Prince of Persia The Lost Crown Review Summary

Excellent design, controls, exploration: The game features excellent level design, smooth controls, and rewarding exploration. Players praised the varied biomes, intricate map design, and the satisfying sense of progression as new abilities unlock previously inaccessible areas. The visuals and music were also frequently lauded.

Top-tier Metroidvania, high accessibility: Reviewers widely agree that the game is an excellent Metroidvania, often comparing it favorably to genre staples like *Hollow Knight* and *Ori*. Many appreciate the game's accessibility options, which allow players to customize the difficulty and enjoy the experience regardless of skill level.

Challenging, rewarding boss encounters: The game features well-designed and challenging boss fights that require players to master the combat system and utilize their abilities strategically. The immediate retry option after boss fight failures minimizes frustration and encourages experimentation.

Surprisingly high quality Ubisoft game: Many reviewers expressed surprise and delight at the game's high quality, especially considering it's a Ubisoft title. Some consider it to be the best Ubisoft game in many years, praising its originality and polish.

Tight, challenging platforming mechanics: The game offers tight and responsive platforming mechanics, with a good balance of challenge and reward. Players praised the smooth parkour, precise jumps, and the satisfying feeling of overcoming difficult platforming sections.

Clunky, unengaging combat system: The combat system received mixed reviews, with some finding it clunky, unengaging, and lacking impact. Specific criticisms include unfair hitboxes, limited combo options, and an over-reliance on parrying. Some reviewers also noted issues with enemy design, such as limited variety, overly aggressive AI, and inconsistent attack patterns.

Weak, generic, predictable story: Many reviewers found the story to be weak, generic, and predictable, with underdeveloped characters and a convoluted plot. Some felt the narrative lacked depth and emotional engagement, failing to live up to the standards of other Metroidvania titles. The story's ending was often described as rushed and unsatisfying.

Doesn't feel like Prince of Persia: Some reviewers felt that the game failed to capture the essence of the Prince of Persia franchise, citing a lack of key elements and a departure from the tone and style of previous installments. The game's innovations were seen as insufficient, and some players expressed disappointment with the shift to a 2D platformer.

Ubisoft Connect integration issues: A significant number of reviewers expressed frustration with the game's reliance on Ubisoft Connect, citing issues such as forced online integration, manual cloud saving, launch problems, and potential save data loss. The requirement to use a separate launcher and account was seen as an unnecessary inconvenience.

Poorly designed DLC content: The DLC content was generally poorly received, with reviewers criticizing its limited content, frustrating design choices, and lack of integration with the main game. Some reviewers specifically disliked the removal of abilities and the increased difficulty in the "Mask of Darkness" DLC.

Standard Metroidvania platformer: The game is primarily a Metroidvania platformer with interconnected regions gated by ability unlocks. Reviews highlight both standard genre elements and comparisons to titles like *Hollow Knight* and *Celeste*. Some found the level design competent but not exceptional.

Assisted exploration and puzzle-solving: The game offers a variety of accessibility and exploration assist options, including guided modes, map markers, and the ability to skip platforming sections. Puzzles and platforming challenges are present, with some rewarding exploration with cosmetic items and gear upgrades.

Deep, parry-focused combat system: The combat system features combos, special attacks, and ranged options, with a parry mechanic crucial for defense and counterattacks. Amulets allow for combat style customization. Some reviews note similarities to *Devil May Cry* and *Sekiro*.

Parkour and platforming assistance: The game features a parkour system and a training mode to explore mechanics. Platforming assist options are available, including teleports after successful jumps on main paths.

Amulets and collectibles enhance character: Players can collect and upgrade amulets to modify character stats and abilities, allowing for playstyle customization. Exploration is rewarded with collectibles like Soma Tree Petals (health) and Damascus Ore (weapon upgrades).

Excellent and smooth performance overall: The game generally exhibits excellent performance, running smoothly on a variety of hardware, including the Steam Deck and lower-end PCs. Many players reported high and stable frame rates, even at higher resolutions and settings. Some reviewers specifically highlighted the game's optimization and fluidity.

Various technical issues reported: Some players have encountered a variety of technical issues, including graphical glitches, freezes, crashes, and getting stuck in the environment. There are also reports of inconsistent damage zones and map markers, as well as characters not behaving as expected. These issues appear to be less common but can be disruptive.

Problems quitting the game: Some players have reported issues with quitting the game, including the lack of a 'quit to desktop' button and infinite loading screens when attempting to return to the main menu. These issues have reportedly persisted for some time. This can be frustrating for players who want a quick and easy way to exit the game.

Control delay, SSD requirement: Some players have reported a slight delay in the controls, which can make platforming feel frustrating. Additionally, while the game runs well on older machines, it may require an SSD to avoid long loading times, which some consider excessive for a 2.5D game.

Lacks ultrawide/16:10 support: The game lacks support for ultrawide and 16:10 resolutions. This can be a drawback for players with monitors that use these aspect ratios, as they may experience stretching or black bars.

Highly recommended Metroidvania, PoP revival: Many reviewers highly recommend the game, especially to fans of Metroidvanias and Prince of Persia, citing its high quality, innovative gameplay, and successful revival of the franchise. Some consider it among the best in the genre, while others suggest it as a good entry point for newcomers.

High quality, GOTY contender: Many reviewers express strong positive sentiments, with some considering the game a contender for Game of the Year and praising its high quality. Some reviewers highlight that the game was one of the best releases of the year.

Worth buying, especially on sale: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing the game, indicating that while the game is enjoyable and of good quality, the full price may be a bit steep. Purchasing during a sale is often described as a 'steal' or a 'great value'.

Desire for DLC or sequel: Many reviewers express a strong desire for DLC or a sequel, indicating they enjoyed the game and want more content. This suggests the game left a positive impression and players are eager to see the story or gameplay expanded upon.

Deserves more attention, better sales: Reviewers feel the game didn't receive the attention it deserved, possibly due to marketing or platform exclusivity. They believe the game is worth the money and are disappointed the development team didn't achieve greater success.

Development team disbanded post-release: Ubisoft disbanded the development team after release, making a sequel unlikely and disappointing fans. This decision is seen as a major negative, especially given the game's quality and the team's potential. Some speculate this was due to the game not meeting sales expectations or a shift towards other projects like crypto/NFTs.

Story based on Persian mythology: The game's story is rooted in Persian mythology and history, featuring the protagonist Sargon on a quest to rescue a prince. The setting incorporates Babylonian and Assyrian cultural elements, creating an authentic representation of Iranian culture. The narrative explores themes of growing up and the meaning of strength.

Story and graphics are average: Reviewers have mixed opinions on the story, with some finding it decent and fitting for the genre, while others consider it bland or just okay. The voice acting and characters are generally seen as serviceable but not exceptional. The graphics are acceptable but not particularly impressive, with some comparing them to mobile games.

Ubisoft Connect requirement is intrusive: The game requires Ubisoft Connect, even when purchased on Steam, which some reviewers find intrusive and unnecessary. This also prevents Steam family sharing. While some users didn't find it problematic, it's a common complaint associated with Ubisoft titles.

Diverges from previous entries: The game diverges from previous Prince of Persia titles, with some reviewers feeling it doesn't quite capture the essence of the series. Some suggest it could have been a new IP altogether. While some appreciate the references to past titles, others find the cartoonish visual style a departure from previous installments.