Prince of Persia fans hope The Lost Crown's Metroidvania twist can "bring the franchise back to life" after an excellent demo

GamesPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownPrince of Persia fans hope The Lost Crown’s Metroidvania twist can “bring the franchise back to life” after an excellent demoWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownPrince of Persia fans hope The Lost Crown’s Metroidvania twist can “bring the franchise back to life” after an excellent demoWhen 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) Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownis due to release in just a few days on January 15, but after briefly jumping through the Metroidvania’s new demo, some hopefuls are already convinced that it’s the refresh the series needed. The sands of time can be a tricky thing to follow, so let’s run the dial back for the uninitiated.Ubisoft’s The Lost Crown retains the series' acrobatic platforming, time-twisting abilities, and alternate magical setting - but plants all that into a side-scrolling Metroidvania world that has more in common with the Ori games than the publisher’s own Assassin’s Creed. That’s certainly a far cry from the series' third-person action-platformer roots, justifying some initial skepticism, but after trying out The Lost Crown’s newly-released demo, longtime fans are hopeful it “might bring the franchise back to life.” Praise for the demo is more permeating than sand in the series' subreddit, withone postdeclaring the game could “rejuvenate and bring relevancy to the series once more.” Prince of Persia has been mostly absent from the limelight since its 2010 reboot (and the whitewashed film adaptation I’d rather forget), so a comeback is long overdue. Redditor panthers_freak reveals they “decided to preorder after playing [the demo] for 10 minutes.” Other praise-worthy aspects include aninnovative map featureand its beautiful soundtrack - courtesy of Gareth Coker, who’s no stranger to soaring platformers after his work on Ori and the Blind Forest, and the Iranian-born Mentrix, who pushes the music past the stereotypical sounds that usually accompany Middle Eastern games from the Big Big Studios. Fans aren’t alone in their praise, though. Gamesradar’sPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown reviewsaid it was “filled with intrigue, neat brain-teasing puzzles, masterful platforming, and spectacle-fueled boss battles.” That quality should come as no surprise since The Lost Crown comes from Ubisoft Montpellier, the studio behind bangers such as Rayman Legends and Valiant Hearts. Hopefully the full game can make just as big a mark as the brief demo. Perhaps The Lost Crown can join ourbest Metroidvaniarankings. 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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” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale 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