Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an action platformer from Ubisoft Montpellier that returns the Prince of Persia brand to its roots in agility and combat mechanics, this time in a metroidvania format. The player takes on the role of the young warrior Sargon and traverses an interconnected world full of acrobatic movement, sword combat, and gradually acquired abilities that unlock new paths into previously inaccessible parts of the map - a double jump, teleportation, or slowing down time change how already-visited areas can be traversed. A key mechanic is also the ability to mark a spot on the map for fast travel back to it, which eases navigation through the intricately interconnected level structure and addresses one of the frequently criticized problems of older metroidvanias.

On Xbox Series X|S the game runs in high resolution with a smooth framerate, which is crucial during the demanding combat and precise jumping - the game often requires quick reactions and precise timing of dodges and attacks, or death comes quickly even against an ordinary enemy. Visually it combines hand-painted backgrounds with dynamic action, and the soundtrack draws on Middle Eastern inspiration typical of the franchise since its original entries.

Contemporary reception was very positive, with the game praised for its well-thought-out combat, quality level design, and how elegantly it combines the series' tradition with modern metroidvania mechanics without feeling like a mere imitation of other well-known genre titles. Many critics ranked it among the best platformers of its year, and for the Prince of Persia brand, which had long been searching for a new direction, it represents a very successful return to its platforming roots. The extensive map with many optional side areas also offers plenty of content for players who want to get more out of the world than just the main story, and various difficulty settings make the game accessible to a wider range of players without diminishing the challenge for more experienced audiences.

Why play it: For fans of metroidvanias and the old series alike, who will appreciate the well-thought-out combat, quality level design, and an expansive map with plenty of optional content.