A journey into Persian Mythology while experiencing Metroidvania Mastery. My thoughts about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

The Quick Take (The TL;DR)

The Vibe: One of the best Metroidvania games out there. Fast, fluid, with beautiful areas, lots of secrets, and a satisfying variety of enemies and bosses. To that, add the simple but uplifting story of Sargon and a bunch of well-designed, interesting characters. All the above combined give us this great and fun title.

The High: I really liked the “Memory Shard” system. It helped me a lot with marking the places that I had to visit later in the game. But if I had to distinguish one thing from PoP: The Lost Crown, it is its fighting system. Very fluid movement, with lots of combos, fast-paced, many extra powers to choose from, and an addictive parrying system. Maybe the best fighting system in any Metroidvania game.

The Low: Without finding it very negative, the story starts a bit slow. The only thing that truly disappointed me and that I found frustrating was the difficulty spike if you are going for the Platinum trophy (or 100% achievements if you are not playing on PlayStation). I understand that the platinum trophy has to be hard, but forcing me to pass all the trials in order to get it is unfair and sadistic.

I. Introduction: The Ubisoft Montpellier Gamble

The Pivot: Many people were surprised when the game was first announced. Most of the younger players were used to 3D PoP games and were expecting a similar style. However, after playing the game, I think the team made the right decision and delivered a Metroidvania masterpiece.

The Pedigree: The team that is behind PoP: The Lost Crown is the same group of people who developed the magnificent Rayman Legends. No wonder the controls are so precise and the movement is extremely fluid. These were only some of the key factors that made Rayman Legends one of the best platformers we have seen in the industry as well.

Initial Reactions: A big backlash for the game was the “This isn’t my Prince” issue when it was announced. But I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Sargon is a great character with a badass style that fits perfectly with the story of the game. And most importantly? He’s not the Prince. I am glad that the game proved everyone wrong.

II. Narrative Recap: Chasing a Decoy

The Setup: Sargon is our hero in this journey. He is the youngest of an elite group called the “Immortals”, like a task force ready to obey the queen’s orders. Their leader is Vahram, a character who is very respectful and acts as the one who makes the logical decisions.

The Inciting Incident: The point that sets the story into motion is the kidnapping of Prince Ghassan. Anahita, the mentor of Sargon, takes the young Prince to Mount Qaf in an act of betrayal. Or at least, this is how it seems in the beginning. Anyway, this is the reason for the “Immortals” to gather at the mysterious mountain.

The Mystery: There, they will find a distorted timeline. People who age in a day, alternative characters, places where time has stopped, and all these in the shadow of the mythical creature Simurgh. The journey to the magical areas of Mount Qaf begins.

III. The Heart: Combat, Flow, and “Memory Shards”

The “Click”:

As I mentioned before, the movement of Sargon is very fluid and the controls feel very sturdy and responsive. Traveling throughout the mystical areas of Mountain Qaf is a real journey. In fact, many times I was just skipping fast travel points because I wanted to explore all the places and secrets this world has to offer.

The fighting is great as well. Based on the solid movement and controls, the combos you can make are various and impressive. Qays and Layla, the dual blades Sargon wields, can be upgraded for more damage, along with special moves. In general, the fighting system and the movement responsiveness will never betray you.

To make your life easier, it is crucial to master the parry mechanism that the game has. Most of the enemy attacks can be deflected if you push the parry button at the right time. This will help you avoid any damage, even when you are fighting the majestic bosses of the game. If you become a parry master, then you don’t have anything to fear.

Metroidvania Mastery:

The game, in its design, is a typical Metroidvania title. You wander around the map, which is divided into certain areas. Each area has its boss, blocked paths that are accessible after gaining specific powers, puzzles, collectibles, and demanding platforming sequences. The design of Mount Qaf is spectacular, and it has some of the most impressive areas I have seen in a Metroidvania game (Raging Sea, I’m looking at you!!).

To help you with all this chaos, the developers added the Memory Shards. These are items that you gather in the game that let you add a marker along with a photo on the map. In that way, it’s easier to see what is there where you added the marker. It saves you from a lot of time going back and forth in the world. Great addition.

Customization:

Except for all the above, Sargon can be equipped with amulets. Each one gives certain attributes, although there is a limitation on how many our character can use at a time. Additionally, our hero has special fighting powers called Athra Surges. You can have only two enabled each time, but they are a big help when battling enemies and especially bosses.

Moreover, you can buy upgrades to make your weapons and amulets better. Personally, my focus was to upgrade the swords first to do more damage, as I didn’t find amulets very helpful at the beginning. However, it is up to you to decide where you will spend your crystals and which items you will prefer down the road.

IV. The Expansion: Mount Qaf’s Varied Biomes

World Building:

The whole game takes place on Mount Qaf. A mythological setting with many different areas to explore. You will wander in palaces that touch the sky, to depths of sand, frozen ridges, magical forests**,** and time-stopped seas. All the areas are connected in a map that, I must say, is one of the largest I have seen in a Metroidvania game.

I have to say, though, that the platforming from biome to biome can be quite demanding. In many cases, you must combine Sargon’s powers, which are very unique to be honest, with difficult paths that demand perfectly timed executions on your controller. But thanks to the great responsiveness, all paths are manageable.

Visual Style:

At first, I wasn’t very keen on the artistic design of the world and the character. To be fair, in such games, I prefer 2D graphics, pixelated or comic-drawn, like Hollow Knight. However, after a while, I saw why the 2.5D style was essential for this game. Its world could have never been so amazing if it were portrayed in 2D.

I also liked the design of the characters very much, especially the Immortals. Each one has its own distinct style and fits the setting of the game perfectly. I really don’t have anything negative to say about the aesthetics. The game engine pays off extremely well, along with beautiful animations, and gives us a wonderful view of Persian mythology.

Soundscape: The Persian-infused score by Mentrix and Gareth Coker.

The perfect world-building wouldn’t be the same without the magical score of the game. Every area has its own fitting theme, and the fights with the bosses are always accompanied by epic music. The two main people responsible for this fantastic result are Gareth Coker, known for his work on many video games (including the two Ori games), and Mentrix, an Iranian-born musician and composer. This explains a lot.

Except for the music, the game also has great sound effects and voice actors who do a magnificent job portraying the characters. Specifically, the Sargon and Vahram performances are the ones that easily stay in your mind. All the above combined are essential for the fairytale feeling that this world gives you.

V. Final Verdict & “Mood” Rating

Final Thoughts:

Is this the best Metroidvania I have played? Well, I don’t want to give The Lost Crown that title, but it certainly is one of the best. The thing that really distinguishes its style from the rest of the Metroidvania games is its fighting system. Moreover, the setting is amazing and magical, and the feeling it gives you is that of a mythical journey.

I want to find some negative things to point out, but it’s really hard. The one thing that made me furious and disappointed at the same time is the demanding platinum trophy. But except for that, the rest of the game touches perfection. If you like Metroidvania games, make sure that you play Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Highly recommended.

The Rating: 9,5 StageOne Medals. Don’t miss it. Also, check the videos from our YouTube channel here! Some great bosses in this game.