Prince of Persia – The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2024 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft. Part of the Prince of Persia series, the game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 January 2024, as well as for macOS on 3 December 2024, and is scheduled to release for Android and iOS on 14 April 2025. It received generally positive reviews from critics, but failed to meet the sales expectations of Ubisoft, leading to the development team being disbanded.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown introduces a hero named Sargon, a young member of a warrior clan named The Immortals. Sargon travels to the cursed city of Mount Qaf to rescue the kidnapped Prince Ghassan. 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 defeating and slaying the Kushan general Uvishka.

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. 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 Gauge, 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.