Since 1989, players have stepped into the sandals of the titularPrince of Persiatime and again, adventuring through a fantastical version of Middle Eastern history. Longtime fans have been on plenty of adventures in this setting, but every time they have done so, it has been as the unnamed “Prince.” After 35 years,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownfinally gives a name to one ofgaming’s most iconic princes, Ghassan.
In creatingThe Lost Crown, Ubisoft Montpellier turned its focus to the initialPrince of Persiain a number of ways, seeking to evolve its formula into the modern era of gaming. An example of this is the inclusion of Metroidvania elements into the classic action-adventure platforming format ofPrince of Persiatitles. Another important evolution is howPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownwill push the envelope of storytellingfor the franchise, going off in new directions and flipping the script of the core premise (the Prince is being rescued vs. rescuing a Princess). This intensity of narrative focus goes hand-in-hand with the decision to finally name Prince Ghassan, narrative and animation director Jacques Exertier told Game Rant in a recent interview.
Jacques Exertier explained how story evolution is critical in evolving what being aPrince of Persiagamemeans, and the decision to name Ghassan came from multiple cascading, yet simultaneous elements. Chief among them was the choice for players to not take on the role of the Prince, but one of the warriors sent to rescue him.
The player will find many elements they loved in previous installments but in a renewed manner. While respecting the core pillars, we chose to put a twist on some of the brand’s fundamentals. Indeed, this time, having the Prince himself and not a female character in the role of the one to be saved seemed interesting to us. These initial and foundational decisions have guided us significantly, presenting us with new choices and leading us to explore new directions in the narrative.
In twisting the tired damsel-in-distress trope and putting Ghassan in danger,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownsteps away from its history of embodying the narrative beat. With Prince Ghassan in need of rescue, the player needed to inhabit the role of someone else. In this case, that’s the warrior Sargon, the most recent addition to the Immortals who are protectors of Persia’s throne.Sargon brings his own unique abilitiesas an Immortal, so that his identity, his gameplay, and his story differs from Princes past. In that, it was important for Ubisoft to make it as simple as possible for players to discern Sargon from the Prince. The easiest way to do that is with names.
Continuing to flip the script, supporting each character with their own identity, and making sure there was no confusion between Sargon and Ghassan led developers to finally name the titular prince, 35 years later. In fact, this choice was made early in thedevelopment ofPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
This, in turn, fuels thedeeper narrative found inPrince of Persia:The Lost Crown. As opposed to classic side-scrollers which use action and perspective largely to carry their narrative function, the developers at Ubisoft Montpellier have leaned in on cinematic storytelling as well.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
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 WARRIORUse 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 QAFDiscover 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 ADVENTUREImmerse 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.
