The Rogue Prince of Persia

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 646 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Rogue Prince of Persia Game Cover
The Rogue Prince of Persia combines a non-linear narrative and rogue-like structure with the excellent combat and movement that Evil Empire is known for. Though some rough edges remain, it's a great start to early access.
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"The Rogue Prince of Persia" is a roguelite game that combines fast-paced platforming and combat. Players can discover new weapons, trinkets, and areas as they try to save Persia from a Hun invasion and find their place in the royal family. Using acrobatic moves, players can outmaneuver and outsmart enemies, and explore hard-to-reach areas. The game features a vibrant reinterpretation of Persia and non-linear story progression with a cast of colorful characters.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 646 reviews
music158 positive mentions
optimization17 negative mentions
  • The game features fluid movement and combat mechanics, allowing for a satisfying gameplay experience.
  • The art style and soundtrack are exceptional, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The developers are actively engaging with the community and providing regular updates, showing commitment to improving the game.
  • The game currently lacks content, with only a few biomes and bosses available, leading to a repetitive experience.
  • Performance issues, such as frame drops and stuttering, can detract from the gameplay experience.
  • Some controls and mechanics feel clunky or unresponsive, which can hinder the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • music249 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its exceptional quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack, composed by Danny Asadi, blends traditional Persian elements with modern beats, creating an immersive atmosphere that keeps players engaged. Despite some minor issues, such as music desynchronization during gameplay, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature, making it a significant draw for players.

    • “The music of this game is designed so attractively that I stay AFK in some biomes just to listen to the game's music.”
    • “The soundtrack has to be some of the greatest pieces of video game music I've ever heard; Asadi really hit it out of the park.”
    • “The beautifully structured soundtrack, composed by renowned artist Danny Asadi, perfectly complements the atmosphere of the game, combining traditional Persian instruments with modern orchestral arrangements.”
    • “The music is bloody awful.”
    • “Even the pause menu does not have this drastic of a music reduction, and it feels very weird to have trap music phase in and out of existence especially given a lot of its heavy bass emphasis.”
    • “Music loops are short, any form of variety is not there (there are very few rooms in roster and frankly it doesn't feel random at all), character art is just downright strange... plus nothing is voiced.”
  • gameplay194 mentions

    The gameplay of "Rogue Prince of Persia" is characterized by its fast-paced, fluid mechanics that blend classic platforming with modern roguelike elements, drawing inspiration from titles like "Dead Cells" and "Hades." Players appreciate the innovative wall-running and parkour mechanics, which enhance both traversal and combat, although some feel the game still requires polish and additional content to fully realize its potential. Overall, the core gameplay loop is engaging and addictive, supported by a vibrant art style and an impressive soundtrack.

    • “It’s a must-play for anyone who loves challenging, rewarding gameplay with a nostalgic yet fresh twist.”
    • “The gameplay is amazing, fast-paced, and offers a balanced experience.”
    • “The parkour mechanics, especially wall running, are enjoyable and add a great dynamic element to the gameplay.”
    • “There's a lot of potential with the mechanics and there are parts of the game that make me desperately want to like it, but I'm not having fun in the first place, so I'm not about to waste any more time speculatively hoping that I start having fun at some point.”
    • “The gameplay needs a bit of polish; currently, it is a bit clunky.”
    • “While there are elements of this game that I really like (music, animation, general style), the gameplay really falls flat for me.”
  • graphics123 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the updated art style as vibrant and visually stunning, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience. However, some players have reported performance issues, such as stuttering and frame drops, despite the minimal graphics settings available. Overall, while the art direction and visuals are celebrated, there are calls for improved optimization and more graphical options to enhance gameplay.

    • “The new art direction elevates the visuals to a whole new level, making an already great-looking game even better.”
    • “The art style, the aesthetic, the feel of the game is top notch and I can't express just how appreciative I am to be playing such a well-crafted entry to an amazing game series I love near and dear.”
    • “The game's visuals are stunning, and the controls are responsive.”
    • “The game stutters and drops frames weirdly often despite having no graphics settings and fairly minimal visuals.”
    • “There should at the very least be some graphics settings; all you have now is frame rate, resolution, and vsync.”
    • “The pc version runs great and the game isn’t very demanding, but there are only a few graphic settings at the moment.”
  • optimization66 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues such as stuttering and frame drops, particularly on the Steam Deck. While some updates have improved performance, players still report inconsistencies and areas that require further optimization. Despite these challenges, many believe the developers are committed to addressing these issues as the game progresses through early access.

    • “The medallion system is easier to parse, the weapon variety is way up, performance is overall better, there's activities and alternate routes and story beats that were more fleshed out than before...the game feels like it's coming into its own now.”
    • “I think the game performance improved a lot since the first day it released; if you are keen on roguelite and 2D platform games, this one is definitely worth a try.”
    • “Performance has also been greatly improved since release, holding a rock solid 60 on Deck OLED, even able to hit 90 a good bit of the time.”
    • “But performance is way worse than it should be for a 2D game.”
    • “Good game but very poorly optimized for Steam Deck, which is unfortunate because it'd be a perfect SD game.”
    • “It's impossible to ignore the, frankly, terrible performance.”
  • story51 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating its intriguing premise and potential for depth, while others criticize it as thin and lacking in engagement. Many reviewers noted that the narrative evolves with each playthrough, adding layers to character interactions and lore, but expressed a desire for more substantial content and improved dialogue. Overall, while the foundation for a compelling story exists, players are eager for future updates to enhance its richness and complexity.

    • “The story, gameplay, and art style are unique enough to make for a completely different game.”
    • “The update enhances the game's art style, abandoning the prince's iconic purple tone for a more grounded aesthetic, while also adding refined story elements, an animated intro cutscene, and quality-of-life improvements like multiple save slots and automatic loot pickups.”
    • “Despite the problems I experienced as I played, I found the rogue prince of Persia to be a fantastic roguelite with amazing combat, engaging platforming, and an interesting story that leaves me wondering what will happen next.”
    • “The story is so paper thin.”
    • “The story beats are pretty much nonexistent.”
    • “The story is kind of slim at the moment and character interaction feels a bit bland, but I have no doubt that this will also improve with time.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised, characterized by a beautiful and immersive soundtrack that blends various musical styles, including hip hop, electronic, and Middle Eastern influences. Reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and smooth animations, noting that the overall ambiance significantly enhances the gaming experience. Despite some areas needing improvement, the combination of art, music, and atmosphere creates a captivating environment that shows great potential.

    • “The beautiful soundtrack also enhances the atmosphere, making the game more immersive and enjoyable.”
    • “The soundtrack is awesome and includes a mix of hip hop, electronic, and Middle Eastern tunes that give the game a unique atmosphere.”
    • “The nicely structured soundtrack, composed by renowned artist Danny Asadi, perfectly complements the atmosphere of the game, combining traditional Persian instruments with modern orchestral arrangements, as well as oriental music with modern beats, and elements of dubstep and electronic music.”
    • “I primarily mean combat and atmosphere.”
    • “That being said, it would not be fair to judge this early access game as a final product, and while all these things need to be addressed and sorted out, and more content needs to be added, I am still going to give this a positive review because the atmosphere, the art, the music, the dynamics of the game, are beautiful and the potential for this to be a game with overwhelmingly positive reviews is there.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, the game boasts a strong replayability factor, enhanced by unique difficulty modifiers and a mix of classic platforming and roguelite elements. However, some players feel that the similarity of sword-like weapons and limited build experimentation may detract from long-term replay value. Despite being in early access, many users find the current content engaging and anticipate even more replayability as the game develops.

    • “The game is very fun with a big replayability factor!”
    • “There's no need to wait until it's on 1.0, the game has a ton of replay value already, and it's only going to get more.”
    • “Every sword-like weapon feels too similar, and without the ability to create and experiment with different builds, the replayability takes a hit.”
    • “It's still very obviously in early access, so the amount of unlocks and late-game replayability is still quite limited at the time of writing; but even if the game would stay like this, it's well worth the 20 bucks.”
    • “Still early access, but the unique difficulty modifiers upon 'finishing' the game do add some replay value for those looking for a challenge.”
  • stability9 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it performs well on devices like the Steam Deck and PC, maintaining a consistent frame rate can be challenging, with reports of significant drops. Users have noted some glitches and bugs, particularly in menus, which are typical for early access titles, but these issues do not severely detract from the overall experience.

    • “Runs great on the Steam Deck OLED, 90 fps solid!”
    • “Performance-wise, the game isn't demanding at all; it runs great.”
    • “Runs great on ASUS ROG Ally!”
    • “There are some glitches, which are expected from being in early access, but it didn't take away from my experience.”
    • “Boring, repetitive, monotonous, unoptimized, buggy, cut-and-paste copycat of Dead Cells with horrible controls.”
    • “Menus are buggy.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some enjoy the gameplay and boss designs, others are frustrated by long loading screens and the potential for repetitive runs in starting zones. Overall, the grind can feel tedious, but it remains engaging for many.

    • “Boss designs are far more impressive, but it's not surprising since their designed bosses in Dead Cells were also amazing and not tedious to fight against.”
    • “Loading screens are agonizingly long, making repeat runs feel tedious and frustrating.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I could see it getting grindy (like Dead Cells did) or the starting zones feeling a little too samey after the hundredth run.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by strong character development, particularly in the prince's journey, which evokes nostalgia and excitement. However, some players find the story lacking depth, which detracts from the overall emotional engagement.

    • “In my opinion, they nailed it; it even made me feel nostalgic in a way.”
    • “The character development is particularly noteworthy, as the prince's journey is both exciting and emotionally charged.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely regarded as very funny, though some users noted the omission of "Sands of Time" from the humor references, highlighting a potential oversight.

    • “Very funny as it is right now.”
    • “It's funny that they didn't even name 'Sands of Time' in their list, though.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is a standout feature, with the prince's journey being both thrilling and emotionally impactful, enhancing the overall narrative experience.

    • “The character development is particularly noteworthy, as the prince's journey is both exciting and emotionally charged.”
    • “The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to the narrative, making their growth feel authentic and impactful.”
    • “I was genuinely invested in the characters' arcs; their struggles and triumphs resonated with me throughout the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
203hAverage play time
5-600hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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