The reviews for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have begun rolling in a full week ahead of the game’s release on January 18 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series S/X, PC and Switch, and its good news, friends!
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a brand new 2D game in the iconic franchise which has lain dormant for quite some time now. The last time we saw a Prince of Persia game was technically Prince of Persia: The Dagger of Time in 2022 but it was actually a virtual reality escape room experience and so I’m not going to count it. Before that, it was Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands in 2010.
So, well over a decade later we finally have a proper Prince of Persia game in The Lost Crown, albeit one where you don’t actually play as the titular prince, instead you play as Sargon who is attempting to rescue the prince. The early reactions to this game weren’t great but as the release window drew closer opinions began to shift. I’m glad Ubisoft were also confident enough to allow reviews out a fool week ahead of release, a very smart move for a game that might struggle to draw much commercial attention, though being one of the year’s first releases will surely help.
I’m planning on reviewing this one myself, but alas no review code for me, so I’ll be snagging a PS5 copy and seeing what all the fuss is about.
On Opencritic, The Lost Crown currently holds a score of 86, garnered from 61 reviews. It holds the same score on Metacritic, too.
Steve Watts of Gamespot gave it a particularly glowing review, awarding it a 9 out of 10. He rounded out his review by saying: “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a sea change for the long-running series, and almost as dramatic a shift as Sands of Time was when it took the classic platformer series into 3D. This new genre debut is so confident and impeccably crafted that this should simply be the identity of Prince of Persia for the foreseeable future. Nearly every part of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown works so well, and the parts connect so seamlessly, that it feels as if the series has found its new genre home.”
Michael Damiani of Easy Allies was equally impressed in his video review: “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a successful reinvention of the dormant franchise that carves out a marvellous new identity, one that clearly has a bright future. While it doesn’t revolutionize the Metroidvania genre, it certainly elevates it to new heights by refining it and blending in the best aspects of previous Prince of Persia entries.”
At IGN, Phile Hornshaw handled the review and was slightly less enamoured with the game but still awarded it a strong 8 out of 10, saying: “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown captures not only what made games such as The Sands of Time so good, but it irons out a lot of the little issues that plagued the 3D games in this series by opting for a 2D perspective – and owning it. It also works extremely well as a traditional Metroidvania, sticking with tried-and-true elements of the genre but executing on them with precision. The story can feel a bit jumbled at times, but it’s the fast and fun combat system, the tight and satisfying controls, and the stylish look and feel that elevate Sargon’s journey and make The Lost Crown a worthy successor to the best of the Prince of Persia legacy.”
Mollie Taylor handled the PC Gamer review where she awarded it 72 out of 100. Her biggest criticism was a slow first half. Here’s what she had to say: “A palatable metroidvania with a mediocre story, my biggest frustration with The Lost Crown is how long it takes to get to the good stuff.”
Stephen Tailby was in charge of Push Square’s review, smacking the game with an 8 out of 10 straight to the face. In his conclusion he wrote: “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown puts its best foot forward with rewarding and satisfying gameplay at its core. Combining the series’ 2D past with the time-bending powers from later games, this Metroidvania is a brilliant blend that brings the franchise back in a fresh new way. While it can sometimes look a little underwhelming, and the sheer size of the game threatens to slow its own momentum, the fluid, challenging platforming and combat are so fun that any shortcomings fade into the background.”