Mythological creatures often appear in video games or become part of a franchise's bestiary, such as the Greek Basilisk in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Ubisoft is no stranger to drawing upon legendary creatures from ancient mythologies in its recent Assassin's Creed games, such as the Minotaur in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The Prince of Persia franchise has also done so sparingly in the past, but it seems Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may be doubling down on this element. However, developers tell us that, unlike Assassin's Creed, these beings and creatures are not necessarily rooted in their exact mythological context. The Erlik boss is one example, as Sargon encounters it as a dreadful boar-like boss under the command of the Forest Queen, when its real-world mythology depicts it as a God of the Dead.
So far, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has shown several mythological creatures, like the Manticore and the giant Azhdaha snake, but players will encounter more. Whether in essence, in lore, or just in inspiration is up in the air on many of these, however. During a recent interview, The Best War Games asked narrative and animation director Jacques Exertier about other mythological creatures players might encounter in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. While understandably a bit ambiguous, Exertier also teased some of the creatures that have heavily inspired the game and explained how Persian mythology inspired their creation.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's Persian Mythological Creatures
When asked what other mythological creatures players can expect in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Exertier teased and named many specific creatures from Persian mythology as significant sources of inspiration, whether for their role in the story, for their abilities, or as possible new enemies. As Exertier explained,
Persian mythology, its bestiary, and its pantheon are of almost infinite richness. They have been an exceptional source of inspiration for us. Lamashtu, Anzu, the Djinn, Akoman, Erlik, the Nasu... Each creature often contains the initial narrative building blocks that would allow us to integrate it into our story, but also frequently inspiring abilities for the game designers.
While this doesn't fully confirm they will be in the game, it does suggest all of these had some influence, which could be an exciting prospect for players. It may also add more weight to the case for certain creatures that could appear in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, such as Djinn from previous Prince of Persia games. As aforementioned, the Erlik is already confirmed too. Either way, the volume of beasts from Persian mythology and elsewhere makes the prospect of what might appear incredibly enticing.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's possible bestiary could go a long way in making the franchise feel refreshed, especially since it's been over a decade since the last Prince of Persia game. While the developers are taking an open-ended approach in translating these creatures to the game, it might be worth knowing what they are,
- Lamashtu - said to be a Mesopotamian child-slaying demon with a taste for male flesh.
- Anzu - a demonic, half-lion, half-bird creature with Mesopotamian origins.
- Djinns - possessors of supernatural powers, somewhat akin to the modern term Genies but with varying moral spectrums from good to evil.
- Erlik - known as the God of the Dead or Underworld.
- Nasu - a fly-like, corpse-contaminating or possessing monster.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- January 18, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montpellier
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Prince of Persia
- PC Release Date
- January 18, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Dash into a stylish and thrilling action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world where the boundaries of time and space are yours to manipulate. Play as Sargon and evolve from sword-wielding prodigy to extraordinary legend as you master acrobatic combat and unlock new Time Powers and unique super abilities.
UNLEASH YOUR INNER WARRIOR
Use your Time Powers, combat, and platforming skills to perform deadly combos and defeat time-corrupted enemies and mythological creatures.
LOSE YOURSELF IN THE PRODIGIOUS MOUNT QAF
Discover a cursed Persian-inspired world filled with larger-than-life landmarks and explore a variety of highly detailed biomes, each with their own identity, wonder, and danger.
LIVE AN EPIC ADVENTURE
Immerse yourself in a Persian mythological fantasy through an intriguing and original story as you use your wits to solve puzzles, find hidden treasures, and complete quests to learn more about this corrupted place.
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Action, Platformer, 2D
