Maybe Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was the absolute hit of Ubisoft’s launch…?

Prince of Persia’s unexpected return to its side-scrolling, platforming roots continues to impress. Following its announcement at Thursday’s Summer Game Fest, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown received a comprehensive gameplay reveal on Monday that could well make it the secret hit of Ubisoft’s Forward showcase.

Seriously! I know; we’ve seen Star Wars, Avatar and Assassin’s Creed-themed open-world games. However, the gameplay of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is captivating. It’s a clever blend of modern 2D platform games with cinematic super-stunts and fully acted scenes.

The combos, juggling, wall-jumping and leaping all have a 30+ year gameplay tradition.

The ‘semi-open world’ built here pays proper homage to these rather than trying to interpret them in a new playground. Frankly, it’s pretty impressive. Many may remember the enthusiasm when Bionic Commando: Rearmed came out 15 years ago. It was the perfect reboot for the era. Not only did it evoke nostalgia for the original – again, side-scroller – game, but it also made the gameplay special with new hardware. And the 3D, third-person action-adventure game that followed was given a good slap in the face.

Is The Last Crown coming instead of The Sands of Time remake?!

A remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, postponed indefinitely until 2021, has since been entrusted to Ubisoft Montreal, which has literally returned to the drawing board with the idea.

The release of The Sands of Time has been significantly delayed. Over time, the project has faded into relative obscurity. While it once excited players returning to the story or experiencing it for the first time, it has become synonymous with unrealised expectations. The fact that The Lost Crown was announced and given a release date before any further updates to The Sands of Time were announced is worrying.

If the former is successful and becomes a critical and commercial success, it could be a massive catalyst for people to lose interest and patience with The Sands of Time.

In the clear transitional phase of The Prince of Persia, experimenting with different ideas makes a lot of sense. Using the basics of the IP and applying different gameplay ideas could breathe new life into the series. It could help it stand out from other action/adventure game titles. It could even set it apart from Assassin’s Creed. If the game’s 2D approach works, it could be a vital sign that Sands of Time is indeed a relic of the past.

Source: YouTube