It seems that 2024 will be remembered as the year of Prince of Persia. Just when it seemed like the iconic franchise had been forgotten, Ubisoft showed us they still had plans for it with the release of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. A metroidvania of such quality felt like enough, but it turns out there was another ace up their sleeve.
Secretly, Evil Empire, best known for their work on Dead Cells, has been involved in a new Prince of Persia. Its name is The Rogue Prince of Persia, and it's a proposal set to debut on Steam Early Access on May 14th.
Undoubtedly, taking an iconic saga like Prince of Persia and bringing it back with a game that has all the soul of the indie scene sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Fortunately, besides sounding that way, it is. Prior to the official unveiling of The Rogue Prince of Persia, Ubisoft invited us to a virtual session to try it out, and after playing it, I can tell you it's a proposition that will make a lot of noise upon release.
We never expected Prince of Persia to come back this strong
The Rogue Prince of Persia is a roguelike where you take control of a new incarnation of the Prince. This time around, the iconic character appears as a brave but careless warrior who goes all out to protect his people. Sadly, this attitude can also get him into trouble, and his actions end up triggering a Hun invasion. Due to his position, the Prince has to take responsibility, and that's how he goes into battle.
The Prince's recklessness is tied to something that makes him unique. It turns out he has the ability to turn back time every time he dies. Thus, his actions have no major consequences, so he can take huge risks and if he fails, he tries again. With this setup, Evil Empire combines narrative with gameplay that is designed for you to do the same as the Prince: try, die, and try again.
That's the basis of many roguelikes, so what makes The Rogue Prince of Persia a game worth trying? It's incredibly fun. Evil Empire understood the mobility that makes this franchise an iconic piece of gaming and translated it into another genre. The result is an intense roguelike where you'll jump great distances, run along walls, and defeat groups of enemies ready to crush you.
While the combat is enjoyable with a good variety of enemies and abilities at your disposal, what really hooked me was the level design. While the random element of roguelikes is present in The Rogue Prince of Persia, Evil Empire's effort to deliver platforming challenges that test all your skills and present elements that have accompanied the saga for years is evident. It feels like a true Prince of Persia, and I couldn't be more grateful for that.
Now, great platforming doesn't mean the combat is bad, quite the opposite! It's one of those games that feel incredibly satisfying to play thanks to responsive controls and animations that look fantastic. It's so enjoyable that there were several occasions where I found myself doing more moves than necessary simply because they were fun and looked great. This is also possible because it provides several options for each situation: you can try a normal attack; perform a charged attack; dodge to get behind your enemies; shoot a bow; or kick your opponent to make them fall and be defeated. Variety is the name of the game, and that makes it a great experience.
One of the few things I can criticize about the gameplay session is that I had very little time to enjoy The Rogue Prince of Persia. It was just under an hour, and while it was enough to give me an idea of the gameplay style, I actually wanted to explore its world much more. The short gameplay time was enough to show me that there is a wide variety of weapons and equipment to try out many combinations.
It's not just that daggers have completely different moves from spears; it's also that you can find items that give you advantages when certain conditions are met. For example, some stick enemies to the ground when you break their shield so you can execute better combos. There are others that allow you to release clouds of poison when dodging enemy attacks. With so many options, The Rogue Prince of Persia is a game that hooks you because it lets you experiment and find combinations as effective as they are fun.
Another element I don't want to fail to mention is the visual style of The Rogue Prince of Persia. I'll simply say it's fantastic. With a clear line style reminiscent of Jean Giraud's work, Evil Empire created a game that, without exaggerating in detail, delivers a game that enchants you through the pupil. This is not to mention the incredible animations of the Prince, which capture the action and weight of each movement to look like a modern version of the style of the franchise's first game.
The brief time I got to play The Rogue Prince of Persia is one of the most memorable moments I've had with gaming so far in 2024. Evil Empire is proving to be a talented team because they took an iconic franchise and brought it back with a fresh style. I believe The Rogue Prince of Persia will be a game that will stir up a lot of discussion in the coming months, and I can't wait to keep playing.
The Rogue Prince of Persia will arrive on May 14th as a Steam Early Access release. You can learn more about this new installment of Prince of Persia by clicking here.
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