Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review — 2024’s first must-play

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I love Metroidvanias. It’s the genre of video game that I’m probably thinking about the most. There’s just something about that combination of 2D platforming, action and exploration that speaks to me.

In my head, I often organize my own personal “best Metroidvanias ever” list. It of course includes the standard bearers, Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (along with other games from those series). Then there’s the modern classics, games like the Ori series and Hollow Knight that have taken the formula and made them interesting with new mechanics and art styles.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown belongs in that latter group. Ubisoft Montpellier has created one of the best Metroidvanias ever, one that can stand up to the legacy of the genre founders and the modern masterpieces.

The Lost Crown launches on January 18 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. I played the Switch version.

I alluded to it earlier, but there are three important keys to a good Metroidvania: platforming, action, and exploration. Let’s talk about platforming first. From the start, Prince of Persia feels smooth and precise. Just the normal running and jumping control flawlessly — same goes for the wonderful wall-jumping (and, man, do I love me some good wall-jumping).

And then you get a steady stream of new maneuvers that make you faster, more agile and help you reach new heights. Of course, some of these are predictable, like a double jump. Others are wildly creative, like a chakram that you can throw and, eventually, teleport straight to.

Combat feels just as good. In fact,