In a year when Hades II dominated roguelike headlines, Evil Empire's The Rogue Prince of Persia went largely unnoticed. This is the second time a Supergiant game has eclipsed The Rogue Prince, with both games entering Early Access around the same time last year.
In fact, the story of the Evil Empire game you may remember best was a heated critique of the Prince's art style, a unique blend influenced by Arabian miniatures, Mobius comics, and the purple-skinned sprites from the CGA port of the first Prince of Persia PC game from 1990.
The final version of The Rogue Prince of Persia succumbed to public pressure and replaced the purple protagonist with new art style (which is why we can't have nice things) but the switch wasn't enough and the game seems to have slipped under the radar for many. It's a shame, since Evil Empire took all its knowledge from co-production. Dead cells and reinvented the Prince of Persia series, creating a game pulsating with quiet magic that deserves attention.
Featuring a new version of the prince defending his homeland from Hun aggressors, The Wandering Prince of Persia features the daring jumps over the spike traps that the series has been known for since its inception at the hands of creator Jordan Mechner. But it lacks the time-rewinding and forwarding mechanics introduced in 2003's The Sands of Time, instead focusing on fluid parkour and the joys of high-speed running with unprecedented grace. Despite being procedurally generated, the game looks as if it was handcrafted by a designer, which is similar to a Dead Cells achievement. Add to that the copious amount of weapon combinations in The Rogue Prince and you've got that never-ending itch for “one more run.” It's not Dead Cells in other clothes, but it plays much faster than that roguelike and has a well-defined plot compared to Dead Cells' vague narrative.
But what really grabs my attention is the game's soundtrack. Composer of Iranian-American musician ASADI. OST The Rogue Prince of Persia fluctuates between serene sounds during quieter moments, like when the Prince sits by the fire in the center of the level, and heavy bludgeoning beats that leave you feeling overwhelmed when you're fighting bosses. It is an extraordinary blend of trap sounds and traditional Persian instruments such as daf and oud. This is a great example of how music can enhance a game as well as serve as a powerful form of performance. Prince of Persia is a series originally inspired by The Thief of Baghdad and other dated Arabian Nights pastiches. According to Farsi dubbing 2024. Prince of Persia: The Lost CrownIt's nice to play another game that contains a legitimate piece of the culture that inspired it.
For these reasons, this is my favorite roguelike of the year. Others might be happy with a second Hades, but for me, The Prince did the genre proud – and I only wish more players would take the chance to guide our former purple hero through this beautiful vision of fantasy Persia.
