In a surprising turn of events, Ubisoft has been working on a secret Prince of Persia game. Not only that, but it’s a 2D roguelike. We can go one better, too; it’s gorgeous to look at, using an art style that will set it apart from many other platformers.
I was very lucky to be able to spend 30 minutes with The Rogue Prince of Persia and get a sense of what Ubisoft is attempting with this new installment in the franchise. However, before we get into the nitty-gritty of the game, one thing needs to be discussed.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a brilliant attempt at the MetroidVania genre
For this game Ubisoft has decided to release it on Steam as an early access title, which feels a bit odd. At the time of writing, Ubisoft is valued at over €2.69 billion. They’re a company with more than enough money to drag out the development of Skull and Bones for over a decade and bring us new iterations of Assassin’s Creed for a similar amount of time. So, why early access? The game itself isn’t even much of a gamble - it’s an established franchise that millions love, it’s a roguelike which is one of gaming’s darling genres - essentially, and I’ll expand on this, it’s Hades on a 2D plane.
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While this doesn’t mean it’ll be a slam dunk, you have to wonder if Ubisoft has little faith in the idea, or whether in early playtests it wasn’t working for some players. Though, as far as I’m concerned, they’re onto a winner here.
I don’t say that just because I’m a roguelike nerd, there is enough here to entice several types of player, as it plays like a more evolved platformer, plus carries that legacy. What I saw in my short time with the game left me desperate for more and intrigued as to what we’ll see when the game comes out.
To put it simply, The Rogue Prince of Persia is a 2D roguelike that borrows from some of the best out there and paints it with a bold style of stark cartoony graphics steeped in the history of the franchise. From the off, it feels familiar, and if you’ve ever played a Prince of Persia game, you’ll likely be delighted with the culture and sense of place throughout.
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If you’re a roguelike fan, you’ll have seen a lot of the game before, particularly in Dead Cells, as Ubisoft is using talent from that game to create this new experience. There are various weapons to collect which change the Prince’s fighting style, while upgrade medallions add an edge to your playstyle by applying poison to your weapons, or leaving a trail of fire behind you as you dash through the action, plus many more effects.
Movement is as smooth and fluid as you would expect from a Prince of Persia game. The series is known for platforming, especially after the wonderful Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown which came out earlier this year. When I reviewed that game I was impressed with the motion of Sargon and how he made traversing each screen an utter joy.
There’s a similar feeling here as the Prince scampers up walls, or even runs across the background solid surfaces. Everything feels intuitive, whether it's leaping onto poles to perch before attacking an enemy, or dropping through platforms to reach low ground. It’s not going to revolutionise the genre, but it gives players enough abilities to feel like they wield power, even if they’re relatively weak.
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So, let’s talk about my favourite aspect of the movement and that’s the aforementioned wall running. Whenever there’s a solid background, like a brick wall, behind the Prince you can hold the ‘left trigger’ to run across it in any direction. This can be chained into grabbing a ladder, grasping the edge of a platform, or even dashing into an enemy for combat. There’s a sense that Ubisoft doesn’t want you to stand still because the joy comes from chaining together movements.
The dash is also a lovely touch, acting like a roll in a 3D action game, it pulls you from combat when the need arises, but dashing towards an enemy you’ll grab their shoulder and leap behind them ready to attack.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Prince of Persia game without traps and there are plenty to dodge and roll through. It’s here where the movement comes alive and you will be tested in rooms that reward you handsomely for getting through the danger.
I guess we come to the combat which felt a little underwhelming compared to the traversal, particularly when fighting the grunts of each level. Of course, you can tweak the difficulty here and there, but I never felt overly challenged unless I was overwhelmed by numbers, which was rare.
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A nice touch is the shielding of enemies who have a blue health bar which must be depleted with certain attacks before you can get to their red health bar and knock them out. It adds another layer to the combat which I hope is explored further in the full release.
Meeting the first boss, however, sat me down on my backside and I took my first death. It’s no surprise, I didn’t have long to play around with the different medallions - four of which can be equipped - so I went into the fight feeling pretty basic. This being a roguelike I was sent back to the hub, a bastion of safety, where I met a blacksmith who could upgrade my weapons.
There are a range of armaments. I preferred the sword over the swifter daggers, and I dabbled with an axe that slowed me right down but caused lots of damage. You can find these throughout the levels ahead of you and I was frequently swapping them out for more powerful versions. This is where it feels a lot like Hades in the constantly changing of the Prince while dashing about and rarely standing still.
I should mention there’s a bow as well, which feels very overpowered, but you’re limited to three arrows before you have to wait out a cooldown period to fire again, so at least it's balanced somewhat.
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By this point, my time with the game was coming to an end. In my last run, I was finding my stride. I was making use of unique material drops to be spent with the blacksmith, I had a few medallions that applied poison effects, I felt fast on my feet and I was utilising abilities like the kick which propels enemies into each other, stunning them, or knocks them into pits of spikes.
Sadly, time was called and I felt a bit sad. The Rogue Prince of Persia is shaping up to be a very engaging game, one that might not storm the genre like Hades or Dead Cells but will be heartily welcomed as a welcome addition for roguelike fans.
Featured Image Credit: UbisoftTopics: Prince Of Persia, Steam