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The crew at Ubisoft Montpellier, who’re engaged on Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown, consists of devs who labored on the good Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, in addition to veterans from the Prince of Persia Sands of Time trilogy. Within the three hours spent with the sport, the spirit of each these sequence felt current. From the get-go controlling, the brand new protagonist, Sargon, felt fluid and straightforward to get world wide. Wall leaping is gratifying; sliding and swinging your swords round works nicely.
The story begins with Sargon, part of a gaggle of elite warriors known as the Immortals. Simply earlier than celebrating their newest victory in defending Persia, the titular Prince Ghassan is kidnapped with the Immortals being betrayed by certainly one of their very own, with the mighty warriors giving chase. They wind up at Mount Qaf, a fantastical location that has turn into cursed, trapping all who enter. Monsters roam, and time itself is unravelling. The Immortals should cease their former pal from utilizing the Prince for a mysterious blessing.
As Sargon explores the areas of Mount Qaf I discovered the opposite Immortals as they throughout the map doing their half within the mission. The story unfolds because the cursed land begins to toy with everybody trapped there. When you don’t spend a lot time with the Immortals at first falls aside, it was good to get a greater concept of those completely different personalities between the early scenes and, as they’re all affected by Mount Qaf in numerous methods.The brash and outsized Orod is a stand-out for some levity, with the remainder of the crew additionally making their mark regardless of not being closely concerned. I hope to enter how this all performs out as soon as I get extra time with the sport.
Ubisoft categorises PoP as a Metroidvania, which is obvious as quickly as you get to Mount Qaf. I didn’t need to journey far earlier than coming throughout chests or areas inaccessible. Early on, you’re launched to reminiscence shards, the place you may hit a button and go away a marker on the map so to return once you’ve gotten new skills. The Misplaced Crown has additionally been impressed by the Darkish Souls sequence; there’s restricted potions that may solely be refilled on the checkpoints. As I explored the Mountain, I discovered myself opening up shortcuts to save lots of Sargon a while with the extra platform-heavy paths. For each space I found, it felt like I used to be uncovering branches off to different adjoining areas, offering a tease of areas to come back.
The traversal feels easy and Sargon can actually hoof it, which is crucial as there may be plenty of backtracking whilst you’re discovering your method. Generally, I might have a number of tries at getting someplace seemingly out of attain. The wall soar helps attending to onerous to succeed in spots, with an air sprint launched early on making the motion really feel even higher. Simply holding down the set off to provoke the dash supplies a lift in pace to assist when shifting via acquainted areas, and even to simply hold momentum going.
Initially beginning with Sargon’s two blades, in the middle of the preview I additionally unlocked a Bow and Chakram. The bow in fact is nice for hitting targets from afar, so long as you may have the arrows. The Chakram within the small time I used it was helpful for activating mechanisms, which concerned some enjoyable puzzles to work out round utilizing it for a number of mechanisms.
Fight isn’t simply swinging the blades round both, Sargon can construct up a meter for various skills which you’ll earn in the course of the recreation. The primary meter allowed me to unleash a strong charged assault, but when I let the meter refill twice, I may create just a little therapeutic space. The Immortal Artaban can also be readily available to assist train you further combos that may actually develop in your assaults and dodging. Being pressed for time, I didn’t get to check out a lot of the coaching space, however I may see I used to be nonetheless scratching the floor of what Sargon can do in battle.
Throughout the three-and-a-half-hour preview, I bought to discover a number of completely different areas of Mount Qaf. The completely different areas are happily fairly distinct, with their very own kinds of enemies and obstacles. The forest has fungus platforms and extra feral variants of the cursed enemies. The book-filled Sacred Archives are below the safety of the Jailer, who has no qualms about capturing you and letting you rot in jail. Some areas I solely had a short while inside, riddled with out of attain areas or sealed off doorways which Sargon will little question return to within the full recreation. I did take pleasure in when attending to among the outside areas, there’s shattered statue that blocks your pursuit of the Prince which was a neat quest to revive the statue and get nearer to stopping the traitor.
Within the time I had with the sport I performed proper as much as a significant story second that has me desirous to see what occurs subsequent. Whereas I suspected the place the story was heading, the characters and the story to that time had bought me on board for at the very least this a part of the sport. I loved attending to know concerning the completely different personalities inside the Immortals as a crew, and because the scenario inside Mount Qaf unfolds.
There have been a number of small boss battles, with a bigger one towards a Manticore. I practically bought it within the first go, which was a good few makes an attempt to slay the beast. The entire bosses, just like the common enemies, have recognisable patterns and also you’re greater than geared up to get round them. With the bosses and particularly the Manticore I discovered they’ll hit onerous shortly and in the event you muck up a parry they’ll do much more injury, introducing some actual danger and reward to these greater fights.
Whereas The Misplaced Crown is a brand new recreation inside the Prince of Persia sequence, time performs a component as soon as once more. From what I’ve seen, it doesn’t imply rewinding or freezing time. All through Mount Qaf and interacting with the opposite Immortals or some other poor souls trapped there, it’s obvious that point is messing with everybody in numerous methods. As I bought additional into the completely different areas, I discovered areas the place pace was affected or platforms may very well be conjured from anomalies. In some circumstances, I bought the slightest glimpse of what would possibly lie forward after I may get there later; they had been tantalising sufficient to expect to find out what was past these factors later within the recreation.
You’ll be able to see from the footage (and included on Vooks) that The Misplaced Crown isn’t going for super-realism or something. Nonetheless, it seems good with its extra exaggerated fashion. Some actually cool issues are taking place with shiny, flashy colors to intensify the Immortal’s powers, largely Sargons. Ubisoft is aiming for a strong 60 frames throughout all variations, and from what I noticed, it holds up nicely. As a result of it’s not a remaining model, I received’t know in the event that they nail that till a bit nearer to launch, however the recreation ran nicely and will sustain with all my working and leaping round and make me look good whereas doing it.
I’m wanting ahead to taking part in Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown in full. It’s my understanding I’ve solely performed a small fraction of the sport, so I can solely converse to the opening hours. When you like fluid motion/traversal in your platformers and wish extra wall leaping in your life, then Prince of Persia would possibly scratch that itch. Hold a watch out for the total assessment nearer to launch.
For full disclosure, Ubisoft flew me out to their workplace and coated transport bills. I additionally ate two little strawberry danishes and a few rockmelon.
Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown is out on January 18th, 2024. There can even be a demo launched on January eleventh, 2024 as nicely. Subsequent yr just isn’t that far-off!
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