I love Metroidvania. It's probably the video game genre I think about the most. There's something about the combination of 2D platforming, action, and exploration that appeals to me.
I often create my own „Best Metroidvanias of all time“ list in my head. Of course, standard bearers Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (as well as other games in these series) are included. Then there are modern classic games like the Ori series and Hollow Knight that take that formula and make it interesting with new mechanics and art styles.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown belongs to the latter group. Ubisoft Montpellier has created his one of the best Metroidvanias of all time, rivaling the legacy of the genre's founders and modern masterpieces.
The Lost Crown launches on January 18th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. I played the Switch version.
triple time
As I mentioned earlier, there are three keys to a good Metroidvania: platforming, action, and exploration. First, let's talk about platforming. Prince of Persia feels smooth and precise from the get-go. The normal running and jumping controls are perfect, but so are the great wall jumps (and I love a good wall jump).
And you'll keep getting new maneuvers that will help you become faster, more agile, and reach new heights. Of course, some of these are predictable, such as double jumps. There are also some very creative ones, such as a chakram that allows you to teleport directly when thrown.
Combat feels just as good. In fact, while other Metroidvanias may match his superior platforming of The Lost Crown, I can't think of a Metroidvania that features better combat than this one. Attack your enemies with a variety of sword combos that can be surprisingly complex. You can also juggle many enemies in the air, extending your combos to ridiculous lengths.
![](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/pop2.jpg?w=800&resize=1920%2C1080&strip=all)
Prince of Persia also has a parrying system. For some attacks, this will catch the enemy off guard for a moment, giving them a chance to counterattack. However, parrying some attacks can instantly defeat the enemy or deal a large amount of damage to the boss.
Oh, and speaking of bosses, they're great here. You can't just spam attacks and damage tanks. You must skillfully dodge and parry the boss while making full use of all your abilities.
Now, let's talk about exploration. There are many things to see. This is one of the biggest Metroidvania maps we've ever seen. It's not as big as Hollow Knight, but it's big for the genre. It took about 15 hours to complete, and it was about 70% complete.
The game does a great job of directing you in all directions around the map, but if you explore a little, you'll find plenty of hidden items, upgrades, shortcuts, and more. All of this is easy to keep track of thanks to a great feature that allows you to take screenshots of the game and pin them to the map.
With great platforming, combat, and exploration, The Lost Crown is a rare Metroidvania triple-decker. But it's not perfect.
Not the prince of presentations
Prince of Persia isn't a bad looking game. It can look very beautiful, especially in a creative environment. My favorite part is the area that takes place on the open sea, where you traverse a number of ships frozen in time during a battle. And it works smoothly on Switch as well. Gameplay always seemed to run at 60 fps.
But where The Lost Crown feels its weakest is its aesthetics. I especially wish the music was more interesting. Many of them have a quiet or even ambient feel. Occasionally I could hear shredded guitar, which was great. Could have used more. The music for the final boss was so subtle that I was a little worried that my audio was actually buggy.
![](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/pop3.jpg?w=800&resize=1920%2C1080&strip=all)
![](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/pop3.jpg?w=800&resize=1920%2C1080&strip=all)
The cutscenes also vary. The character models themselves look better when you play the game with the camera zoomed out. When the camera moves during story sequences, the lack of detail and expressionless faces become a bit distracting. Perhaps this is what made playing on Switch hurt me, I don't know. This is the only platform I've played it on, and I'm happy to trade it for the convenience of the Switch, even if the cutscenes look a little better on other platforms (again, the game still runs on a smooth 60 fps).
Now, I don't really consider those complaints about aesthetics to be a big deal. Again, I don't think The Lost Crown is ugly. The story sequences and music don't reach the heights of the gameplay.
correct direction
The Prince of Persia series has had several lives. It started as a 2D cinematic platformer and evolved into a movement-based 3D action game. This time, Ubisoft Montpellier has found a new direction for the franchise that could serve as a blueprint for future series.
If you're like me and love these types of games, The Lost Crown will probably be your first must-play of 2024. Well, if you love Metroidvania as much as I do, this will probably be his first choice for 2024. This year's game.
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be released on January 18th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Ubisoft sent me a Switch code for this review.
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