Since its initial reveal, this game has faced heavy backlash, but now it is widely regarded as the most creative & enjoyable title from Ubisoft in a while. Having played the game myself, I can confidently say that I share this sentiment.
Even though it has shifted in the genre, this new direction of PoP still manages to keep the three key PoP elements that I find to be very important: platforming, combat, and challenge. Despite being a 2D game, The Lost Crown takes these aspects to arguably a higher level, making it the most challenging game in the series since the classic 2D games. However, the controls are so smooth & precise that makes traversal as Sargon fun through platforming sections, and the clever level design ensures that it never gets stale.
I'm genuinely surprised by the combat; it's incredibly deep right from the get-go, even before unlocking new powers or finding items. I highly recommend taking on the training challenges to learn the mechanics and earn rewards. It's really useful to have a good grasp of the combos and the satisfying parry because enemies or bosses won't go easy on you if you mindlessly just mash buttons, even on normal difficulty. The platforming and puzzles, especially with the optional sections make this game much more challenging than any of the 3D PoP games. I'd say it's more in line with the difficulty of the 2D PoP games but without any unfairness or rough edges.
I wanted to emphasize how this game gets the essential elements of the PoP series so right & elevates it to another level. While it doesn't bring much new to the table within the Metroidvania it shifts into, that doesn't bother me because it is incredibly well-crafted and seamlessly incorporates the key PoP elements. The rewards such as amulets and powers that augment your abilities or arsenal, it ain’t just meaningless stat boosts like in many Ubisoft games. Additionally, discovering optional platforming sections, puzzles, and boss fights is highly rewarding, and the map is easy to navigate.
The memory shard feature in this game is a great addition though, allowing for screenshots taken during gameplay to be displayed on your map. However, the game doesn't offer much innovation to the Metroidvania genre outside of that. What stands out is how Ubisoft Montpellier incorporated PoP elements so well into that shift in genre on their first attempt similar to how Nintendo transitioned The Legend of Zelda franchise with Breath of the Wild. I would argue they did an even better job.
Let's talk about the presentation for a moment instead of focusing on the gameplay. I don’t care much for the character designs, but apart from that, the environments and animation are incredibly stylish and visually stunning. Combine that with the amazing atmosphere and energetic soundtrack created by the talented Ori composer Gareth Coker and newcomer Mentrix, and you've got a winning combination.
Now, I do wanna express a few complaints that I have about this game that I want to address to acknowledge its imperfections. The skins that you come across are quite disappointing, one minor character has a text-to-speech voice while others with less dialogue are voiced by actual people, and the pacing of the story in the middle is practically non-existent (although it does pick up again towards the climax). The last thing is that despite being well polished for the most part, the few bugs that I have encountered are noticeable.
To sum it up, I was expecting Ubisoft Montpellier to create a decent game at the very least when I found out about them making this new PoP game. However, it's not just good, it's exceptional. This talented studio known for bringing us Rayman 1-3, Origins, Legends, Beyond Good & Evil, Valiant Heart, and even the underrated gem Rabbids Go Home has once again delivered with The Lost Crown. It's great to see that this studio still possesses its magic touch and has brought Prince of Persia back to the forefront of high quality. I'll be genuinely surprised if this doesn't end up being my game of the year, and it's only the first month of 2024….
Even though it has shifted in the genre, this new direction of PoP still manages to keep the three key PoP elements that I find to be very important: platforming, combat, and challenge. Despite being a 2D game, The Lost Crown takes these aspects to arguably a higher level, making it the most challenging game in the series since the classic 2D games. However, the controls are so smooth & precise that makes traversal as Sargon fun through platforming sections, and the clever level design ensures that it never gets stale.
I'm genuinely surprised by the combat; it's incredibly deep right from the get-go, even before unlocking new powers or finding items. I highly recommend taking on the training challenges to learn the mechanics and earn rewards. It's really useful to have a good grasp of the combos and the satisfying parry because enemies or bosses won't go easy on you if you mindlessly just mash buttons, even on normal difficulty. The platforming and puzzles, especially with the optional sections make this game much more challenging than any of the 3D PoP games. I'd say it's more in line with the difficulty of the 2D PoP games but without any unfairness or rough edges.
I wanted to emphasize how this game gets the essential elements of the PoP series so right & elevates it to another level. While it doesn't bring much new to the table within the Metroidvania it shifts into, that doesn't bother me because it is incredibly well-crafted and seamlessly incorporates the key PoP elements. The rewards such as amulets and powers that augment your abilities or arsenal, it ain’t just meaningless stat boosts like in many Ubisoft games. Additionally, discovering optional platforming sections, puzzles, and boss fights is highly rewarding, and the map is easy to navigate.
The memory shard feature in this game is a great addition though, allowing for screenshots taken during gameplay to be displayed on your map. However, the game doesn't offer much innovation to the Metroidvania genre outside of that. What stands out is how Ubisoft Montpellier incorporated PoP elements so well into that shift in genre on their first attempt similar to how Nintendo transitioned The Legend of Zelda franchise with Breath of the Wild. I would argue they did an even better job.
Let's talk about the presentation for a moment instead of focusing on the gameplay. I don’t care much for the character designs, but apart from that, the environments and animation are incredibly stylish and visually stunning. Combine that with the amazing atmosphere and energetic soundtrack created by the talented Ori composer Gareth Coker and newcomer Mentrix, and you've got a winning combination.
Now, I do wanna express a few complaints that I have about this game that I want to address to acknowledge its imperfections. The skins that you come across are quite disappointing, one minor character has a text-to-speech voice while others with less dialogue are voiced by actual people, and the pacing of the story in the middle is practically non-existent (although it does pick up again towards the climax). The last thing is that despite being well polished for the most part, the few bugs that I have encountered are noticeable.
To sum it up, I was expecting Ubisoft Montpellier to create a decent game at the very least when I found out about them making this new PoP game. However, it's not just good, it's exceptional. This talented studio known for bringing us Rayman 1-3, Origins, Legends, Beyond Good & Evil, Valiant Heart, and even the underrated gem Rabbids Go Home has once again delivered with The Lost Crown. It's great to see that this studio still possesses its magic touch and has brought Prince of Persia back to the forefront of high quality. I'll be genuinely surprised if this doesn't end up being my game of the year, and it's only the first month of 2024….