Forget time, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will have you manipulating space

GamesPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownForget time, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will have you manipulating spaceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownForget time, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will have you manipulating spaceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Ubisoft) In my recentPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown preview, it became clear that Prince of Persia and Metroidvania was a combination that should have happened a lot sooner. Despite initial fan backlash, the reception to actually playingUbisoftMontpellier’s 2.5D platformer has been overwhelmingly positive, with so many seeing the potential for bringing the series' gameplay staples to a new genre. Speaking to Mounir Radi, game director of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, although the team didn’t start with Metroidvania as the structure for the game, it ended up being perfect. Not just because it’s the team’s “own take on the 2D games that respected our skills and expertise” from its experience with titles like Rayman Legends and Origins, but also plays well with the core concept of time that’s flowed through the entire series. (Image credit: Ubisoft) “Time has always been something important to the series, tying each game together even though they’re not in the same timeline,” explains Radi. “We didn’t start with the Metroidvania genre, we started with trying to understand what are the core pillars of the Prince of Persia series, and being sure that we did our job in representing those – the acrobatic fights, puzzles, platforming, and of course the narrative”. But Radi admits that once the team established those core pillars, the main goal was then to “renew them” for a game that could unite players old and new. Another time (Image credit: Ubisoft) Part of that was taking time powers away from the player. “This is not about the prince, it’s about a main character who has a name, and that in itself is a new evolution for the series,” laughs Radi. You play as Sargon, one of the Prince’s protectors and part of a group of elite warriors known as the Immortals. Tasked with retrieving the prince from Mount Qaf where some kidnappers are detaining him, it becomes quickly apparent that the time powers are in the control of our antagonists – specifically a man called Vahrem. “We wanted to have the time powers back, but as a challenge for us – a constraint – we didn’t want to just reuse the Time Rewind. And, because we love to create problems for ourselves,” laughs Radi, “we also wanted to give those powers to the main antagonists”. (Image credit: Ubisoft) “Sargon’s bond with Vahrem is important in this story, and [it made it possible] to develop the time themes through the link between Sargon and Vahrem.” So then the team has to ask what powers our hero Sargon would have to combat such time-based threats. “That was our challenge”, says Radi, which was exactly when introducing the Metroidvania structure began to make perfect sense. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more “In a Metroidvania, one of the big things we give to our players are new powers, but also the ability to expand their playground. On the one hand you have Varhem, who has the time powers, with the ability to rewrite and slow down time. On the other, because this is a Metroidvania, you have Sargon who has the ability to master another facet of time – space. Mastering space is so important in a Metroidvania, so being able to own space and time in our story allows you to be something like a god.” Another place (Image credit: Ubisoft) As Sargon starts to explore you’ll also get a true sense of how much this game is a celebration of Persian culture too. Although the series to date has focused on the Islamic Golden Age of the 9th Century – just like our recent Assassin’s Creed Mirage – The Lost Crown is telling a story of “a superhero in ‘Legendary Persia’” with Mount Qaf being a reflection of how diverse the Persian world can be. The map contains so many diverse areas from forests to snowy mountains that the team has even snuck in some references to older Prince of Persia games. “It was important to have a specific connection to the other games,” says Radi, so “there are some areas that are big cameos for the series”. (Image credit: Ubisoft) Alongside the ever-evolving map, our hero Sargon is also going to go on a transition of his own – and not just all the new abilities he’ll get. “We wanted to depict a coming-of-age story,” says Radi, “you can feel [at the beginning] that he has no pity for his enemies. He is a warrior, his mind is narrowed”. “We go from kind of a kooky warrior to a strong man, and we take a lot of reference from Miyamoto Musashi the famous warrior. We wanted to take the approach of ‘What does it mean to be strong?’ and that’s the focus of Sargon’s story – not just as a warrior, but also as a man. We wanted to push ourselves into telling a story that could go deeper than the previous games, even though it’s 2.5D.” Radi admits it’s been a lot of pressure tackling the first Prince of Persia game to launch in a decade. “It was tough because you have this huge legacy, and we know that players are expecting a specific follow-up to the 3D games. But you may know how the studio, Ubisoft Montpellier, has a way of doing what they want, we tend to be true to ourselves.” From everything I’ve seen so far, I’m so glad they did. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is out on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC and Switch on January 18. 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delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”