Editor’s observe: Ubisoft India supplied IGN India a PC key of Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown for this evaluation.
For anybody who began their gaming journey within the late Nineties or early 2000s, it’s greater than doubtless that the Prince of Persia collection holds a particular place of their coronary heart. The franchise gained recognition round this time throughout a number of platforms, be it the DOS period of Home windows or the PlayStation 2 period on the console facet.
Ubisoft bought the rights to the franchise in 2001 and took it to new heights of recognition. The writer went from power to power with the discharge of The Sands of Time, Warrior Inside, and The Two Thrones. Anybody who performed video games throughout the 2000s remembers how fashionable these video games have been within the nation’s gaming cafés as properly. On condition that the final main Prince of Persia (PoP) sport was launched virtually 15 years again, in 2010, it was excessive time for Ubisoft to revisit the franchise. Now, the writer is again with Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown. Is it a worthy successor for the PoP franchise, and is it value your cash? Let’s try the solutions to those questions and extra within the full evaluation of Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown.
Variations, expectations, and the sport of extremes
This newest entry is not the same old 3D sport with a third-person view that all of us keep in mind from the Prince of Persia collection. As a substitute, it’s a 2.5D side-scroller.
Now, earlier than we dive into the evaluation, I would like you to cease your doable assumption that Misplaced Crown is only a minor sport within the collection with not a lot effort put into it, since you could be severely mistaken. Contemplating the variations between the earlier mainstream titles within the PoP franchise and this sport, it’s pure to have low expectations. Nonetheless, Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown is a labour of affection, and builders at Ubisoft Montpellier have put a variety of effort into creating the sport.
To start with, Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown contains a new, standalone story distinct from the mainline PoP video games. This makes the title accessible to individuals who have by no means performed a PoP sport earlier than. Regardless of my low expectations in the beginning, I completely loved The Misplaced Crown. I used to be pleasantly shocked by the quantity of effort and a spotlight to element invested within the story, platforming, gameplay mechanics, visuals, and music of the sport.
Even with all the trouble and a spotlight to element, Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown will doubtless be a divisive sport. You will both find it irresistible or dislike it as a result of it’s a Metroidvania title. Not everybody enjoys a non-linear platformer the place they have to revisit elements of the map they’ve already explored and unlock extra areas to find. I perceive why some individuals won’t be keen on that, however Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown managed to maintain issues partaking for me and did not flip the navigation and exploration points of the map right into a chore.
Story of Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown
Whereas the story differs from the earlier Prince of Persia video games, The Misplaced Crown is about in a well-recognized universe. We comply with the journey of Sargon, a member of The Immortals, an elite military comprising warriors.
After efficiently defeating a Kushan Empire normal throughout the Empire’s invasion of the crumbling Persian Empire, Sargon receives recognition and reward for his valiant efforts from the Queen. Nonetheless, the celebration is short-lived when Prince Ghassan is kidnapped and brought to the sacred Mount Qaf. This place homes the Citadel and is the house of the Simurgh, an imposing hen creature from Persian mythology. Sargon mounts a rescue, however after all, issues don’t go as deliberate, and he finds himself trapped within the place together with his ragtag bunch of Immortals. Your aim within the sport is to uncover the mysteries behind this place and discover the Prince.
It must be evident that this isn’t a story-heavy sport. Moreover, the one side that didn’t impress me a lot was the opposite characters within the sport past Sargon. They aren’t memorable and don’t have anything to write down residence about after ending the sport. Nonetheless, the primary story and extra particulars from the lore objects scattered all through the in-game world had sufficient narrative momentum to maintain me hooked. The sport even contains side-quests when you actually wish to delve deeper into the story.
Fight
The fight felt crisp and extremely satisfying proper from the second I began taking part in the sport. You wield your double-handed sword to slash enemies, and the responsiveness of the in-game mechanics is exceptional.
However there may be extra depth to the fight past easy slashing. Enemies supply several types of assaults, just like the reckless assault, which lets you parry and set off a “Vengeful Counter.” Then there’s the unstoppable assault, which you’ll’t parry or interrupt, forcing you to dodge. I appreciated the variability in fight mechanics, guaranteeing you do not depend on a single technique all through the sport.
Your assaults additionally construct up a power-up gauge known as “Athra.” When it’s full, you may unleash an “Athra Surge,” akin to a Tremendous-Saiyan-like assault, full with its personal fast assault cutscene. There are several types of Athra Surges. Later within the sport, a bow is launched, which serves not solely in fight but additionally enables you to shoot arrows at particular targets to traverse the world.
Visuals
As I discussed above, Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown is a 2.5D sport. However this doesn’t imply it impacts the visuals of the sport in any method. In reality, I actually respect the visible model of The Misplaced Crown. It is not precisely cel-shaded, but it surely has an analogous vibe. The sick cutscenes keep the identical graphical model because the gameplay.
The transitions between cutscenes and side-scrolling views are seamless and well-executed. You do not really feel like you could have all of the sudden shifted from a full-motion video to a totally completely different visible model after the cutscene ends; it’s easy and is not jarring, which, in any other case, might break your immersion.
The platforming mechanics, together with sliding, operating, and wall-jumping, are fairly responsive and trendy, complementing properly with the fight.
One distinctive function in Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown is the “Reminiscences” perform. Since it is a Metroidvania sport, you typically encounter puzzles or areas you may’t entry instantly however can return to later. With the “Reminiscence Shards” merchandise, you may create “reminiscences” on the map, like a snapshot of your location on the map. It helps you keep in mind and simply return to a specific spot later.
Along with drawing heavy inspiration from real-life Iranian mythologies, places, and creatures, Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown additionally incorporates influences from genuine Iranian music as a substitute of generic Arabian tunes. It embraces Persian music and devices whereas additionally mixing them with different genres like rock and metallic, suiting the varied conditions and settings of the sport. This artistic fusion comes from the collaboration between Gareth Coker, recognized for his online game compositions, and Mentrix, an Iranian-born Muslim musician.
I used to be notably impressed by the addition of a Persian (Farsi) language dub by the localisation group. I instantly switched to it to completely immerse myself within the genuine expertise, so to talk. It’s clear that the group at Ubisoft handled this sport with care, not solely when it comes to its gameplay, but additionally in its respectful portrayal of the inspiration it attracts from. It is a important plus level for me.
Is shopping for Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown value it?
In my view, Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown is value contemplating when you take pleasure in platformer video games and are a fan of the Prince of Persia collection. The sport maintains the essence of the collection, providing a well-recognized expertise. Even for many who aren’t conversant in the collection, The Misplaced Crown may be very welcoming and approachable. It presents an gratifying expertise with loads of enjoyable available, no matter prior information of the collection.
On PC, the bottom sport is priced at ₹2,499 on the Epic Video games Retailer, whereas the Deluxe Version prices ₹2,999. These costs are affordable contemplating the content material supplied. The sport can also be out there on the Ubisoft Retailer, however I would not suggest shopping for from there as a result of it has no regional pricing (the sport prices €49.99 — ₹4,400 only for the Commonplace Version).
Nonetheless, the PlayStation model of The Misplaced Crown is comparatively costly, priced at ₹3,499 for the bottom model and ₹3,999 for the Deluxe Version.
On Xbox, the sport is accessible with the Ubisoft+ membership, which prices ₹899 for one month. This subscription gives entry to The Misplaced Crown and different Ubisoft titles, making it an economical choice for Xbox gamers.
A Prince of Persia Metroidvania 2.5D side-scroller was not on my bingo card in 2024, however the sport left me pleasantly shocked. Whereas The Misplaced Crown is probably not a high-budget blockbuster title, Ubisoft definitely understood the task and delivered a title that gives loads of enjoyment. It is a stable sport with its fast-paced and satisfying fight, attention-grabbing story and setting, and incorporation of genuine Persian mythology and artwork. I can suggest The Misplaced Crown not solely to Prince of Persia followers but additionally to platformer lovers on the whole.