One of the hardest things to do in video game development is to keep a series going after many years and continue making each entry feel both fun and “relevant.” An excellent example of this is the Prince of Persia franchise. Its original title was a masterpiece that stunned people with how good it was. And no, we still don’t know when its remake is coming out. Over the years, Ubisoft made some bold moves to try and keep the series fresh, including turning it M-rated and doing a big reboot. But now, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has come out, and it showed that all Ubisoft needed to do was return to its roots and have fun with what was available today.
On Metacritic, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has a score of 86 across 65 reviews. Of those reviews, only one is “mixed,” which shows that the feelings on the game have been incredibly positive. Many hailed the game as a “triumph” and the true “return of the franchise” that needs to be expanded upon via future titles. Ubisoft was praised for returning to the Metroidvania style that they have worked on in the past and bringing it some new stylings via the combat system and certain mechanics.
Speaking of Metroidvania, some people said it’s one of the best games in that genre and that it should be praised for how well it does things. That’s high praise, indeed, given all the great games within that “setting” that have come out over the last decade or so.
One big praise that the game got is that it “encourages you to keep going,” and you’ll always want to feel that urge. We call this praise out because plenty of games recently have been said to be full of “wonders for you to explore.” Yet, when you explore them, it’s all barren and empty. Lifeless. This game doesn’t give you that feeling, and we’re glad to hear that.
The combat and boss fights got special callouts throughout the reviews, saying that everything felt tight, engaging, and fun, and a testament to how this franchise should feel. Many want Ubisoft to continue making this franchise in this style, which might just be what they do going forward.
If anything, this might be a lesson that Ubisoft needs to learn. It’s fine to try and do great open-world titles. But sometimes? Smaller and more refined is a better path to take.