"Prince of Persia" is one of the most valued and important gaming brands in history, already in 1989 setting new standards in everything related to animation in computer games.
The game more or less founded the "cinematic action game" genre - a successful combination of gameplay, a plot that is affected by the decisions and performances of the player, impressive transition sections (in relation to the period) and a general feeling that you are holding the reins of an interactive movie.
We are not exaggerating if we state that modern game series such as "Assassin's Creed", "Tomb Raider" and even "Uncharted" owe quite a bit to those early 2D adventures of the late eighties and early nineties, and those who sat then were mesmerized in front of the four colors of the faithful CGA screen His, trying to get out of the morbid dungeons of that dim castle and on the way to also save the princess - know exactly what we mean.
A prince of hummus, not of sushi
Now, after a long exile of almost a decade and a half since the last episode in the series (The Forgotten Sands from 2010), the Persian prince returns in a new and surprising game, which should enchant not only today's experienced gamers - but also those who grew up on the original games, all those decades ago .
Note this: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2D game where, in general, the goal is still to run from one side of the scrolling screen to the other, fight enemies, avoid traps, leap from platform to platform and solve puzzles while performing acrobatic feats.
In short, just like before, only with excellent illustrated graphics and a few more tricks adapted to the current gaming era.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Fight enemies and solve puzzles while performing acrobatic performances, photo: Ubisoft
The Lost Crown is also a so-called "Metroid-vania" game - the bread and butter of the "Metroid" and "Castlevania" brands.
For those who don't know, this is a subgenre that takes place on the street in branching mazes full of secret rooms, dead ends, puzzles and challenges that the player simply cannot succeed when he first encounters them, no matter what.
The reason for this is that at the beginning of the arduous journey, the main character (in our case a charming-but-rough warrior named Sargon), is not armed with all the abilities that will help him make his way into the depths of the labyrinth.
Slowly but surely, the hero accumulates those coveted upgrades by completing various tasks, and only then is invited to return to the blocked paths that will open up to him with the help of the new tricks he learned.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - this is not an easy and forgiving game, photo: Ubisoft
In the case of Sargon, these upgrades include, among other things, the ability to run through the air to reach high and distant areas, play with time in order to reveal elusive platforms and objects that are not in the "present", teleport back to locations he has visited in the past, duplicate himself and upgrade his weapons.
The basic formula in these games is, therefore, "advance, fight, get a new ability, figure out how to use it to advance - and God forbid".
Iron Man
All this action, which is of course supported by a variety of sword strikes and combo after combo, kicks, glitches and jumps, makes The Lost Crown a particularly addictive game - but also very difficult.
True success will require a lot of concentration, thought and considerable dexterity, as many of the challenges are time-dependent, and every move must be precise, sometimes down to the millimeter level.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - long series of actions will make you fail dozens of times.
, photo: Ubisoft
Long series of actions, which include complex jumps, duplicating a character, moving switches to the right position and teleporting while completely orienting yourself in space in less than ten seconds, will make you fail dozens of times - and we write this from bitter experience.
On the other hand, to the game's credit, the control is sharp, precise and responsive, so in the end it's all a matter of learning, practice and timing.
As soon as you manage to crack the challenge and burst out with a strong shout of victory - you will understand that the persistence was worth it.
also from experience.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - Once you've learned, there's no greater satisfaction than succeeding., Photo: Ubisoft
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown does not break conventions in the demanding metroid-vania genre, but what it does - it does excellently and with an addictive nostalgic flavor.
With superb 2D graphics, tight controls and fair-but-tough puzzles, The New Prince of Persia kicks off 2024 with a polished and impressive comeback, and along the way closes a circle that opened more than 30 years ago.
At the same time, this game may very well be too exhausting for gamers looking for a more forgiving and lighter experience, but this time, for a change, the statement "Iran is here" is actually a compliment.
8/10
Tested version: PlayStation (also available for Xbox, Switch and PC).
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