Summer Game Fest 2023 opened its show with an impressive, unexpected announcement. The remake of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time is still in development, but Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a wholly new title that feels a bit closer to Prince's original 2D roots.
The gameplay showed an impressive mix of flashy combat and high-speed platforming – much faster then the methodical platforming that inspired it. The protagonist, who has historically always just been called the Prince, looks a bit like his Sands of Time iteration, but otherwise appears to be a totally new character named Sargon. Regarding the story a press release for the game reads, "In this brand-new adventure, players will embody Sargon, a young, gifted warrior, member of an elite group called The Immortals. As they are sent to rescue Prince Ghassan, they will explore Mount Qaf, a once wondrous place, now cursed and hostile. Sargon and his brothers-in-arms will soon discover that time itself will be a treacherous foe and that the world balance must be restored." The press release also says the game is inspired by "the Metroidvania structure".
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown releases January 16 on Switch, PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, Amazon Luna and PC through the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. Ubisoft promises to reveal more during its Monday stream event.
