Shining the spotlight on someone other than the prince was a bold move for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, but that's the path Ubisoft Montpellier reportedly chose at the outset of development. It's understood the game grew into the Metroidvania genre over time, but, being brought to life by the same studio responsible for the esteemed Rayman series, The Lost Crown's penchant for platforming was never really in doubt. For some, what was more problematic, even more so than the prince not taking center stage, was the fact that this game isn't a 3D-action adventure in the style of Ubi's 2003 franchise reboot, The Sands of Time. When Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was officially unveiled at last year's Summer Game Fest, this facet of the series' fandom made themselves heard.
Longstanding players have long fancied a return to the original 3D trilogy – a trifecta that encompassed The Sands of Time (2003), Warrior Within (2004), and The Two Thrones (2005) – but speaking personally, as someone who played the 1989 original not long after it hit European shores, and who also enjoyed the 2007 scene-by-scene reimagining, I've always wanted to see Prince of Persia push deeper into the side-scrolling space, even if that's in tandem with the proposed (but long-delayed) The Sands of Time remake.
