Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2024 action-adventure game developed and published by Ubisoft, part of the Prince of Persia series. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 18 January 2024, and received positive reviews from critics.

Gameplay
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2.5D side-scrolling action-adventure platform video game. The game's protagonist, Sargon, can jump, slide, and air dash to travel between platforms. He wields a pair of blades which he uses to defeat enemies. Well-timed parries help to charge Sargon's Athra's Glow, which allows him to unleash a special ability when fully charged. He has access to several time-based powers, which can be used in both combat and platforming. Rush of the Simurgh allows Sargon to instantly dash forward through time, while Shadow of the Simurgh allows him to place a "shadow marker", which serves as a temporary checkpoint that players can return to instantaneously. Sargon can equip talismans that alter his abilities.

The Lost Crown features Metroidvania elements, as the game world is interconnected and filled with shortcuts and secret rooms, and players must solve puzzles to progress. As players explore the game world, they can find Time crystals, which can be used to purchase upgrades for Sargon's weapons. While players may not immediately have the tools or skills to overcome an obstacle, they can return to it once they have the means to overcome it. Players can take screenshots and pin them to the game's map, allowing them to recognize and remember unsolved puzzles they have encountered.

Premise
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown introduces a hero named Sargon, a young member of a warrior clan named The Immortals. Sargon must travel to the cursed city of Mount Qaf to rescue the kidnapped Prince Ghassan.

Synopsis
Due to suffering over 30 years of drought and famine and an invasion from the Kushan Empire, the Persian Empire is on the brink of collapse. The latest Kushan invasion into Persian territory is repelled thanks to the efforts of the Immortals, with Sargon personally slaying the Kushan general. Sargon and the Immortals are commended for their efforts by Queen Thomyris and Prince Ghassan but the prince is abducted during the victory celebrations by Sargon's mentor General Anahita. Sargon and the Immortals pursue Anahita to the sacred Mount Qaf, home to the Citadel which was once a great center for learning before it was destroyed by an unknown curse. The Immortals come to suspect that Anahita plans to use Ghassan's royal blood to access the temple of the Simurgh and gain the divine bird's blessing, which would allow her to overthrow Thomyris.

The Immortals enter the Citadel, only to find themselves trapped inside due to a time anomaly. They split up to search for Anahita, and Sargon quickly encounters various undead soldiers and monsters as well as other humans trapped in the Citadel who provide him aid. He also begins to find and recover the Simurgh's feathers, which each grant him a portion of the god's power. Sargon is able to catch up to Anahita and save Ghassan, only for the Immortals' leader, Vahram, to intervene and murder the prince, revealing himself as the true culprit intending to usurp Thomyris. Sargon buys time for Anahita to escape, but is defeated by Vahram's mastery of time magic and thrown from a cliff. Sargon manages to survive the fall and comes across a mysterious old man named Alkara who informs him that there is a chance to reverse time and save Ghassan, but it requires making a bargain with the evil snake god Azhdaha. Azhdaha instructs Sargon to gain the blessing of the four Celestial Guardians. He also encounters Anahita, who claims she kidnapped Ghassan on Thomyris' orders. Meanwhile, Vahram lies to the rest of the Immortals, claiming Sargon killed Ghassan and convinces most of them to back his claim to the throne. Sargon is then forced to kill several of his former Immortal comrades.

After securing the favor of the Celestial Guardians, Sargon is sent back in time and thwarts Vahram's attempt to murder Ghassan, but Anahita dies protecting Sargon in the process. Vahram then admits he has been collecting Simurgh's feathers as well and believes only he is worthy to possess them, and he battles Sargon. As their powers clash, Sargon catches a glimpse of Vahram's past and learns that he is actually the long lost son of King Darius, and that Darius himself was assassinated by Thomyris, and her usurping the throne without the Simurgh's blessing is what has caused Persia's 30 years of decline. Ghassan informs Sargon that Vahram is likely seeking the Heart of the Simurgh so that he can merge with it and take the Simurgh's full power.

Sargon pursues Vahram, but is unable to stop him from merging with the Heart and ascending to godhood. Sargon is then contacted by the spirit of the Simurgh, who assures him that he still has the power to defeat and save Vahram from himself. Sargon once again confronts Vahram and after a protracted battle, is finally able to defeat him. Vahram comes to realize the folly of trying to claim a god's power, and sacrifices himself to revive the Simurgh. With the Simurgh returned, Sargon and Ghassan return to Persepolis as heroes. However, knowing the truth about his mother, Ghassan abdicates his position while Sargon reveals Thomyris murdered Darius to the entire royal court. As Sargon leaves the capital, the remaining Immortals assure him that they will take care of a younger version of Vahram that escaped Mount Qaf with them.

Development and release
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, the studio behind the Rayman series. Development of the game lasted for around three and a half years. Gareth Coker and Iranian-based composer Mentrix served as the game's composers. The game was heavily inspired by Persian mythology, with the game's director Mounir Radi adding that the team wanted to "bring some light to a mythology that maybe should be better known", as well as showing how Persian culture has affected other mythologies by introducing monsters like the manticore, as one of the game's boss characters.

The Lost Crown is an original story set in the Prince of Persia universe. The time powers from the The Sands of Time series are featured in The Lost Crown, though they are used by the game's antagonist rather than Sargon. The Lost Crown is the first major release in the Prince of Persia series since Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands in 2010 on seventh-generation platforms. Sargon was described by the team as a "gifted young warrior", one who is "acrobatic", "fast" and "agile". With Sargon, the team hoped to modernize the image of the franchise. According to art director Jean-Christophe Alessandri, the team wanted to introduce some "fresh visual design" for the franchise, taking references from "modern culture, urban culture, and fashion".

The game was announced in June 2023 and its debut trailer received mixed reactions. Series creator Jordan Mechner, while not directly involved in the game's development, voiced his support for the team and described it as the "Prince of Persia game I've been wishing for". It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 18 January 2024. The game uses the Unity video game engine.

The Lost Crown is one of the first video games to be dubbed into Persian (Farsi). Sepehr Torabi, who voiced five different characters in the Persian version, said that the voice acting was done without knowing what the final product was. The title that the voice acting agency gave him was The Iranian Prince. Torabi suspected that he would be involved with a Prince of Persia video game, and his suspicion was confirmed after the final recording sessions.

Reception
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

Sales
According to Insider Gaming, the game has accumulated around 300,000 players and estimated $15 million in revenue.