Summary
More often than not, story has taken a backseat in thePrince of Persiafranchise. Inthe original 1989Prince of Persia, there was virtually no narrative at all, with players simply being told that the vizier Jaffar has kidnaped the sultan’s daughter and that it’s now on them to make their way up the fortress to free her.Prince of Persia 3Dadded a bit more story, introducing the bizarre half-man, half-tiger antagonist Rugnor. And whilePrince of Persia: The Sands of Timeand its follow-ups attempted to tell quite complex narratives, they were never the main highlight of the experience. The same can be said forThe Rogue Prince of Persia.
Just released onto Steam early access,The Rogue Prince of Persiacontinues the series' long tradition of pushing the story to the background of the experience and instead lets its combat and platforming act as the game’s biggest draws. That being said, there is still an intriguing narrative backdrop inThe Rogue Prince of Persia, and one that sets the game neatly apart from the recently releasedPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
How The Rogue Prince of Persia’s Story Differs From The Lost Crown’s
WhilethePrince of Persiaserieshas dabbled in Middle-Eastern folklore in the past, no entry has embraced Ancient Persian mythology quite likePrince of Persia: The Lost Crown. From the get-go, one of Ubisoft Montpellier’s biggest goals was to shed more light on Persian mythology, and the team definitely succeeded in that. From its general story to its bosses to its biomes,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownwears its mythological influences on its sleeve.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s main story sees player-character Sargon head to the mystical Mount Qaf on a mission to save the titular Prince Ghassan from his captors. Along the way, Sargon follows the trail of the mythological Simurgh, an all-powerful, god-like bird that imbues Sargon with magical abilities and leads him toward his goal. Sargon also faces off againstthe manticore-like Jahandar, the winged-serpent Azhdaha, and the corrupted half-dog, half-bird Chamrosh.
The Rogue Prince of Persia Has a More Streamlined Story
During a recent interview with Edge,The Rogue Prince of Persia’s game director Lucie Dewagnierstated that the team had to change a few story elements during early development as the game was originally going to have a similar setup toPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Regardless of whereThe Rogue Prince of Persia’s story originally started, it now stands well apart fromThe Lost Crownfor a few reasons.
Firstly,The Rogue Prince of Persiaactually sees players take control of the titular monarch once more, this time needing to save his land froma ruthless Hun invasionthat he may have inadvertently caused by provoking their leader. It’s a fairly simple story, but it evolves nicely at a steady pace, with players unlocking new character dialogue options and story paths with each additional roguelike run they partake in.
Being in early access, it’s likely thatThe Rogue Prince of Persiawill receive a lot more story content before its full release.
While there are a few hints towardsAncient Persian mythology,The Rogue Prince of Persiaprimarily focuses on the more mystical and magical side of things, with the Huns using some kind of dark magic to terrorize the city of Ctesiphon. The Prince is also imbued with his own magical abilities, with the most important being his bola, which protects him from death and rewinds the game’s events.
The Rogue Prince of Persia
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
