Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

An instant classic that gets what makes the Metroidvania genre so good.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is hands down the best Metroidvania that I have played in a long time. My gold standard has always been Castlevania: Symphony of the Night but Ubisoft has really knocked this out of the park.

Metroidvania games have always been hit or miss for me, too often the combat is simplistic and repetitive, it can be tedious trying to keep track of all of the locations that you need to revisit, and story is often an afterthought. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Lost Crown, though. It improves on all of the aspects of Metroidvania games that sometimes irritate me, and wraps it in a compelling story and setting. The game is a standout in the genre, and easy to recommend to anyone who has even a remote interest in Metroidvania games.

Given it’s been well over a decade since a new Prince of Persia game was released, it’s understandable for one to be skeptical about The Lost Crown in spite of the development studio’s excellent pedigree. Rejoicefully, The Lost Crown has turned up at the beginning of 2024 and has laid down a remarkable gauntlet for every game to live up to this year. The combat and the electrifying assortment of powers in The Lost Crown makes battles against all of Mount Qaf’s foes a vigorously moreish delight. Yes, the characters, story and lack of charisma and personality bite is a little disappointing, but when you’ve got a joyously raucous return of Prince of Persia on full display here, any disappointment flutters away and returns into the form of pure elation. The Lost Crown is a celebration of the Metroidvania and you’ll be truly glad to come along for the ride with Sargon and company.

It's great to see the Prince of Persia franchise back in the public eye once more, especially with The Lost Crown paying homage to the original 1989 game. A twenty-hour running time does feel a tad long, but everything else - from the combat to the world exploration - is a delight.

Ubisoft kicks off the year with a brilliant metroidvania, not only successfully refreshing a historical franchise, but also effectively introducing new elements to the genre, while providing challenging, varied and satisfying fights, and very thoughtful environmental puzzles. Definitely suggested to every lover of the genre.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown takes a lot of elements from other metroidvanias but also adds something unique and interesting to make a game that shines in almost every aspect. It’s the perfect comeback for the prince.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastic entry into the platforming and Metroidvania genres. While it falls short in some areas, which can leave you feeling somewhat frustrated, the overall experience is a sequence of satisfaction-inducing challenges. As the first new entry into the franchise we've seen in some time, The Lost Crown is a fantastic place for Ubisoft to start, and I'd like to see more.

A spectacular return of a beloved saga.

Ubisoft's The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a throwback to the franchise's early 2D days, albeit with a heavy focus on stylish combat. Inspired by Persian mythology and set on Mount Qaf, the game features platforming, parkour, action, and storytelling.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a fantastically clever return to the franchise that serves up slick 2.5D action wrapped up in a delightful art style and satisfying story. There's a smart balance here between old-school levels of action and challenge, moreish combat and neat puzzles, mixed with accessibility options and fine-tuning that open this traditionally tough genre up to newcomers. We knew Ubisoft Montpellier was a pair of safe hands, and it's not let us down here, serving up the first must-play of 2024, and we're only just getting started.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is, in many ways, a new direction for this series, but there’s enough pulled from the past that it very much still feels like a Prince of Persia game. With excellent combat, some of the best platforming you’ll find in any Metroidvania, a fantastic world to explore, and a series of incredible powers to unlock, The Lost Crown keeps getting more interesting as you make your way through it. Fans of the series, the genre, or simply great games will want to check out Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

It has everything you could want from a game. It will entertain you, it will challenge you, and you will spend a lot of time with it without even a hint of stereotype. The variety of content is truly huge on all fronts, so you won't be bored until the credits roll some 20 hours later. It's a shame that there are a few minor flaws, but they don't detract from the overall experience to the point where you'll be bothered by them.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is not just a good Metroidvania game, but it is a great addition to the catalogue of titles in the Prince of Persia franchise.

Taking somewhat of a gamble, The Lost Crown isn’t just a great Prince of Persia title that digs into and expands what the series can be, with interesting lore and fully leaning into the mythical elements — it’s a truly gorgeous and rewarding Metroidvania in its own right that arguably gives games like Hollow Knight and Metroid Dread a run for their money.

The saga's return to the 2D platform genre in the form of a modern metroidvania leaves us with a challenging and sometimes desperate, but always delightful experience.

Fluid, well-paced, easy to handle and with multiple settings to adapt to all ways of playing, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sets the bar high. Relying on the best references of the genre at the risk of not letting its personal touch twirl, the app ticks all the boxes of a very good action adventure platformer. Ubisoft has created a Metroidvania that meets the specifications, clean, without major burrs, but also without a little something that makes it as unique as a legendary gem. If you like the genre, go for it.

It's not a direct reboot of the last Prince of Persia games release, but The Lost Crown is a fun, challenging, and interesting 2D platformer and Metroidvania. There are minor flaws with the story and controls, but overall this is genuinely a great game that you shouldn't immediately write off.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown offers excellent level design and combat, as well as plenty of opportunities to explore the world. In many ways, the game represents both Prince of Persia's past and what the future may hold.

Ubisoft has Prince of Persia returned with a completely new look and feel. The world of this metroidvania is huge and there is a lot to do. That also means a lot of running, climbing and fighting, but not a lot of depth unfortunately. Also there are a few missed opportunities. Still, this is a game you surely have to play this year.

Fluid platforming and frenetic combat, with some lovely spectacle and a dull story.