Prince of Persia meets Dragon Ball Z wasn’t the elevator pitch I expected when I visited Ubisoft’s Montpellier studio last month, but that’s exactly what I got. The team frequently cite anime—and their love for it—as the inspiration behind the exuberant visual style for the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
You wouldn’t think it would work, but it does. The Lost Crown is still filled with gorgeous Persian architecture. Sprawling sandy columns and intricate statues adorn the small section I was given a hands-on with. But when I parry an enemy or unleash a super move, the landscapes are splattered by explosions of colour and animations that look like they’re straight out of Street Fighter or Dragon Ball FighterZ. Prince of Persia is back, and this time it’s brimming with style.
EMBRACE TRADITION
I know it’s not exactly the fans have come remake currently drifting on the desert winds. I’d consider it no bad thing that it’s going for such a different feel, though. With the team behind working on for the last four years, the result is a gorgeous 2.5D sidescroller that hearkens back to ’s origins, plus all sorts of utterly devious puzzle platforming and some mighty satisfying execution.
