Both harkening back to the earliest days of The Prince of Persia franchise while also celebrating modern gaming through the implementation of roguelike gameplay mechanics, The Rogue Prince of Persia is a fusion of classic and new and is arguably the strongest instalment in the franchise for some time. It’s not too shabby given the game was developed not by Ubisoft but by a third-party developer, Evil Empire. However, their pedigree in developing iconic indie games such as Dead Cells appears to have helped, and should they continue delivering quality during the game’s Early Access period, it could prove to be a memorable game.
At its core, The Rogue Prince of Persia is identifiable as a game of The Prince of Persia series and sees the Prince make use of many of the tricks that the player has had access to both in the 2D side-scrolling chapters, and the more modern 3D instalments: jumping, wall running, grabbing and hacking ‘n’ slashing at enemies. At its foundation, it reflects the fundamentals that have made the series what it is and is both intuitive and seamless in its delivery, so once you get accustomed to the controls – you can navigate the world with nary a problem and just let your fingers get the Prince to where he needs to be. One’s first play session in a ‘New Game’ delivers a basic tutorial on the controls, throwing players right amid the Prince’s journey from the first second, and it does the job well enough even if I would argue more explicit direction wouldn’t go astray in the opening minutes.
Starting a play session on the PC, one of the first things players are greeted with is an advisory that playing using a controller is ideal instead of the traditional keyboard and mouse combo. With the tutorial at least supporting both PlayStation Dualsense and Xbox controllers, and the amount of inputs you will need to seamlessly navigate the world – I would argue they are correct in making this recommendation. However, for those who just prefer a keyboard and mouse, or have no other option, this setup is supported and is still very much usable – with custom key mappings possible.
As the Prince can revert time to the beginning of his quest at a base camp should he be taken down by the enemies, which stand between him and his mission, this is where the roguelike elements of the game come into play. Every session is different, with procedurally generated maps, and also randomly assigned primary and secondary weapons (close-quarters and ranged) available to him during each run – obtainable through chests, stores and more. As is a typical affair in roguelikes, as you progress, it is possible to upgrade skills and items, the idea that you not only improve in skill but also retain some progression through a stronger start. For a game in its first launch in early access, you only get a few levels in, however the risk v reward gameplay, suitably challenging enemies, boss fights, environmental hazards and randomness all contribute to an experience that is already satisfying – but have the potential to be something even more memorable at full release.
However, the experience is somewhat hampered by the initial stages of the Early Access phase focusing on gameplay over storyline. There is more or less no narrative to cling onto. Players are thrust into the action immediately. You will meet characters that initially are just fodder to give you a reason to move forward, and even those side characters you do meet who evidently have more influence on the overall narrative fall flat. Whether they choose to include it or not at a later date, the game has zero voice acting, which given the retro aesthetic is not a bad choice. However, with no story, no voice acting and no multiplayer, it can get pretty lonely.
Thankfully, audiovisually, The Rogue Prince of Persia has a solid foundation to work off, boasting a smooth soundtrack composed by ASADI that does its job well in reflecting the themes of the game’s biomes (and available to listen via streaming platforms such as Spotify), and a retro style aesthetic which suits the 2D side-scrolling platformer well. The aesthetic is very much a mix between Evil Empire’s Dead Cells and the retro aesthetic from the earliest days of The Prince of Persia. The mix is something a bit unique, a little bit nostalgic, but also something that makes it clear what you should do at any one time.
One issue I find with Early Access is that if a developer and publisher don’t properly engage with its community and keep players wanting to come back, then the hype that is there at the EA launch may not be there come full launch. Therefore, the coming months will be pivotal to whether The Rogue Prince of Persia stays on the radar of players, or is forgotten by the time it is out of the gates. With updates on the 11th and 28th of June, and with the development team at the helm, all signs are looking positive should it continue on its current trajectory. Furthermore, while still a relatively short experience with many new weapons, features, biomes and narrative events to presumably be introduced, it is shaping up to be a fun experience, and one that isn’t just a roguelike experience tacked onto an existing IP, but one which utilises the IP and respects it, with elements of the genre seamlessly incorporated into it.
A digital PC review code of The Rogue Prince of Persia was provided by Ubisoft to facilitate this review.
The Rogue Prince of Persia is now available in Steam Early Access for the PC, and as of writing for the Steam Summer Sale, is available at a 20% discount for a limited time.
