The Rogue Prince of Persia Review (PC)

Where to start? So, 2024 seems to be determined to not let us breathe. Not that I’m complaining. I mean, I can still taste Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown at the tip of my tongue. And now, there’s another one? Well, to be fair, the only similarity The Rogue Prince of Persia shares with the critically acclaimed The Lost Crown is Ubisoft. If you’re a bit more thorough, you’ll find they share side-scrolling platforming, too, and, of course, the titular Prince is the protagonist in both games, and the setting is in Persia. Okay, fine. Maybe there’s more than one similarity. 

So, what’s the difference? Well, The Rogue Prince of Persia is a roguelite! It makes total sense, doesn’t it? For a franchise that wears time loops on its sleeve, it only makes sense that we finally get a roguelite Prince of Persia. Also, Evil Empire is taking charge of development, presently releasing The Rogue Prince of Persia into Early Access via Steam. That’s right, the same developer took the reins on the brutally fantastic Dead Cells. So, roll up your sleeves. It’s about to get really fun. 

If you’re still undecided about trying the new game, check out our review of The Rogue Prince of Persia. We cover all the good and bad (if any) you can expect.

On Your Mark

Despite being in Early Access, The Rogue Prince of Persia takes the time to set the stage for what’s to come. Few roguelites make the effort to curate an in-depth, compelling story. So, the little we get here is commendable. As expected, the titular Prince takes center stage. Well, he’s cast into the spotlight three days after the Hun, semi-human monsters, invasion in Persia. He was on vacation, or whatever, when his kingdom was invaded. The Hun don spooky dark magic, wreaking havoc throughout Persia. By the time the Prince returns, they’ve caused damage beyond repair. 

Still, the Prince sets out to restore what’s left of his kingdom. He throws himself to the depths of the war, cleansing his city of the Hun’s dark magic any way he can: kicks, blows, and acrobatic moves. You’re free to choose your own path, forging deeper and deeper into the six biomes currently present. Along with enemies, you have to watch out for traps and hazards. Either one can kill you. But not to worry. You have a magical Bola you can use to rewind time, back to the day you arrived in Persia to find your kingdom in ruin. 

Over and over again, as is akin to roguelites, you get a second chance, a third, and a fourth, to defeat the Hun and restore your kingdom to its former glory. It’s a neat loop that gets the job done, giving you a reason to take on multiple runs. However, that’s as far as the story goes. Sure, you’ll meet NPCs with unique backstories, yet their dialogue and character development feel incomplete. You do unlock more story beats to soften the blow of dying in battle, but it’s the same, barely compelling and rushed over. 

Get Set

While playing The Rogue Prince of Persia, you have to remind yourself over and over again that it’s only an Early Access game and the first version at that. Future updates and more content will surely be added, as Evil Empire confirms. Dead Cells, too, went through the same process and the end result was nothing short of spectacular. Still, you can’t help but cross your fingers, hoping Evil Empire doesn’t shy away from pushing the envelope. As is, the story feels generic. It serves its purpose, but we want something out of this world—a story to remember. 

Unfortunately, it’s the same fate that the environment could potentially suffer from. Fate plays it too safe. While we have six different biomes to explore, they feel less distinct than they should. Perhaps it’s the detail that’s missing or textures. All that’s clear is that upon taking several runs across the biomes, they begin to feel uninteresting. It’s a shame because the art style is to die for. It’s flamboyant, with an almost Tintin-esque aesthetic that jumps off the screen with its gorgeous, vibrant colors. 

The music score is perfect. It’s diverse enough, incorporating bouncy hip-hop for violent battle sequences, gloomy Middle Eastern songs for platforming, and everything in between. Back at base, at the oasis, calm, serene music takes over, perfect for kicking your head back to immerse yourself in NPC interactions and forging upgrades. Sound effects, on the other hand, are a mixed-goods bag. They’re toned down compared to Dead Cells’ beautiful chaos, yet it allows The Rogue Prince of Persia to focus more on the surprisingly complex platforming and combat engine without distractions.

Go!

Now, combat and platforming are where The Rogue Prince of Persia shines. It’s a familiar dance from The Lost Crown, mixing and matching acrobatic traversal and lightning-fast combat moves. Furthermore, biomes are littered with ropes, ledges, flagpoles and more tools that allow you to string together impressive and rewarding moves. What’s more? Enemies can appear in all sorts of places, including perched on flagpoles. Traps and obstacles can sneak up on you, behind you, or under you. There’s a constant need to keep a keen eye, which, when you factor in the fast-paced pacing of the game, culminates in a graceful dance that feels amazing to pull off.

The Rogue Prince of Persia not only pushes your skills to their limits but also your creativity. Like the wall-running parkour ability, which you can use to bounce between walls to evade bosses’ more aggressive attacks. You have a vault option, too, which acts like a dodge that allows you to jump over enemies. Mid-air, you can make the drop on enemies, kicking them over ledges or into one another. You can experiment with all manner of slick combos that make good use of traversal to create a flurry of rageful attacks.

If anything, the fluid and exciting combat and traversal options of The Rogue Prince of Persia make returning for one more run worthwhile. Factor in upgrades and you can pour a ton of hours into the game. Weapons are melee or ranged, which you unlock over the course of your runs, with the latter using up energy and refilling with enemy kills. 

Near Future

The Rogue Prince of Persia has all the features a roguelite needs. It gives you random power-ups, earning in-game currency on your expeditions that you can use to buy and upgrade more weapons and mods. You can unlock buffs that increase your damage output, boost your weapons with elemental damage, and so much more. 

While you run into some upgrades regularly, others are random, adding a layer of surprise when you stumble onto them. As for the difficulty, it remains relatively consistent. Some enemies will give you a tough time. However, as long as you garner as many upgrades as you can, they’ll be easy prey.

It all sounds interesting until you realize that the upgrades simply aren’t anything new. There’s a lost opportunity to spice up gameplay with unconventional upgrades that drastically change your approach to battles. At the moment, though, everything feels familiar. Like the story and environmental design, The Rogue Prince of Persia plays it safe.

Verdict

Evil Empire has outdone itself. They’ve created a side-scrolling platformer game that offers the incentive to return for just one more run. And, depending on how you look at it, they leave you craving for more. It makes sense given The Rogue Prince of Persia has only just entered Early Access via Steam. However, with Hades 2 still fresh in our minds and fingertips, The Rogue Prince of Persia has a long way to go to reach its full potential. At the moment, we have six biomes, eight weapons, two bosses, and thirty trinkets to craft a playstyle that works for you. 

While it may sound wholesome, The Rogue Prince of Persia is a roguelite. That means replaying the same run over and over again. To keep you intrigued, it needs to offer a consistent stream of power-ups. And while there are upgrades, they’re simply uninteresting. The buffs and weapons you unlock feel generic. The same goes for the story, which can be applied to any other roguelite. While the environments have gorgeous visuals, they feel lacking in detail and variety. 

Again, The Rogue Prince of Persia is still in Early Access, and more specifically, it is still the first version. The Rogue Prince of Persia 1.0 is around the corner, though. So, there’s a high chance Evil Empire will build on the already robust combat engine to bring something truly special. Beyond the combat, hopefully, they also add depth to the story and environments. At the moment, The Rogue Prince of Persia plays it safe, sticking to tried-and-tested roguelite mechanics. It’d be interesting to see how Evil Empire taps into the potential that’s here so far. Hopefully, they create a game that stands out from the crowd.