphasis on movement. With a mixture of acrobatics and dancer-like finesse, Sargon easily roams the open world as being agile hero. The regenerative nature of the game is reminiscent of that found in the Super Nintendo classic Aladdin and binds players instantly due to its dynamic movement system.

Every region, including the slimy Depths, the gloomy Catacombs, the vast Sacred Archives, and the multi-tiered Citadel, has a unique aesthetic, with a variety of dangerous enemies, and a wealth of important objects and environmental puzzles.

In line with its genre, The Lost Crown features a level-up system that increases Sargon’s abilities as the game progresses. Different from other names where the first movement is limited, in this case, every owned expertise stands as a smooth supplement to an already strong inventory of skills. This design decision helps eliminate the frustration that is part of feeling weak initially when playing other games.

Although the kineticism is a worthy point, combat in The Lost Crown creates mixed feelings. The game offers a lot of different moves, while the power that attacks has somehow felt off. The minimum enemies need a huge number of hits, which creates an awkward contradiction with the agile nature of the protagonist. 

The brutality of the combat, supplemented with a testing parry mechanic may be too much for many players to handle as some might develop avoidance behavior.

The core of the game’s intense and rewarding melee combat is provided by Sargon’s reliable Qays and Layla dual swords; but, you may also spice up your attack with his Bow of Menolias and a few additional weapons you find scattered throughout the map.

As expected from a Prince of Persia title, The Lost Crown incorporates a significant time element into its narrative. The story begins with Sargon and his band of ancient heroes who start their adventure into a cursed mountain. We have quite a good amount of side quests which encourages exploration, contributing to a richer gaming experience.

Apart from all this, this new POP title also has the standard upgrade system, complemented by a charming feature, Amulet, that adds a layer of customization to gameplay. Amulets, acquired from the titanic god Kaheva or an elderly tent-dweller, offer perks that players can strategically incorporate into their play style. While the upgrade system doesn’t drastically improve the combat’s impact, it adds dimension to character progression.

While the narrative is no small feat, the true spirit of The Lost Crown is brought out in the puzzles. Navigating through spinning buzzsaws and leaping through chambers filled with perilous obstacles and enemies is something that only true Prince of Persia fans would relate to. It is these exciting moments that carve a unique identity for The Lost Crown within the Metroidvania genre, promising players unforgettable experiences beyond the story and combat.

All in all, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a definite win for Ubisoft. Without sacrificing the beloved original essence of this classic game that has been around for three decades, the developers have released a new perspective and outlook with this title that serves as a definite revival for the franchise.

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