The Rogue Prince of Persia: Everything We Know

The Triple-i Initiative showcase gave indie fans a glimpse of what's to come. I must admit, the unveiling of another Prince of Persia struck my eye the most. It's been only two months since the release of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and Ubisoft is back on the drawing board. What's different with this new title? For starters, the new title swerves away from the Metroidvania action but retains much of the platforming elements. We won't be seeing the return of Sargon, but a new prince will rise to the occasion. Ideally, it seems 2024 will be a highlight for the franchise, possibly casting a wide net with multiple games to bag an accolade. Possibly a GOTY? Who knows. For now, let's unpack what the upcoming title has in store in The Rogue Prince of Persia: Everything We Know.

What is The Rougue Prince of Persia?

The Rogue Prince of Persia is an upcoming 2D action-roguelike side-scroller that brings a fresh twist to the Prince of Persia franchise. The title clearly wears its Dead Cells inspiration on its sleeve, especially since the AAA IP Evil Empire is developing the game. If you haven't heard of Evil Empire, you've most likely heard of their iconic indie hit title, Dead Cells. 

The developers intend to borrow a few ideas from the game and merge them with the beloved elements from the Prince of Persia series. One way the upcoming title plans to do this is through storytelling. According to Evil Empire art director Dylan Eurlings, “It's actually a totally new story and new universe, so it's not connected to the previous games.” This means the game is neither a sequel nor a spin-off. It's an entirely new take on the Prince of Persia franchise. 

Story

Sticking to tradition, you'll be stepping into the shoes of a new Prince with the power to time travel. Since birth, the Prince has held a particular item that resurrects him, transporting him to the last place where he is free from danger. This formidable power makes the Prince rather careless. Although he deeply desires to protect his people at all costs, it comes at a significant cost. His carefree attitude triggers the Hun invasion. Now, he must find a way to protect his people.

Gameplay

The Rogue Prince of Persia's gameplay feels familiar to Dead Cells but more complicated. You have your casual platformer where you can pounce on enemies. The game's platforming elements are your basic movements against enemies. The title uses the iconic wall movements perfected in the franchise to explore areas and dodge attacks. Some levels will purely call for platforming skills. This is where the Prince's speed comes in handy. Occasionally, you'll be evading spiked pits and spinning blades. 

Besides this, combat is evident in the upcoming title. You'll gradually unlock new weapons as you progress. The twist, however, is that the levels are procedurally generated. This means every run comes with new challenges, refreshing the gameplay each time. 

Moreover, The Rogue Prince of Persia offers a good variety of enemies and abilities. The biggest highlight is how the game marries the narrative with the gameplay. Since the Prince can die and start over, so can you as the player. Ideally, you are immortal to some extent, but you can die. Respawning at safe locations allows you to relay the level, righting your wrongs in the process. This technique is similar to what is present in Sands of Time, but only because developers wanted to adapt it for short-term mistakes. However, according to Evil Empire game director Lucie Dewagnier, “It broke everything – the rhythm, the combat – so we decided to get rid of it.”

Development

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a collaborative effort between Evil Empire, the developer, and Ubisoft, the publisher. Evil Empire has had a hand in developing indie games, making them the right fit for this upcoming title. But the devs had a new idea in mind for this roguelike. ‘We wanted to make something new, something exciting. To make The Rogue Prince of Persia different from Dead Cells, we focused on the traversal elements and the movement. The game is all about movement. Everything moves. You always need to ask yourself, “Where should I go, and how should I go there?” You can move enemies, you can jump over them; everything is based on the movement,” said Dewagnier in an interview.

Trailer

Ubisoft has released a reveal trailer that will undoubtedly work up your appetite. The 2-minute, 19-second trailer hints at the gameplay, showcasing the platforming elements and combat. The intro showcases a cinematic scene where the Prince is on the verge of rescuing a young girl, but he unfortunately dies. Shortly, he respawns, hinting at the game's replayability on the off-chance you fail a level. Beyond this, the game's visuals look incredibly stunning. Plus, the game's fluidity of movement is clearly evident in the trailer.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

The Rogue Prince of Persia will launch on Steam as early access on May 14th. The developers plan to maintain open communication channels with the gaming community to refine the game. When asked about what will change during Early Access, Dewagnier shared, “A lot of things! I'm excited to launch into Early Access because I want to talk with my players, and I want to talk with the community. For Dead Cells, during Early Access and post-release, working with the community was a blast.” Moreover, the developers plan on having twice as much content as they have with the Early Access version. So head on to Steam and Wishlist it.

Additionally, we don't have information on the editions to expect. So many details remain scarce at the moment. However, you can always follow the official social media handle here to keep track of new updates. Meanwhile, we'll watch out for new information and let you know as soon as they come up.

So, what's your take? Will you pick up a copy of The Rogue Prince of Persia when it drops? Let us know over on our socials here.