As the first new entry in the franchise in over a decade, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is receiving quite the royal welcome from critics. The game moves away from the 3D action-adventure genre and instead offers a metroidvania experience.
The transition seems like the right one, because Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has a metascore of 86 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. That favorable rating comes from 59 critic reviews at the time of this article’s publication.
GameSpot writer Steve Watts states that the series has “found its new home” as a metroidvania in his review. He adds: “This new genre debut is so confident and impeccably crafted that this should simply be the identity of Prince of Persia for the foreseeable future.” Watts wasn’t alone either, as other reviewers highlighted how well the game nails the metroidvania feel. In fact, there’s a Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown feature that other metroidvania games should steal going forward.
A Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown demo is available now to get a taste of the game before it launches January 18. GameSpot also has a preorder guide for the upcoming 2.5D game.
- Game: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
- Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
- Release Date: January 18
- Price: $50
Check out more reviews for the game below:
GameSpot — 9/10
“Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the series’ first attempt at a modernized metroidvania, which could have easily fallen into the category of competent imitators. But with impactful combat, silky platforming, and innovative exploration mechanics, this latest Prince of Persia makes the series a leader in its class once again.” — Steve Watts [Full review]
Game Informer — 9.5/10
“The Lost Crown makes it hard to put the controller down, constantly urging players to follow its paths just a little further. Following its persistent pull to explore more of Mount Qaf is easy, though, thanks to how good it feels to do so. Between its first-rate platforming and engaging combat and progression, The Lost Crown’s various parts coalesce into a sublime loop. Gameplay is king, and this Prince of Persia understands that.” — Wesley LeBlanc [Full review]
Destructoid — 8.5/10
“I really enjoyed exploring Mount Qaf as Sargon in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. I wouldn’t call myself a huge Prince of Persia fan or a huge metroidvania fan. But Ubisoft has managed to take the two and smash them together into a refreshingly new and entertaining interpretation of Prince of Persia.” — Steven Mills [Full review]
VGC — 4/5 stars
“The Lost Crown feels destined to become the cult classic that people implore you to play before finalizing your Game of the Year lists for 2024. The platforming is truly excellent, and a well-earned flex from the team behind the wonderful Rayman Legends.” — Jordan Middler [Full review]
GamesRadar — 4/5 stars
“All of this said, I’d still recommend Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown to the metroidvania heads among us, as well as longstanding Prince of Persia fans whose experience with the series stretches back to the late ’80s/early ’90s. For those wanting more in the same vein as 3D adventures like The Sands of Time, this ain’t it. But it is a return to relative form for a series whose last mainline outing landed 14 years ago–it’s just disappointing that this very good game was held back from true greatness.” — Joe Donnelly [Full review]
Inverse — 6/10
“In its combat and tricky platforming sections, The Lost Crown is mostly a blast. The problem is that it’s surrounded by dull exploration, frequently underwhelming bosses, and enough small frustrations to keep it from greatness. I’m baffled at how little it dives into its unique frozen-time premise, because the moments where it does are the best parts of the game.” — Robin Bea [Full review]
