Embark on a thrilling journey with Prince of Persia, The Lost Crown, the much-anticipated Metroidvania release from Ubisoft. Explore its dynamic combat system, amulet upgrades, and the promise of a visually immersive experience. Uncover the intricacies of this adventure that strives to balance nostalgia with contemporary gaming. From combat mechanics to visual enhancements, we delve into the key aspects that shape the player’s experience in this return to the iconic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time universe.
What We Know So Far About Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Initially, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown showed promise, but fans were really looking forward to the long-awaited remake of the classic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Released in 2003, this game managed to capture the spirit of the original while adding modern touches. Since then, the series has been trying to recreate that success. However, the much-anticipated remake of The Sands of Time is still missing, and fans are eagerly waiting for its release.
When I started playing The Lost Crown, it exceeded my expectations. Instead of a low-budget attempt to revisit the early 21st-century style in 2.5D, Ubisoft’s latest Prince of Persia installment takes a different path—it becomes a Metroidvania. This is Ubisoft’s first completely new addition to the Prince of Persia series since the 2008 reboot. The way the franchise blends with the Metroidvania genre feels so natural that I can’t help but wonder why this exciting combination didn’t happen earlier.
Playing as Sargon, one of the symbolic Immortals responsible for safeguarding Persia, The Lost Crown takes you on a significant 20–25-hour journey, mostly set in the time-displaced Mount Qaf after a significant betrayal. Based on my initial gameplay hours, it appears Ubisoft’s statement holds that this game indeed seems to deliver a substantial and captivating adventure, providing a noteworthy gaming experience.
As I embarked on my quest, a surprising realization hit me—the need to revive my once-dormant action-game skills sharpened back in the Ninja Gaiden era on Xbox, which overlapped with The Sands of Time release. This unexpected challenge calls for revisiting those old abilities, injecting a sense of excitement and nostalgia into the gaming experience.
The Lost Crown Is No Joke in The Combat Department
The Lost Crown is pretty serious about its combat, drawing inspiration from the original Prince of Persia. Right from the start, enemies come at you quickly with swords, polearms, and different weapons, making it crucial to block attacks, especially the ones highlighted in yellow. The game calls for fast reflexes and a strategic mindset to tackle tough combat situations.
Watch out because enemies can seriously hurt you, taking away from your limited three health bars with successful strikes. Attacks you can’t avoid, marked by a red glimmer, can’t be blocked, so you have to dodge them entirely. In my experience, sliding underneath these attacks worked well, allowing for counterattacks from a better position. Smart moves are crucial from Prince of Persia Lost Crown walkthrough to keeping your health intact and gaining an advantage in fights.
More on the Prince of Persia Archive: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Is Getting a Demo in January
The One-on-One Battle System in Game
The Lost Crown doesn’t hesitate to throw players into one-on-one battles with bosses right away. Even though I faced several problems during the opening hours, I found that these encounters struck a good balance between being challenging and enjoyable without crossing into frustrating territory. The game keeps a satisfying difficulty level, making sure each boss fight is a test of skill without being too overwhelming.
Facing a massive opponent, I first tried a direct, forceful approach, spending a lot of time before realizing the importance of figuring out the monster’s attack patterns. Once I switched to a more strategic method, the battle turned into an intense, nail-biting experience. Despite my efforts, the struggle continued for a solid three-and-a-half minutes, showcasing the significant challenge posed by this monster’s massive health bar.
Staying true to its Prince of Persia origins, precise platforming is a crucial element. If you fail to navigate a bed of spikes, it comes with a penalty—deducting just one health bar segment instead of causing instant death. However, traversing these sections is still quite challenging, making the journey anything but a casual walk in the park. Players need to be cautious and skillful in navigating these demanding platform sections to advance successfully.
The Metroidvania Style of Game
One thing I didn’t find as enjoyable in the early stages was moving around the map. Because the game follows a Metroidvania style, getting around means exploring both vertically and horizontally and going back to places you’ve been before. While it’s necessary to move forward in the game, this back-and-forth travel might be less fun for some players. The interconnected world design, even though essential to the genre, can make it challenging to navigate efficiently and could affect the overall pace of the game.
Traversing long distances in the game is necessary but can feel a bit cumbersome, particularly in the early hours before unlocking fast-travel stations. The lack of these conveniences at the start might make the experience less smooth and more time-consuming as you move through the game world. However, as the story develops and fast-travel options open up, the journey is likely to become more efficient, easing some of the initial challenges linked to long-distance travel.
The Honest Review of Game
A standout feature in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown that I appreciated was the inclusion of upgrades. Players can buy items, like increasing the capacity of health potions—a crucial investment given the upcoming challenges. Moreover, the option to obtain upgrades, such as additional amulet slots, brings a strategic element to the gameplay. These improvements not only contribute to the character’s overall progression but also offer a way for customization, letting players tailor their experience to match the demands of the unfolding adventure better.
Amulets, acting as passive upgrades that can be discovered or bought in the game world, provide various benefits, such as additional health and damage. The customization they offer enables players to mold their character build, a feature that gains significance as the adventure unfolds. The idea of shaping one’s abilities and strengths by acquiring different amulets adds a deeper layer of strategy; searching for these upgrades is a rewarding aspect of the overall gaming experience.
Ubisoft Promises It Will Run at 60fps On All Platforms.
In terms of visuals, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown lands somewhere between average and impressive. Although it doesn’t reach exceptional heights, Ubisoft has prioritized a consistent 60fps performance on all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch. The focus on a smooth frame rate aims to improve the overall gaming experience, especially for players on different platforms. However, it’s worth noting that the visual quality may not stand out as a defining feature of the game.
Choosing the PC platform for my experience with T Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, I encountered only a few instances of slight slowdown. This detail is forgivable, considering the ongoing polishing efforts by the development team. It’s reasonable to expect that these minor hiccups will likely be addressed and fixed by the time the game officially launches in mid-January. As the team fine-tunes the performance, players can anticipate a more seamless and polished gaming experience.
In my opinion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown takes an extended time to engage fully with its combat mechanics. The initial learning curve may feel prolonged, potentially impacting the overall pacing of the game. While some players may appreciate a gradual introduction, others might find the delay in fully delving into the combat aspects less enjoyable.
It took up the majority of the first three hours of the campaign for me to gather enough combat skills to navigate effectively and hold my ground. At the same time, I recognize that I would argue that the game reveals its combat fundamentals at a notably slow pace. The prolonged duration needed to acquire essential combat abilities might test the patience of players eager for a more immediate and engaging experience in the realm of Prince of Persia.
Conclusion
Prince of Persia enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the mid-January launch of The Lost Crown, a game that promises to blend nostalgia with innovation. While there may be some minor onboarding hiccups, the appeal of amulet upgrades and challenging boss battles guarantees a captivating experience, making it enticing for both fans and newcomers alike.
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