After we have dispatched the first enemies with our scimitars without any major problems, we are faced with a general on horseback: the first boss we encounter in Prince of Persia – The Lost Crown. It actually turns out to be a challenge in which we can learn special maneuvers such as blocking and parrying.
We’re not doing too badly: two hours later, we feel like we have relatively few problems with enemies who are probably not much weaker than the riding general.
The Lost Crown is an offshoot of the venerable Prince of Persia game series. We don’t control the usual king’s son, but the super warrior Sargon – a member of a troop called the Immortals. There are always entertaining verbal battles with the other members of the gang, some of whom are rather funny and some of whom are quite dark.
But we spend most of the time jumping and sprinting through corridors and labyrinths in the most beautiful Metroidvania style. We see the action from the side, usually it goes classically from left to right.
The gameplay offers a mix of fights against standard opponents and again and again against bosses, plus switch puzzles and jumping elements. They are sometimes demanding, but beginners can avoid them using the options menu: A portal then appears in the trickier places with which Sargon can automatically be thrown through part of the course.
During the course of the game we find extras with which we can unlock some special powers and thus heal faster or deal more damage. We also find other weapons, including a bow and arrow and a kind of discus that returns to us at the touch of a button. This type of equipment is also necessary for some of the puzzles, such as operating switches from a greater distance.
Clever: In some places in the labyrinth we only progress later with more equipment or new skills. In order to quickly find these places again later, we can take a photo there within the game and pin it to the locked door or the inaccessible junction.
The Lost Crown only feels somewhat like a typical Prince of Persia, and the graphics are also a bit too colorful compared to other parts of the series – not all fans will like that. However, the game is stylistically well made.
In addition to the many beautiful animations, we also noticed the details in the background. At one point you can see a huge stone soldier that was apparently frozen into its individual pieces when it burst – great!
Video: Prince of Persia – The Lost Crown (Trailer Gameplay)
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The plot revolves around a prince named Ghassan, the story is primarily told in cutscenes in which the other immortals also have their say. According to Ubisoft, the campaign lasts 20 to 25 hours, plus side missions. The replay value should be relatively high.