Summary
ThePrince of Persiafranchise has had a bit of an odd history, occasionally serving up some of the most influential games of all time, but also disappearing almost completely over the past decade or so. The firstPrince of Persiaredefined the 2D side-scrolling adventure genre back in 1989 with its fluid animations and greater emphasis on realistic platforming, and that same general vibe was evoked once again withPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which quickly became one of the most beloved games ofthe sixth console generation. Thankfully, it looks as thoughPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownmight be putting the franchise back on the map.
Releasing on January 18,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownis bringing the series back to its 2D side-scrolling roots, albeit with the addition of some modern Metroidvania. WhilePrince of Persia: The Lost Crownas an entire package is sure to be great, its most influential element might end up being just one small mechanic: its Memory Shards.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s Memory Shard Mechanic Could Be Revolutionary for Metroidvanias
Big Metroidvanias Can Run Into the Same Problem
As the name implies,the Metroidvania genrehas been around for a good few decades, and over that time it’s established a lot of general rules and guidelines that most Metroidvania games abide by. One of the biggest elements inherent to the Metroidvania genre is stumbling upon a blocked pathway, making a mental note of where that is on the map, and knowing to return there when a new upgrade or ability has been unlocked. In a good Metroidvania, this can feel incredibly satisfying, but even in some of the best, it’s all too easy for this sense of rewarding progress to feel like a frustrating obstacle.
This becomes a pretty major issue inMetroidvanias with a larger map size, especially those with interweaving areas and a non-linear approach to objectives. It’s often the case that players will forget where they saw a blocked pathway, with it having appeared hours ago, in a completely different location. This then usually leads to hours of tedious back-tracking, meaning that once players finally do reach the blocked pathway, they don’t feel satisfied but just glad that it’s an end to their frustrations.
Prince of Persia’s Memory Shard Mechanic Fixes That Problem
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownmight be about to eliminate thiscommon Metroidvania issuecompletely. Just one of its surprisingly high number of in-depth accessibility options,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownintroduces a mechanic called the Memory Shard. Activated via the D-pad, the player can drop a Memory Shard at any point inPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown. This Memory Shard takes a full-size screenshot of the game in its current state, allowing the player to directly pinpoint the Shard’s location on the map, and get an immediate visual cue of what type of obstacle or blocked pathway was in that area.
While Metroidvania purists may turn their noses up atPrince of Persia’s Memory Shard feature, it seems like a genuinely innovative quality-of-life improvement for the genre. It’s one we could easily see end up being implemented in future high-profile Metroidvania games, especially those that are aiming to reach a wider audience.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
WHERE TO PLAY
Dash into a stylish and thrilling action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world where the boundaries of time and space are yours to manipulate. Play as Sargon and evolve from sword-wielding prodigy to extraordinary legend as you master acrobatic combat and unlock new Time Powers and unique super abilities.UNLEASH YOUR INNER WARRIORUse your Time Powers, combat, and platforming skills to perform deadly combos and defeat time-corrupted enemies and mythological creatures.LOSE YOURSELF IN THE PRODIGIOUS MOUNT QAFDiscover a cursed Persian-inspired world filled with larger-than-life landmarks and explore a variety of highly detailed biomes, each with their own identity, wonder, and danger.LIVE AN EPIC ADVENTUREImmerse yourself in a Persian mythological fantasy through an intriguing and original story as you use your wits to solve puzzles, find hidden treasures, and complete quests to learn more about this corrupted place.
