How Rogue Prince of Persia's Gameplay Sets Itself Apart…

Summary

The Rogue Prince of Persia offers more than just enjoyable gameplay, with innovative mechanics setting it apart from its competition.
The game's roguelike approach differs significantly from the Metroidvania style of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, providing a unique experience.
While combat remains similar between the two games, The Rogue Prince of Persia focuses on parkour platforming challenges for a fresh gameplay angle.

Since its debut all the way back in the 1980s, the Prince of Persia franchise has emphasized gameplay over all else. The original 1989 Prince of Persia broke new ground with its fluid movement animations and realistic platforming mechanics, and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time refreshed that legacy for the modern age of gaming with its innovative parkour feature. Even at its very worst, the Prince of Persia franchise has always had enjoyable gameplay at the bare minimum, and thankfully, The Rogue Prince of Persia offers far more than the minimum.

A roguelike from Dead Cells co-developer Evil Empire, The Rogue Prince of Persia has just entered its early access period, and already the game features some very compelling gameplay mechanics. But The Rogue Prince of Persia has some fierce competition, and one of its greatest rivals comes from the same family. Released just a few months ago, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a critical smash hit, and a very tough act to follow. But there are some big ways in which The Rogue Prince of Persia's gameplay sets itself apart from The Lost Crown.

How Rogue Prince of Persia Fits into the Historical Timeline

The Rogue Prince of Persia is just a month away from release, and long-time fans might be wondering how it fits into the overarching series timeline.

Posts

By Cameron Swan

How The Rogue Prince of Persia and The Lost Crown's Gameplay differ

How The Rogue Prince of Persia's Roguelike Gameplay Differs from The Lost Crown's Metroidvania Approach

The most obvious gameplay difference between The Rogue Prince of Persia and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the two games' different approaches to the genre. While The Rogue Prince of Persia is a 2D roguelike action-platformer, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2D Metroidvania action-platformer. Naturally, these genres come with their own set of distinct features.

In The Rogue Prince of Persia, players will embark on a "run," where they attempt to complete the game's multiple stages and bosses in one go. Dying in The Rogue Prince of Persia knocks them all the way back to the start of the game, but each time players can use the resources earned during the run to gain permanent upgrades that should help them on subsequent attempts. As a Metroidvania, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sees players explore a vast, sprawling map, earning upgrades linearly throughout the game that open new pathways in the world.

Comparing The Combat of Rogue Prince of Persia and The Lost Crown

Combat is by far the area in which The Rogue Prince of Persia and The Lost Crown share the most similarities. In an attempt to stay authentic to the series' roots, both The Rogue Prince of Persia and The Lost Crown feature snappy, fast-paced, acrobatic combat that sees its respective player-characters dodge enemy attacks, counterattack, and use an array of gadgets to gain the upper hand. While The Lost Crown features an array of special abilities to keep combat varied, The Rogue Prince of Persia features a plethora of different weapons and gadgets that shake up a particular playstyle.

Comparing The Platforming of Rogue Prince of Persia and The Lost Crown

Though both Prince of Persia games also try to pay homage to the series' roots via their platforming mechanics, they go about it a little differently. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown puts a strong emphasis on platforming challenges that require the player to use all of Sargon's special abilities to overcome, such as his air-dash, wall-climb, and Clairvoyance ability that sees the protagonist briefly appear in an alternate dimension. Some of the hardest platforming challenges in The Lost Crown require the player to string all of these special moves together in one fluid sequence.

While The Rogue Prince of Persia features plenty of platforming challenges, it doesn't require the use of multiple different abilities. Instead, The Rogue Prince of Persia's platforming challenges require the player to have mastery of just a single mechanic: the game's innovative parkour system. In The Rogue Prince of Persia, the player can climb and run on most of the on-screen background. This high level of freedom encourages players to be constantly on the move, both during combat and during platforming.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image

The Rogue Prince of Persia

Display card tags widget Display card system widget

Display card community and brand rating widget

Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget

Released: May 14, 2024

Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Experience a fast-paced, challenging but accessible roguelite as you master acrobatic moves and flow seamlessly between platforming and combat. Find new weapons, equip trinkets with special effects and upgrade them to make your own builds. Discover new characters, information and areas as you try to find a way to save Persia from a Hun invasion and become the hero you have always wanted to be.

Lead the Prince in his fight against a Hun army corrupted by dark shamanic magic and find your place in the royal family as you explore a vibrant reinterpretation of Persia. Put the pieces of the puzzle together and discover new areas as you enter the fight again and again, meeting a cast of colorful characters through non-linear story progression.

Flow seamlessly between platforming and combat, using your acrobatic moves to outmaneuver and outsmart your enemies. Use the iconic wall-run to open new routes of attack, avoid traps and explore hard to reach areas. Kick and dodge to manage groups of enemies when the odds are against you.

Choose from a variety of deadly weapons and equip new medallions each run to unleash devastating effects, giving you the freedom to change your fighting style as you wish. Secondary weapons offer even more options, from bows to shields to grappling hooks. Switch your loadout mid-run to adapt to new challenges.

Developer(s): Evil Empire
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Franchise: Prince of Persia
Platform(s): PC
Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Roguelike