PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, SWITCH, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Reviving a series that was last seen on consoles since 2010, The Lost Crown takes us back to Prince of Persia‘s side-scrolling roots with this 2D platformer that follows the adventures of Sargon, a young warrior tasked with rescuing a Prince from the summit of a cursed mountain. With its original story based on Persian mythology, eye-catching visuals and smooth Metroidvania-infused gameplay, The Lost Crown sits confidently amongst the best entries in the series while forging its own unique identity.
Using a range of powers and abilities that steadily become available as the game progresses, you’ll need to guide Sargon around a labyrinthine map full of traps, puzzles, and countless enemies. All of the usual tools are here, such as the ubiquitous double jump and air dash, alongside more novel gimmicks like the ability to create a ghost that can be immediately teleported towards, and a handy device that makes certain platforms appear and disappear at the touch of a button. Many paths along your journey will be locked until Sargon acquires certain abilities, but backtracking to previous areas will always reward you with amulets that can be equipped to gain handy passive effects, or crystals that can be spent on buying maps, healing items, or upgrading your weapons.
The Lost Crown might not bring a huge amount of new ideas to the table, although the ability to add a screenshot to your map, to remind you exactly what you were stuck on, is a fantastic idea, and the inclusion of a wide range of accessibility options makes the game suitable for all ages and abilities. TLC does an incredible job of making every single moment feel incredibly satisfying, whether that’s solving a tricky puzzle, slashing away at enemies, overcoming a boss fight or using your powers to complete an intricate platforming section, making it an easy recommendation for fans of action platformers.
