“Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown” is a reboot of the long-running adventure series released at the beginning of this year. We play as Sargon, one of seven legendary Persian warriors who are sent to the cursed Mount Qaf on a mission to rescue the kidnapped prince. 

The story in “The Lost Crown” is a fun and simple one that is relatively easy to follow but ultimately plays it safe. Right off the bat, it becomes clear that time is not a straight line on Mount Qaf, and the abilities that Sargon acquires throughout his journey reflect this. It makes some moments a bit tough to follow, particularly at the end of the game, but it’s fine if you turn your brain off for a moment. Otherwise, it’s a somewhat intriguing time travel narrative, even though it doesn’t take the opportunity for many twists that I was expecting up until the last moment of the game (which could have made the story more engaging).

While the gameplay is consistently challenging and fun, there are some frustrating parts that I never quite got used to. The parry mechanic, which is vital, often feels unreliable. I couldn’t have counted the number of times I went to parry and failed, and while it might’ve been a skill issue, it seemed like the game broke its own rules to artificially increase the difficulty. Other than that, there is a nice and enjoyable balance between combat, exploration and platforming. There’s enough variety in the bosses and regular enemies that fights don’t feel repetitive. The same goes for the numerous platforming challenges to be found throughout the game, which in other games can be tedious or difficult enough to avoid entirely but felt just right here. 

Overall, “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown” is a satisfying experience. Likeable characters, a sprawling map with a wide variety of enemies and meaningful side quests make the game more than the sum of its parts, even in its broken, rage-inducing moments. It doesn’t necessarily have the polish or quality of a modern top-tier video game, but its lower price tag makes it more than a fair bargain. It’s a well-developed and thought-out adventure that takes an old cult-favorite franchise into an exciting new direction.