There are a lot of waysPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownflips the script on what players can expect from the franchise, such as starring a protagonist that isn’t the titular prince and embracing theMetroidvania genre. One of the surprises the game has in store, however, is giving enemies an iconic protagonist power from the franchise.
Time mechanics can be fascinating in games when done well, and those games can often be particularly memorable for their inclusion. FromOcarina of TimetoLife is Strange, games that place the power over time into their protagonist’s hands can reach timeless popularity. One of those iconic titles isPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This makes giving those powers to the enemies inPrince of Persia: The Lost Crowna nerve-wracking proposition for longtime fans who once wielded them themselves.
InThe Lost Crown, thepowers of the Sands of Timeare in the hands of the antagonist. Narrative and animation director Jacques Exertier recently spoke to Game Rant about the promise of tackling enemies who use iconic powers once wielded by players.
It was a very stimulating and fruitful exercise, both in terms of the scenario and game design, to reverse the roles. What powers would be necessary to confront an opponent endowed with time powers? Which character could meet this challenge? What would have been their trajectory? How would they have acquired these powers and for what purpose? We had to imagine these new powers, their acquisition, and build new situations to highlight them.
Thenew powers protagonist Sargon would employagainst his enemies will include time-bending dash Rush of the Simurgh and mark-and-recall teleport Shadow of the Simurgh. Being a Metroidvania, more powers will be unlocked as the player progresses through the game in their attempt to rescue Prince Ghassan. This obviously creates an interesting dynamic between Sargon and Ghassan, as well as Ghassan and the antagonist.
It isn’t uncommon for antagonists to be a mirror of protagonists. FromFallouttoFinal Fantasy, giving an antagonist a similar history and skillset to a protagonist makes enemies more memorable. But instead of pitting the prince against an enemy of similar strengths and history, whatThe Lost Crownis doing is different. The powers that defined the prince in past games will be used against anentirely new hero, Sargon. That isn’t to say Sargon lacks similarities with Prince Ghassan, but the differences between the two are pointed, being both different in strengths and personality. Exertier explained the differences between the two men.
Sargon shares with the Prince from previous installments extraordinary physical abilities that grant him exceptional agility and perfect combat mastery. However, he differs significantly in terms of personality, shaped by the warrior education he received, far from the splendors of the palace. His past holds areas of shadow that the player will uncover.
As an Immortal, an elite warrior based on a class of actual Persian soldiers, Sargon’s history is very different from the prince’s, letting him tap into levels of combat expertise that few others would have. His history gives him a perspective on battle that developers likened to the japanese subgenre nekketsu, or “boiling blood,”found within shonen narratives. Nekketsu is about failure fueling determination and a sense of justice, and that idea carries over intoThe Lost Crown’s anime-inspired combat.
That, and Sargon’s different kinds of time powers, will make him an interesting opponent for someone wielding the Sands of Time.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
WHERE TO PLAY
Dash into a stylish and thrilling action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world where the boundaries of time and space are yours to manipulate. Play as Sargon and evolve from sword-wielding prodigy to extraordinary legend as you master acrobatic combat and unlock new Time Powers and unique super abilities.UNLEASH YOUR INNER WARRIORUse your Time Powers, combat, and platforming skills to perform deadly combos and defeat time-corrupted enemies and mythological creatures.LOSE YOURSELF IN THE PRODIGIOUS MOUNT QAFDiscover a cursed Persian-inspired world filled with larger-than-life landmarks and explore a variety of highly detailed biomes, each with their own identity, wonder, and danger.LIVE AN EPIC ADVENTUREImmerse yourself in a Persian mythological fantasy through an intriguing and original story as you use your wits to solve puzzles, find hidden treasures, and complete quests to learn more about this corrupted place.
