It seems Prince of Persia games have become like buses. Wait ages for one, and then three turn up at the same time. I know this isn’t completely accurate as only two out of the three known Ubisoft-published games are out, but fans of this series are eating extremely well at the moment.
With this being the second of the three games, it was concerning that this was released not long after the acclaimed The Lost Crown, which only hit shelves in January 2024. It’s been reported that both teams were in close contact throughout both games’ developments to make sure the same features didn’t end up in both games. Plus, with The Lost Crown being a pure platform Metroidvania and The Rogue Prince of Persia being a roguelite, the main similarities lie in the 2D side on presentation that both games share. Another issue that the team had to deal with was the surprise release of Hades II, which went into early access right around the time Ubisoft was planning to release this. With both titles sharing similar features and both belonging to the same genre, Ubisoft made the wise move to delay the release by a couple of weeks. Whether this was a long enough gap, we shall wait and see.
Developed by the Bordeaux-based Evil Empire, they have gained a substantial amount of experience in roguelites, mostly through collaborating with Motion Twin on their monster hit game Dead Cells. And that experience shows heavily here, as both games seem to share the same DNA, so much so, a lot of the time it felt like they had just reskinned Dead Cells and gone about their business.
Of course, that’s not actually the case, but it’s a bit of a shame they leaned into the Dead Cells formula so much. Branching paths, medallions that give you different buffs, a choice of weapons to choose from and unlock, hidden blueprints, and the ground pound all make it here, although the ground pound does not feel as responsive as it did in Dead Cells. Some new features have crept into the game, with the wall run (which has made its way from the old Prince of Persia games) being the best so far. The wall run is surprisingly a lot of fun to use, as you can also run on the back walls too, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, and it brings a new outlook to transversal, avoidance of traps, and combat.
Speaking of which, combat feels really good here, giving you an untouchable feeling with the different combinations you can use. The kick is the main weapon in gaining that specific emotion that allows you to kick opponents into each other, which stuns them both, or if you kick them down a long drop or into spikes, then that will result in an instant kill. There are other manoeuvres that you can pull off in combat that have their own benefits, with the dash being ever present to avoid attacks, and my other favourite addition to the game, the vault. One swift press of the B button and the prince will vault over an enemy, so you can then attack from behind. Very, very useful! Traps have made their way here from the old games too, so look out for spike pits, moving circular saw blades, and the like, all out to stop the prince from completing his mission.
You are equipped with twin daggers and a bow and arrow at the start of a run, but stronger weapons will be available throughout your attempts. Weapon drops do occur, either from treasure chests you find or through finding random weapon caches where you can choose from one of three options. Each choice has different effects and levels, so the higher the level, the more effective the weapon will be. You can buy more weapons from your base camp too.
Coins will drop from defeated enemies and can also be found in treasure chests or in random spots on the map. These can be used to buy better weapons or health from the shop or from the stall at base camp. The other main collectible is spirit glimmers. These are found in the same way as the coins and can be used to buy new weapons or medallions back at base camp. The difference with these is that if you die, you will lose them, unlike coins, which you will keep. You have to ‘bank’ the spirit glimmers through a special goblet of fire that appears in random spots during your runs, which guarantees their safety in death.
Everything is encased in some splendid, vibrant artwork that really captures the Arabic setting. I was left admiring the work the team has put in, especially the quality of the cartoonish visuals. The environments have not been forgotten either, with detailed backgrounds that amplify everything you see on screen. This also applies to the different stages I’ve encountered so far, with them themed on interesting locations, each bringing something different to the gameplay, with the aqueducts being my favourite so far. sliding down the water and eliciting a well-timed jump to a neighbouring platform is very satisfying.
I also wanted to give some space to the soundtrack, as it is fantastic. Every piece I’ve heard so far has been top-notch. Each one had me tapping my feet, appreciating the different beats, and grateful they never lost that Arabic flavour. I found myself buzzing with the mixture of the music and the action happening all at once, and I NEED to own this soundtrack when it becomes available.
With the game being released in early access, you are not getting the full experience just yet, with six stages and three boss fights available at the moment. Obviously, that is going to change drastically over the next few months, and I’ll keep an eye on the changes and give an update to this review when the time comes. For that reason, I don’t think it’s fair to give the game a score just yet, until the final version is live.
Overall, The Rogue Prince of Persia has had a promising start, and I hope Evil Empire and Ubisoft can build on the foundations of what they have built. With the original elements they have added and the high-quality presentation that’s present throughout the game, they have a chance to veer away from Dead Cells and make it its own thing, though the addictive gameplay has carried over, and I can’t knock it for that. Fingers are firmly crossed that they will take this game to the next level in its originality, and if they do, we will have two very decent Prince of Persia games on our hands in the same year. Crazy times!!
Release Date: May 27th, 2024
Platforms: PC Via Steam
Price: £17.99
Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy
Version Tested: Steam via Steam Deck
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