The Prince of Persia The Lost Crown reveal was one of the less expected ones during Ubisoft Forward: Here's everything you need to know about Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, including all of the details we know so far, its release date, gameplay, story, trailers, and more.

What is Prince of Persia The Lost Crown

First revealed officially during the Ubisoft Forward Livestream Event last week, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the newest Prince of Persia game, and it's one that a lot of fans didn't see coming. Fans have had their eyes on the on-again, off-again development of a Prince of Persia Remake, and many of them have been clamoring for Ubisoft to just release anything Prince of Persia-related, given that there's been a drought of games coming from that series for a long time. The Lost Crown definitely is a refreshing oasis, especially since everything about it – from its animated art direction and its return to 2D platforming – feels so fresh and new. Initial impressions about the game so far by video game journalists also highlight that the game plays as smooth as  butter, and that's definitely enough to make our collective mouths water in anticipation.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2D action-platformer with Metroidvania mechanics. It is the first new Prince of Persia title since the release of The Forgotten Sands in 2010. Starring a new character named Sargon, the game is a brand-new title with its own timeline and universe, completely independent from the rest of the series and not serving either as a sequel or a prequel to any previous titles, in spite of its many similarities with other Prince of Persia games.

Story

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown introduces the new hero Sargon, who is described by the developers as a “gifted young warrior” who is “acrobatic,” “fast,” and “agile.” Players don't play as the game's titular hero and are instead tasked as Sargon to save a kidnapped Prince Ghassan from the cursed city of Mount Qaf.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown draws a lot of inspiration from Persian mythology, which informs the development team's design of the game's world, its enemies, and story beats.

Gameplay

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is described by the Prince of Persia Series Creator Jordan Mechner as the “Prince of Persia game I've been wishing for.” It harkens back to older titles of Prince of Persia, pedaling back from the more recent games' 3D environments and reconnecting with older titles' 2D platforming elements. In this game, Sargon can jump, slide, and air dash to travel between platforms, fight against enemies using a pair of deadly blades, and use a special ability called Ahtra's Glow.

Time-bending abilities also make a return from The Sands of Time but this time it's not only available to the player but even to some of their opponents as well. Sargon has access to the Rush of the Simurgh ability, which will allow them to instantly dash forward through time, and Shadow of the Simurgh, which will let him place a “shadow marker” that serves as a temporal checkpoint that they can return to at any time. Various items that Sargon finds in Mount Qaf can be used to modify these abilities. Sargon can also find Time Crystals that he can use to upgrade his weapons. However, as already mentioned, Sargon isn't the only one who can draw powers from the Time Crystals…

The game also has metroidvania elements. The Lost Crown features an interconnected game world filled with secret rooms and areas, as well as locations that can be unlocked once certain criteria are met. Players can also expect puzzles to be solved in order to open up secret rooms and receive new abilities. Mount Qaf is a Persian-inspired world filled with bigger-than-life landmarks. Players can expect to explore a variety of highly detailed biomes, each filled with its own set of wonders, dangers, and treasures.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Release Date: January 18, 2024

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is coming out on January 18, 2024, on PC through the Epic Games Store, on Amazon Luna, on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and on the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5. Pre-ordering for any version of the game can also be done through the Ubisoft Store.

Pre-ordering the game will give players access to the Warrior Within outfit for Sargon, which gives Sargon an outfit that makes him resemble a very familiar character from the series' long-running history.