The Rogue Prince of Persia is a new rogue-lite game from the makers of the critically acclaimed Dead Cells DLC. The studio worked on both the Return to Castlevania and The Queen and the Sea DLC for Dead Cells. Essentially, this means we’re in for quite a challenging yet brilliant game. If you’re not sure where to position The Rogue Prince of Persia, here are ten things you need to know about the game.
Before we start, be sure to catch up with our hands-on preview of The Rogue Prince of Persia here.
Prince of Persia goes Rogue-lite!
The infamous prince earned his reputation through risk-taking, which makes a rogue-lite adaptation the perfect match. If he is to save his city from the threat of the Hun, our prince must survive every battle along the way. Failure means death. Though resurrected by his mystical bola, with items and upgrades still in possession, he restarts from the beginning. The challenge is high from the very first ‘run’, rewarding players that welcome difficulty.
Evil Empire, gods of Dead Cells DLC
French development studio Evil Empire is known for its outstanding DLC expansions on the Dead Cells franchise from Motion Twin. Over the past five years, Evil Empire has built The Bad Seed (2020), Fatal Falls(2021) The Queen and the Sea (2022), and recently Return to Castlevania (2023). All are critically acclaimed. Evil Empire brings a ton of rogue-lite credentials to The Rogue Prince of Persia, meaning great things for this collaboration with Ubisoft.
Breathtaking acrobatics
Legendary Prince of Persia stunts make life-or-death gameplay more thrilling still. The prince wall runs, pole swings, and wall clambers between ledges to evade or land surprise assaults. Every leap is a commitment, knowing that traps may be waiting below. Collapsing floors and slippery slopes urge the prince to keep moving at speed. Every stage is a puzzle to solve with scarcely time to think. Evil Empire gets the control feel just right so you can go with the flow.
Fine-tuned combat moves
Combat in The Rogue Prince of Persia is intense since in every exchange the prince could come off worse. Precision strikes are launched from careful range, always with a shoulder vault or leap at the ready. The prince’s twin daggers, spears, broadswords, and axes have pros and cons to manage, better in some scenarios than others. Utility items that include shields, bows, and grappling hooks all count toward your personal, princely play style.
Come back stronger!
New or improved weapons and tools are claimed along the journey. They enable perks that boost damage, stun foes, or assist in other ways such as marked targets. Merchants offer some upgrades for a price. Others are retrieved from hidden treasure chests. There are also Medallions, which trigger magical effects based on actions. For example, Blazing Fracas sets fire to an area after an enemy is kicked. Only the rarest examples fall from bosses slain.
Never enough …
Every play-through is a new challenge, with procedurally generated levels keeping players thinking on their feet. While certain sections within levels are predesigned by Evil Empire, the order in which encounters appear during one adventure cannot be predicted. This rogue-lite trait emphasizes problem-solving, combat prowess and reaction speed. The Rogue Prince of Persia will never feel like a comfortable routine. Instead, you learn how to survive in style.
Minions of dark shaman magic
As the prince, you must protect his people from hordes of wretched humans and diabolical beasts, led by the Hun chief Nogai. They may be dim-witted, but all are purposeful in their ways, making it vital to learn patterns of behaviour. All are ravenous for royal blood, which can make it easier to lure into traps. However, with grenades and arrows to pin him down, and attacks from daggers, axes, and swords up close, it never pays to underestimate foes.
Vibrant 2D visual extravaganza
With his sash streaming behind him like an Arabian fox’s tail, the prince bounds into life through a colourful and smooth animation style. It is a departure from the pixel art strongly associated with Dead Cells, but it serves to put the oomph into every strike landed. Enemies approach with more skulking menace. They do so against backdrops that are spectacularly lit, from the sundrenched Zagros Village or gloomy Aqueduct to the brutal Huns War Camp.
Original epic soundtrack
Music in The Rogue Prince of Persia feels flowing, emotive, and expansive. We can hear the grand interiors and stunning outdoor vistas through rhythm and sound. Persian American artist Daniel Asadi is the composer responsible for this blend of traditional and modern music which suits the action so well. It carries players forward, building a real sense of atmosphere, while at the same time living up to the game’s cutting-edge ambitions.
Early Access May 14, 2024
Fans of Rogue-lite, Prince of Persia and ideally BOTH need only wait until May 14 to begin their next adventure. Evil Empire is introducing The Rogue Prince of Persia via Early Access on Steam, inviting feedback to shape the future of the game. In the months following, new levels, enemies, bosses, and weapons will be added to enrich the world and embellish the story from its hard-stop point at launch.
This content was provided by Paul Davies. Thanks for the great coverage, Paul!
