Prince of Persia The Lost Crown

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,160 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown Game Cover
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is yet another must-have game with a plethora of fresh content.
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"Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown" is an action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world, where you play as Sargon and master acrobatic combat and time manipulation abilities. Explore the vast and detailed world of Mount Qaf, full of puzzles, hidden treasures, and time-corrupted enemies. Immerse yourself in a rich and original story as you evolve from a sword-wielding prodigy to an extraordinary legend.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,160 reviews
story131 positive mentions
stability25 negative mentions
  • Fluid combat and platforming mechanics that provide a satisfying gameplay experience.
  • Beautiful art style and level design, with a vibrant world that encourages exploration.
  • Innovative features like the ability to take screenshots and pin them to the map for easier navigation.
  • Ubisoft Connect is required to play, which can be frustrating and inconvenient for players.
  • Some players experienced save file issues and bugs that affected their gameplay experience.
  • The story and character development are considered weak and clichéd by some players.
  • story329 mentions

    The game's story is generally described as engaging but somewhat predictable, featuring a mix of intriguing twists and cliches. While some players appreciate the rich lore and character development, others find the narrative lacking depth and coherence, with certain plot points feeling rushed or unresolved. Overall, the story serves as a decent backdrop to the gameplay, but it may not leave a lasting impression for all players.

    • “The story is engaging, filled with intriguing twists, betrayals, and mythical lore that keeps you hooked.”
    • “The voice acting is solid and brings the characters to life, while the story’s pacing keeps players engaged from start to finish.”
    • “The story is captivating, the combat is smooth and satisfying, and the side quests are surprisingly well-crafted.”
    • “The story is very simple, with characters that are not too well written and some plot holes.”
    • “The story is bland and typical, but by god I haven't seen a metroidvania done so well.”
    • “The story makes no sense and the characters have zero depth.”
  • gameplay209 mentions

    The gameplay of "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown" is widely praised for its fluid mechanics, engaging combat, and innovative traversal options, making it a standout in the metroidvania genre. Players appreciate the depth of the combat system, the variety of abilities, and the rewarding exploration, although some note that certain mechanics can feel repetitive or frustrating at times. Overall, the game successfully combines challenging gameplay with a charming world and well-designed puzzles, appealing to both newcomers and veterans of the genre.

    • “Overall, it’s a thrilling adventure that combines excellent gameplay with an immersive and well-crafted narrative.”
    • “The gameplay strikes a nice balance between challenge and accessibility, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and long-time fans of the series.”
    • “With its innovative gameplay mechanics and stunning visuals, this metroidvania gem is a must-play for fans of the genre.”
    • “I hung in there as long as I could, but the gameplay gets so repetitive after a while.”
    • “Frustrating gameplay (if you don't like parrying mechanics, don't bother playing this); you have to backtrack through tons of rooms when you die, making the whole process tedious.”
    • “The times I had to replay 30 minutes of gameplay over and over because I was 15 feet away from the next 'save tree' should be zero, but it wasn't.”
  • graphics124 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, vibrant art style, and intricate level designs that enhance the immersive experience. Players appreciate the unique aesthetic, which combines 2D and 3D elements, and the overall visual presentation is often described as beautiful and engaging. While some minor graphical issues were noted, the overall consensus is that the game's graphics significantly contribute to its appeal and enjoyment.

    • “The graphics are stunning, with beautifully designed levels that feel alive and immersive.”
    • “The game’s visuals are absolutely beautiful, with each biome featuring distinct and intricate designs that bring the world to life.”
    • “Everything is bathed in gorgeous visuals with a great sense of identity and flair.”
    • “I will say, this is not a graphically intense game and yet the visuals seemed stepped down, even on my Steam Deck.”
    • “The graphics are okay, I guess, but only okay.”
    • “The lack of gore and art style sometimes makes it look like a Disney kids' game.”
  • music75 mentions

    The music in "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown" is widely praised for its exceptional quality, blending epic orchestral elements with regional Persian influences that enhance both combat and exploration. While many reviewers appreciate the atmospheric soundtrack and its fittingness to the game's setting, some express disappointment over the lack of memorable tracks compared to previous titles in the franchise. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience, though opinions vary on its standout moments.

    • “The soundtrack pays homage to Persian heritage, adding energy to battles and tranquility to exploration.”
    • “The music is atmospheric and fits the game super well.”
    • “Fantastic music, combat, and exploration.”
    • “I expected more from the soundtrack because I'm a huge fan of Gareth Coker, and although it's very good, I think it's lacking very memorable tracks like in Ori and the Blind Forest, or a few bangers like in Darksiders Genesis.”
    • “The music has almost no memorable hooks; it's forgettable and at times, like in the library level, it can even be called annoying.”
    • “Sadly, the underwhelming soundtrack here fails to do justice to the beautiful environments, leaving the biomes feeling a bit hollow.”
  • stability33 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck with high frame rates and no major crashes, many players report frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly with achievements and certain mechanics like the parry system. Despite these issues, some users still find the game enjoyable and well-designed, though the presence of bugs detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Runs great on the Steam Deck OLED, 90 FPS on ultra, looks amazing.”
    • “Great game that runs great on Steam Deck maxed out and has achievements.”
    • “Game always looks great, runs great.”
    • “It also bears mention that it's pretty buggy.”
    • “But yeah, it must be said, quite buggy and stuff can definitely break.”
    • “What really surprised me was how buggy it was for such a big game.”
  • optimization17 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised, with many users reporting solid performance, smooth frame rates, and high FPS on devices like the Steam Deck. While some mention issues related to background software affecting performance, the majority find the game well-optimized with minimal bugs and quick load times. However, there are concerns about Ubisoft's high expectations for performance in a 2D sidescrolling genre, which may not align with the game's capabilities.

    • “The game's performance is excellent, with smooth frame rates and minimal load times.”
    • “Well optimized game on Steam Deck, 90fps in max settings.”
    • “Gorgeous art style, flawlessly optimized, quick, responsive combat and intricate and delightful level design.”
    • “Unfortunately, Ubisoft's expectations were too high and unrealistic for performance in a 2D sidescrolling genre.”
    • “The game also sucks down performance (idle), which can be hard on batteries.”
    • “This means that a) you need to download additional software and register with them to play, b) it runs in the background, hurting performance, and, most importantly c) now there are two storefronts controlling your access to the product, with one being substantially less trustworthy than the other.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with players expressing dissatisfaction over the clunky combat mechanics, excessive backtracking, and convoluted shop interactions. Many feel that the rewards for grinding, such as cosmetic upgrades, are not worth the effort, and the overall experience is marred by poorly designed controls and vague hitboxes. While some players appreciate the story and collectibles, the grinding elements detract significantly from the enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “You spend your time grinding through a particularly challenging section, and get rewarded with a costume for which the only discernible difference is a slightly different colored belt and some minor accent lighting changes.”
    • “Purchasing a single item from a shopkeeper is incredibly tedious - between talking to them, clicking through their dialogue, opening the shop, navigating to the correct item, selecting it, confirming, waiting for the popup, closing the popup, then waiting on a black screen for up to 30 seconds, then returning to the shopkeeper menu, and closing it out.”
    • “The crappy controls and vague hitboxes make this so tedious I simply stopped playing and uninstalled the game on the second one.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is described as a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the fantastic ambience, music, and graphics, others find it lacking compared to titles like Hollow Knight. The orchestral and regional influences in the music enhance the setting, but the overall atmosphere can feel simplistic or underwhelming, especially when compared to the game's action-oriented focus. Choosing the Persian language option is noted to significantly enhance the atmospheric experience.

    • “The music is a mix of epic and atmospheric with orchestral and regional influences.”
    • “This, on the other hand, is a well-made, in some ways simplistic yet in-depth metroidvania, that has a great atmosphere and setting to it.”
    • “Great graphics, sound, and music; the atmosphere is all there.”
    • “Unfortunately, this isn’t the only aspect of 'Lost Crown' I found lacking: while I wasn’t surprised by the unimpressive and partially predictable story with mostly flat characters – as this isn’t an uncommon occurrence in the genre – I was disappointed by the lacking atmosphere, however.”
    • “Unlike many of its peers that prioritize atmosphere and exploration, 'The Lost Crown' offers a more action-packed experience, blending the agility and combat of the classic Prince of Persia series with the exploratory structure of Metroidvania.”
  • character development11 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the depth and likability of characters like Sargon, while others criticize the overall character design and voice acting as generic or cartoonish. Despite the vibrant environments and engaging gameplay, the inconsistency in character aesthetics has left some players feeling disconnected from the narrative. Overall, while there are standout elements in character design, the execution of character development has not resonated universally with the audience.

    • “I loved the immortals as a concept and their character design is top notch - really all of them could be the protagonists of their own games.”
    • “If you can approach the game without prejudice, you’ll see that Sargon is a very likable protagonist with very good character development.”
    • “With great character design and voice acting, this makes for an easy recommendation.”
    • “Some of the worst character designs in gaming and bad voice acting, lame generic story.”
    • “I have to give a negative review due to the bad story design, lore, and character development.”
    • “The character design somehow feels out of sync with everything else on the screen.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of intentional comedic moments and unintentional glitches, with players finding amusement in both the quirky character interactions and the amusing bugs that can disrupt gameplay. While some plotlines feel absurdly incomplete, this adds to the overall hilarity, making even frustrating moments enjoyable. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its gameplay, creating a lighthearted experience despite its flaws.

    • “It's almost funny that Ubisoft managed to break away from their usual dull, formulaic approach to create something this brilliant - only to shut down the very team responsible for this digital masterpiece.”
    • “Also, it's Ubisoft, so there's some fun little game-breaking bugs — like freezing after a hard boss fight (but not autosaving, so I had to do it all over again), and one funny bug where the camera just got stuck in a wall.”
    • “Entire plotlines and characters are dropped at random or never go anywhere; all of this is honestly crossing into hilarious territory how bad it is.”
  • monetization7 mentions

    The game is praised for its monetization model, as it features no microtransactions and allows players to earn alternate skins through challenges instead. Reviewers appreciate this approach, highlighting it as a refreshing change from typical cash-grab tactics in the industry. Overall, the absence of aggressive monetization contributes positively to the game's reception.

    • “Alternate skins (cosmetics) are obtained through challenges and not microtransactions.”
    • “No microtransactions at all!”
    • “This is one of the actually good Ubisoft games, and after years of constant garbage that they re-release, this one is a complete game with story and no microtransactions or live service elements, which is a breath of fresh air.”
    • “I hope for a second part without aggressive microtransactions.”
    • “Also, yes this is one of the actually good Ubisoft games and after years of constant garbage that they re-release, this one is an actual complete game with story and with no microtransactions or live service elements, which is a breath of fresh air.”
    • “The controls and combat are silky smooth, no bugs, no crashes, no dumb nonsense (except Uplay, which is a bummer but not a dealbreaker in my opinion), no microtransactions.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players express a mixed emotional response to the game, with some feeling frustrated by gameplay mechanics and a lackluster story, while others become deeply invested in the characters and their journey, experiencing genuine emotional engagement as the narrative unfolds.

    • “I'm about halfway through the story and I'm getting a bit emotional over the story.”
    • “I genuinely cared about their journey and found myself emotionally invested in the unfolding story.”
    • “The game has a love-hate relationship due to the lack of emotional depth in the story, combined with frustrating mechanics like clunky movement and the inability to save progress after completing difficult challenges.”
    • “The emotional impact of the game is overshadowed by its technical issues, such as erratic jumping controls and a story that fails to engage.”
    • “Despite the potential for emotional storytelling, the game falls flat with a boring narrative and frustrating gameplay elements that detract from the overall experience.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers high replayability through features like boss trials and permadeath, appealing to players who enjoy speedruns. However, some users feel that the overall replay value is low, suggesting a mixed experience in this aspect.

    • “One of the best games I've played; the replay value is also there with boss trials and permadeath/speedruns.”
    • “The game has low replay value.”
    • “There isn't much incentive to play through it again.”
    • “Once you've completed it, there's little reason to return.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

86% average critic score

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Play time

9hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
5-17hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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