After letting the franchise sit for 13 years, Ubisoft is finally reviving thePrince of Persiaseries in 2024 withPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It will be putting players in control of a brand-new hero and send them off on another wild adventure.It may not be theSands ofTime remake, but it still looks like a worthy addition to the franchise. The brief gameplay trailers have already excited some players, but Ubisoft may still be facing an immense uphill battle as the release date nears.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownseems like a great way to bring this series back from the dead, but it might not be the way fans had expected. It will be a brand-new adventure with a new hero in an unfamiliar style, while also marking the grand return of this iconic franchise in lieu of theSands of Timeremake. It seems like a very risky endeavor, and Ubisoft will have to do everything it can to ensure that this game delivers on its full potential.
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Has a Lot to Prove
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownwill be the first game in thePrince of Persiaseries in 13 years. While the franchise has existed since 1989, it gained in popularity immensely with Ubisoft’sSands of Timereboot series. This brought the franchise to the action-adventure genre for a fantastic trilogy that is still fondly remembered today. It would also go on to spawn a film adaptation in 2010, a graphic novel, LEGO sets, and served asthe inspiration for theAssassin’s Creedseries
It seemed like there wasno stopping thePrince of Persiaseries, but the last mainline entry would hit store shelves in 2010. WhilePrince of Persia: The Forgotten Sandswas a decent game, Ubisoft would choose to put the franchise on hold three years later. Just like withSplinter Cell,Prince of Persiawould just become another long-lost Ubisoft franchise. This iconic series of action-adventure games would fade into relative obscurity, and it seemed like it would never really come back.
In 2020, Ubisoft unveiledthePrince of Persia: Sands of Timeremakewith an early 2021 release date. This project came out of nowhere and helped reignite thePrince of Persiafanbase, but the first gameplay trailer left much to be desired. The project would then be delayed multiple times, get moved to an entirely different studio, and vanish from the public eye. While fans are still excited about this title, there is a chance that it never sees the light of day.
At the recent Ubisoft Forward, the studio unveiled the first brand-newPrince of Persiagame in 13 years.Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownwill be a new 2.5D platformer experience seemingly disconnected from theSands of Timeseries. It looks intriguing and harkens back to the series' roots, but is also a far cry from what fans have come to expect. While many werehoping for aSands of Timeremake updateor another action-adventure title, Ubisoft is planning on releasing something brand-new instead.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownis not what fans of the franchise were hoping for, but it may be the only piece ofPrince of Persiacontent they will be getting for a while. It is also supposed to be the grand return of the franchise, and that means that it needs to impress. Not only does it have to win over the skeptics, but it also must show the industry that thePrince of Persiafranchise is as strong as ever. That may prove to be an impossible task, and if it fails then Ubisoft may shelve any future franchise plans, but that remains to be seen.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownwill be available in January 2024 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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