I played Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and died so very many times

If there is one thing I hope to impart to you about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, one single detail that you should bear in mind ahead of the game's release in 2024 it's this: learning to parry is essential.

There's plenty more to learn, of course, but if you read no further, then I've already done my job. I say this after having spent roughly 40ish minutes playing a preview demo of the upcoming 2.5D action-adventure game ahead of the Ubisoft Forward showcase. Here's the thing: as challenging as it can be, I found Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown to make a shockingly pleasant first impression.

Time for change

Revealed during Summer Game Fest, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown had something of a mixed initial reception. One main concern seemed to stem from the fact that you don't actually play as the titular prince, but as a warrior named Sargon – a member of an elite group called 'The Immortals' that serve him in a legendary version of Persia. I'm sure this is important to some folks, but it's not an issue that I share.

Yes, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a departure; that much is immediately evident in basically every way. The protagonist is different (unless he is secretly also a prince, which, hey, who knows), the perspective is a throwback to the series' origins, and the art style shies away from the visual fidelity of its peers. It is also directly, explicitly "inspired by the Metroidvania structure." But the game's movement feels good while its combat is difficult but not overwhelmingly punishing.

To me, that's what makes a Prince of Persia title a, well, Prince of Persia title. The Lost Crown shares enough of the same DNA to be worth paying attention to. There's really only one noticeable sticking point for me: the lack of serious time manipulation. One of Sargon's abilities effectively creates a temporary checkpoint of sorts that a second press of the button will let him return to, but that flavor isn't immediately apparent with his other skills.

But that's a small complaint given how satisfying running, jumping, sliding, and generally exploring the ways in which Sargon can impact or manipulate the world around him was. More than once I cleared a couple obstacles, jumping through figurative hoops and literal environmental hazards, only to discover that the way I thought might be the one true path forward was blocked to me in this preview build – a hint that The Lost Crown will offer a myriad of pathways through its levels.

In one instance, attacking a mysterious glowing, purple crystalline light caused a new set of platforms and walls to appear. Successfully navigating those platforms revealed yet another glowing crystalline bit to hit, and so on, until I ran into a dead end that seemingly was impassable in the demo. Despite the fact that I had essentially wasted my time, I happily made my way back down, satisfied with the fact that I was able to get up there at all.

The big bad

My brief experience with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown concluded with a boss fight against the manticore Jahandar, the large lion-like creature with leathery wings and a scorpion's tail seen in the reveal trailer. This is also what caused me to emphasize the importance of learning to parry. I am, quite frankly, not entirely sure it is possible to beat the creature without managing to parry several times.

And while it's certainly the most important part of that combat (again, the one single detail you absolutely need to remember) it's not the only important one. Charging up and releasing the bow, as seen in the trailer, is how you get rid of a nasty dark orb that hovers and shoots lightning at you. Charging up special attack meters, done slowly through attacking or swiftly through parrying, deals a massive burst of damage but can also heal you over time depending on which one you use. And if you've not learned how to really move by that point, well, none of the rest matters much.

In total, I died roughly seven or eight times in a row before finally beating Jahandar. This was, according to the PR people staffing the event, not unusual. What I did find unusual, however, was that I never actually felt frustrated during it. Each time, I recognized where and how I had failed. I knew what I had to do; it was just a matter of actually pulling it off. And nothing else this week has been quite as sweet as that final moment of success.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is one of the upcoming Ubisoft games that's set to release in 2024. The game will be available on January 24 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.