Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an upcoming game by Ubisoft Montpellier Releasing on January 18th, 2024. Here’s what we know about it so far
2024 is shaping up to be a great year for gamers, with major games releasing soon on all platforms. Amidst all the amazing upcoming releases, one stood out to us at Estnn, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
For old-school gamers, Prince of Persia isn’t a new name. The Sands of Time trilogy and the 2D platformers before that were extremely popular among veteran gamers. But since then, the series has been struggling to get a foothold in the industry, with Ubisoft focusing its attention on the Assassin’s Creed Franchise.
The Lost Crown looks to reignite the popularity of the series, giving us a blend of 2.5D platformer and hack-and-slash adventure with plenty of Metroidvania elements! One thing’s for certain, though, with what we’ve seen so far about the game, and we’ve seen quite a bit, this game is a step in the right direction for the series that we all know and love.
So, with the game so close to its release date, let’s take a look at what we know about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown so far.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Announcement
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was first announced unexpectedly at a Twitter Post by Ubisoft Nordic on June 9th, 2023. The post revealed that the game is set to release on January 18th, 2024, and included a reveal video that showcased many of the new elements added to the game.
Presenting: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, an action-adventure platformer game set in a mythological Persian world.
The new #PrinceofPersia releases on January 18th, 2024 on all platforms.
See more gameplay at #UbiForward pic.twitter.com/V7edJ1gJdg
— Ubisoft Nordic (@ubisoftnordic) June 8, 2023
Later on, at the Ubisoft Forward event on June 12th, we got a look at the story of the game through a Reveal Animated Trailer.
The team also released a gameplay video on the same elements, showcasing the finer parts of the game. We got a complete look at some of the different enemies we’d face, abilities we’d acquire, and bosses we would have to overcome on our journey.
On December 8th, we got a second story trailer for the game at The Game Awards event, giving us an idea about the game’s main plot.
Finally, on December 13th, a second gameplay trailer for the game was released that dived in-depth into the map, exploration, gameplay, and other details of the game.
They also announced a demo version of the game to be available on January 11th to let you try out the game for yourself before you buy it!
What We Know About Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
So far, the developers at Ubisoft Montpellier have been pretty open with the game updates, unlike Hollow Knight: Silksong. With just a month left before its release, we already have plenty of info about The Lost Crown to speculate how everything will play out.
Here’s everything that we know about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown:
1. Premise:
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is set in the same universe as the other games of the franchise. However, instead of playing as the Prince, this time, you play as Sargon, a warrior of the clan The Immortals.
You’re on a quest to rescue the kidnapped Prince Ghassan from the Cursed City of Mount Qaf. The game draws heavy inspiration from Persian mythology, bringing many monsters into the game.
2. Gameplay
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown looks to go back to its roots as a 2D platformer but with a modern twist. Abilities like Air Dash, Wall Jump, Teleportation, etc will help you glide through the environment quickly and decisively.
These abilities further get amplified with the inclusion of Time Abilities. Now, manipulating time has always been a core element in Prince of Persia games. This time, developers revamped the system by giving you access to a bunch of time spells that you can use both to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.
One of the abilities in the game that we can’t wait to try out is the “Shadow of the Simurgh,” which lets you drop a “Shadow Marker” on the environment and teleport back to it any time. This simple idea makes the combat faster and more dynamic, and let’s face it – pretty darn cool!
Credit: Ubisoft
To further enhance your offensive and defensive capabilities, you’ll also get access to a Bow. Ranged combat looks fast, and fluid, taking nothing away from the agility of Sargon.
Amulets and Athra Surges are two more new elements introduced in the game. Amulets give you boosts to your combat and exploration capabilities. The “Prosperity Bird Amulet” that you get with the deluxe edition of the game, for example, lets you summon a spectral bird companion that reveals hidden treasures near you.
Credit: Ubisoft
Athra Surges, on the other hand, are like powerful attack moves that you can swap out at the checkpoint. There are quite a few that will be available in the game, and we, for one, can’t wait to try them out for ourselves.
Credit: Ubisoft
Those looking for a more casual experience can play around the Accessibility features in the game to make exploration and combat easier. So whether you’re looking to breeze through the story or really put yourself through the trials is entirely up to you. What we know is that it’s shaping up to be one of the best Metroidvania games of this generation.
3. Exploration
In a true Metroidvania fashion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will feature a leviathan map filled with puzzles and secrets for you to explore and uncover. As you gain new abilities, more areas of the map will open up.
Credit: Ubisoft
You’ll find newer locations you can access that you couldn’t reach before as you make your way to the cursed city of Mount Qaf. There are multiple side quests to discover and complete and plenty of hidden rewards for you to hunt down.
For a completionist, the rewarding exploration system in the game is certainly something to look forward to.
4. Pre-Order Bonus and Deluxe Edition
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is available for Pre-Order right now. The pre-order bonus for the game includes a Warrior Within costume for Sargon. Pre-ordering the game also gives you 3-days early access to the game.
Credit: Ubisoft
You can also get the Deluxe Edition that costs 10$ extra and includes the Immortal outfit for Sargon and Prosperity Bird Amulet along with a Digital Adventure Guide.
Credit: Ubisoft
5. Release Platforms:
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is slated for release on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC via Uplay and Epic Games Store.
When is Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Releasing
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be released on all major platforms on 18th January 2024. If you pre-ordered the game, you get three days of early access and can start playing it as soon as 15th January.
Credit: Ubisoft
You can also try out the free demo of the game on 11th January on your preferred Platform.
Let The Journey Begin!
For old-school gamers, the release news of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is certainly exciting. But it takes a different approach to the previous games that we grew up playing.
Whether this design choice pays off is yet to be seen. What we know for sure is that we’re looking forward to it just as much as you are. Cheers!