Ubisoft has had a torrid 2024, facing one low after another. While the company is looking to reform itself moving forward, I want to take some time to look back on one of the company’s biggest shining lights few people are talking about—despite it being one of the games of the year.
Where do I even begin with Ubisoft’s wretched 2024? Low Morale and internal struggles kicked off the turbulent year, The Division Heartland became one of several project casualties, layoffs began to happen behind the scenes, and the long-time-in-development XDefiant announced it was already shutting down within a year of its launch.
To be honest, this barely scratches the surface of the last 12 months for one of the most famous game studios in the world. However, a ray of light shone on this dark cloud; a beaming beacon of hope that a credible game studio lies dormant behind its cookie-cutter RPGs and by-the-numbers sequels.
I’m talking about Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
The Lost Crown is Lost Amongst the Shuffle
I’ll admit, I barely paid much attention to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown when it was announced. Whisper it, but I only remembered it existed a handful of weeks out from release. The Lost Crown looked like a decent Metroidvania clone on the surface, and I had one clear thought as its debut drew near—where the hell is the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake?
However, after 10-15 hours with The Lost Crown, I was forced to eat my words and tuck my tail between my legs. I was suddenly less eager for a Sands of Time Remake, and far more keen for The Lost Crown to get a sequel. This drastic turn of events was propagated by some of the silliest and smoothest gameplay I’ve ever played in a Metroidvania title.
Sargon heads up The Lost Crown, and he has personality and life. The world around him is a stunning palette of cel-shaded visuals and distinct biomes. It feels innovative and refined, and there were times I was genuinely questioning if this was a Ubisoft game. The same studio planning to release two Assassin’s Creed games every year for the next 10. The same studio still pushing the dead concept of NFTs deep into 2024.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s 86 rating on Metacritic is a testament to the game’s brilliance. It was crowned champion of “Innovation in Accessibility” at The Game Awards 2024, and was rightfully nominated for “Best Action/Adventure Game.” Recency bias may have hurt The Lost Crown’s chances of more awards and wins, but make no mistake, this was the highlight of Ubisoft’s year. As Linkin Park says though: “In the end, it doesn’t even matter.”
A Sequel is Probably Buried in the Sand
We exclusively reported on Oct. 23, Prince of Persia devs were being moved to different projects at Ubisoft. The reason is twofold: To aid the progress of other titles, and because of The Lost Crown’s disappointing sales—a recurring theme for Ubisoft throughout 2024.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown reportedly sold in the region of one million copies. This was far below Ubisoft’s lofty expectations and has me questioning Ubisoft’s targets and wondering if they’re overinflated—but this is for another time. For now, don’t expect a sequel anytime soon, with the sad reality being this is a one-and-done type of deal.
The Assassin’s Creed Shadow delay to improve its quality and reported changes to Far Cry 7 and its gameplay formula sounds like the winds of change to me. It feels like 2025 is a crucial year for the French company to get back on track, alter its perception, and rewrite the narrative moving forward.
If we never end up getting a sequel to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, I’ll still remember it fondly. Ubisoft took a chance on it, and it was a success in the eyes of players. If you get time, I’d highly recommend checking out this little gem, and maybe one day it’ll become popular enough to become embroiled in its own remake development hell.
Have you had a chance to play The Lost Crown? Did you think it was Ubisoft’s best effort of the year? Does it deserve a chance to hog the spotlight with a sequel? Share your thoughts below as I’m keen to hear your thoughts.
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