The Rogue Prince of Persia Is Another Stellar AA Addition To the Prince of Persia Franchise

One of my favorite games to come out of 2024 so far is Ubisoft's return to basics with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Playing The Lost Crown in January I don't think I would have ever expected to be sitting at my computer in April playing an entirely different Prince of Persia game and the good news is… The Rogue Prince of Persia is really good.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a roguelike entry into the Prince of Persia franchise by Evil Empire, known for their incredible work on Dead Cells. Announced at the III Showcase The Rogue Prince of Persia will release in Steam Early Access on May 14th.

Ahead of the game's announcement, I had a chance to sit down and experience 30 minutes of gameplay last week. I got to explore some early sections of the game, learn about the gameplay mechanics and upgrade systems, and get absolutely trounced by a boss. 

Another Prince of Persia, Another World

The world of The Rogue Prince of Persia is one in turmoil. Kicking off the game the kingdom is already under attack from a Hun invasion. The Prince's ultimate goal in The Rogue Prince of Persia is to make his way through the city, defeat the Huns and their generals, and save the Kingdom. Unfortunately, that's a lot harder to do than say.

The Rogue Prince of Persia gameplay is a fun mix of classic Prince of Persia side-scrolling platforming and the gameplay elements and story format that fans of Dead Cells will be familiar with. As a Roguelike, you'll be getting as far as you can, dying, and kicking off from the start. However, with each attempt, you'll be able to obtain currency to unlock more items in the loot pool, and even take on story elements that open up new areas.

A fun touch is that the Amulet that the Prince wears around his neck has the ability to return him through time to the last place he was safe. With his return, he brings with him the knowledge of his endeavors.

Having played so many roguelikes I still love it when a game builds its replayability into the story. It feels like a fun wink to the players.

Slash, Kick, and Dodge in The Rogue Prince of Persia

Combat in The Rogue Prince of Persia is simple to understand but takes quick reflexes to master. You have a close-range attack that's free to use, a long-range special attack with limited energy, and a kick that only works on un-shielded enemies. These attacks can then be augmented with different medallions that you will encounter in each run. 

In my second run, I ended up with an excellent combination of medals where I would be slightly healed for killing enemies with status afflictions, kicking enemies would put down a layer of resin, and bouncing a kicked enemy off a wall would set that resin on fire. It was a surefire-killing combo that did a great job showing off the kinds of synergies you can expect. 

Traversal is fluid allowing you to cross gaps and alternate between wall running, bouncing off walls, and springing off poles. I really enjoyed the freedom offered by Wall Running in The Rogue Prince of Persia. Instead of being stuck going left to right or right to left, there are a lot more degrees of freedom.

You can run at a diagonal or can use the wall behind the prince to wall run vertically. Even in a 2D landscape, the robust wall running gives the game a three-dimensional feel.

The Rogue Prince of Persia Preview | Final Thoughts

While I only got a short amount of time playing The Rogue Prince of Persia it's clear that the core gameplay loop is already quite polished. 

What you do as the Prince is a fun gameplay experience and where the 'Early Access' comes into play will be in regards to expanding the world and modifiers like different weapon and medallion options.

Fans of Dead Cells should be keeping a serious eye on The Rogue Prince of Persia

The Rogue Prince of Persia was previewed via a digital event held by the publisher. All images used in the preview were provided by the publisher.