Highlights

  • Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a rejuvenation for the franchise, bringing it into uncharted territory as a 2D Metroidvania game with a mix of originality and homage to the series' past.
  • The game features time-based abilities that pay tribute to the iconic time manipulation powers in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, including abilities that slow down time and a mysterious air dash.
  • A major twist in the game reveals that a trusted character is actually the main villain, with a cutscene that cleverly references the iconic rewind power from Sands of Time, creating a dark and unexpected fan service moment.

This article contains MINOR SPOILERS for Prince of Persia: The Lost CrownThe Prince of Persia franchise has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the last 35 years, from the revolutionary 1989 original to the disappointingly bland 2008 remake. And that's just scratching the surface of the Prince of Persia franchise's mixed history. But among the bland, there are those few entries that have managed to stand the test of time. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is certainly one of those, and it seems like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be as well.

A complete rejuvenation for the long-running action/adventure series, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sees the series venture into uncharted territory. Technically a throwback to the series' 2D roots, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is also a Metroidvania, which marks a bold new first for the series. But while Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown feels completely original, there are plenty of big moments that pay homage to the series' past, and that includes Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

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How Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown References Sands of Time

Many of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's Abilities Are Time-Based

In the beloved 2003 classic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, players are given almost immediate access to the titular time manipulation powers. From the get-go, these powers allow players to reverse time by a few seconds, allowing them to avoid the lethal results of a failed parry or a failed leap. In Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the players don't technically have access to the Sands of Time themselves, but they do still have access to a range of abilities that seemingly bend time.

Some of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's time-based abilities are a bit more obvious than the others. The Shield of Mithra Amulet, for instance, has some clear similarities to Sands of Time's Power of Delay and Power of Haste, letting players slow down time in an arc around them upon getting a successful parry. Other time-based abilities are a bit more subtle in The Lost Crown, such as the air dash, which isn't overtly explained to the player but appears to show Sargon running along a time fracture.

One Cutscene Flips Sands of Time on its Head

While Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's abilities act as subtle references and fresh spins of beloved Sands of Time mechanics, there's one cutscene that directly plays with fan expectations. A few hours into The Lost Crown, players are hit with the twist that Vahram - one of Sargon's fellow Immortals and essentially his father figure - is actually the main villain of the game. After killing the kidnapped Prince, Vahram proceeds to attack Sargon, using a few abilities that might look a little familiar to Sands of Time fans.

After beating Sargon within an inch of his life, throwing him against a wall, and pinning him there with a sword thrown in his arm, Vahram gestures towards the trapped warrior, delivering a sound effect and visual filter that fans will instantly recognize as the same one that occurs whenever the Prince uses his rewind power in Sands of Time. What follows is a delightfully dark twist on fan service, showing Vahram rewinding time only to continue attacking Sargon.