The Rogue Prince of Persia Review – An Ocean in a Storm

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Among my all-time favorite rogue-lites, Dead Cells, has such an impact on me that I had to temporarily halt playing due to its addictive nature becoming a concern. The prospect of Evil Empire carrying forward the same formula, particularly in a revitalized Prince of Persia with enhanced mobility, a stronger focus on platforming, and a deeper narrative, was like living a dream. The early access release last year amplified my excitement, despite the game obviously having room for improvement in aspects such as progression, weapon effects, enemy diversity, etc. With Version 1.0 now out, The Rogue remains an engaging entry into the genre, albeit not quite measuring up to the developer’s past achievements.

Instead of beginning with an unorganized display of the Prince’s courage that resulted in the Hun army capturing him and causing destruction, the narrative commences in a new light. We witness the Prince engaged in combat against King Nogai, leader of the Huns, who appears to have the upper hand. On the brink of death, he is miraculously revived by the enigmatic Prachi. True to form, the Prince thinks he can turn things around. This revival is facilitated by a mystical bola around his neck, which enables time travel upon his death (explaining the game’s run-based structure).

As a seasoned gamer, I’ve dabbled in quite a few action-packed titles, but let me tell you, this new game feels like Dead Cells had a baby with a twist. While it shares some familiar moves like the mid-air ground slam, things take a turn for the unique real quick. You see, here you can kick enemies into dangerous traps or even into each other, which is a lifesaver when it comes to breaching their defenses in no time flat!

The tool also serves as a storytelling device to transport you into various interconnected environments. Finding hints in one place usually leads to exploring new locations for additional clues during subsequent journeys. You may encounter characters like Sukhra, a blacksmith who can use the designs found on each expedition to craft weapons and equipment for future trips. The Mind Map assists in keeping track of all these clues and planning your next destination. Although it’s beneficial to have multiple motivations to revisit certain biomes, there might be some inconsistencies or plot complications along the way.

In my journey, one goal was uncovering who had been kidnapped by the Huns. After progressing, I encountered a boss battle where it appeared the Prince’s brother had already been corrupted prior to the fight. On another try and delving into the Grand Library, I uncovered evidence that indeed, it was the Prince’s brother who had been taken (showing a surprised emoji in-game). While my belief that my choices affect future runs remains somewhat intact, it has been rattled; repeating the same dialogue with the boss multiple times doesn’t help either. In summary, the narrative is clear, but I believe the Prince could offer more intrigue through his commentary on various locations, sharing endearing stories of his family and delving into the captivating history of each location.

The primary attraction of a rogue-lite game, particularly one developed by the creators of Dead Cells, lies in its combative aspects. The protagonist exhibits mastery over various weapons, ranging from the powerful Tabar for heavy strikes to the agile Royal Sword for swift and effortless melee combinations. Each weapon also boasts a special move that’s activated by holding down a button, leading to an assortment of diverse outcomes, such as dashing through foes or poisoning them from a distance.

Although Dead Cells and the game in question share several bone structures, such as the ground-slam from mid-air, there are numerous significant differences. You can kick enemies into hazards or each other, which is crucial for swiftly breaching their defenses. Instead of dodging around them, the Prince performs acrobatic leaps over them, enabling air attacks and repositioning. The game places more emphasis on utilizing the environment against your adversaries, from their explosive projectiles to their apparent disregard for self-preservation. It may take some time to adjust, particularly when attempting to interrupt a combo in mid-air because the enemy didn’t die completely from the previous one, and you should have leapt over them to evade their subsequent attack.

The design of the levels makes it easy for you to perform elaborate acrobatics as you navigate through saws, crumbling ground, and sharp spikes. In some cases, these obstacles can be quite tricky, especially in the side areas that test your platforming skills. It’s enjoyable trying to find the safest route forward.

The main contrast lies in the absence of a second primary weapon. Instead, you’re equipped with various tools such as a bow, arrows, chakram, saw blade, and even weapons borrowed from bosses that are powered by energy. These tools restore your energy when used, but this setup, despite offering multiple choices, seems less diverse compared to the build variety in Dead Cells. This observation is more pronounced when using Medallions, which grant passive abilities. Although you no longer need to adjust their placement or plan where each one should go, the current system feels incomplete. I’m fine with increased weapon power, increased special damage, or even more damage received and dealt. It’s just the act of picking up a left and right Medallion to combine certain benefits that feels too straightforward.

In simpler terms, I’m missing the excitement of dramatically changing gameplay styles in a game like Dead Cells, where finding better weapons or equipment can lead to significant shifts. These radical changes are typically seen only in highly specialized builds that focus on status effects such as poison or fire damage over time. The complexity added by managing three key stats was challenging, but it made the process of creating and evolving a character more strategic, which is something I miss.

In contrast, the game currently has more traditional skills, which are earned throughout the game with points and provide benefits like increased health, extra healing potions, and a second chance at life when dying with half health (similar to Hades). While these elements make the game less complex, they do gradually improve your chances of progressing further in future runs.

As a gamer, mastering wall-running and dashing becomes my preferred way to move around, evading enemy attacks with ease. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself gaining speed, taking down enemies swiftly, and avoiding traps. Reaching that state of smooth parkour can be incredibly satisfying. However, wall-running can feel a bit sluggish at times, but the thrill of mid-air dashing more than makes up for it.

Unfortunately, there are occasional hiccups such as enemies not being affected by environmental hazards as expected, or needing to perform specific combinations of wall-climbing and air-dashing. These moments are rare but can be frustrating. What really irks me is the inconvenience of attempting to kick an enemy’s companion over an armored foe, only to miss because of their positioning. Or trying to vault over multiple enemies in a row, where the second attack might whiff, while the third will definitely connect.

The game’s layout makes it easy for players to perform complex maneuvers, such as avoiding spinning saws, crumbling floors, and sharp spikes to advance. These obstacles can become particularly tricky in the side areas, testing your platforming skills, and it’s enjoyable trying to find the safest route through them. Adding more diversity to the side areas and reducing the number of empty or unimportant rooms within each biome would be welcomed improvements. The game does a great job differentiating between the various biomes – from the water park-like Ruined Aqueduct, the intricate machinery of the Grand Academy, and the mutated plant life of the Flooded Gardens. Each location also maintains a good balance, providing plenty to discover without becoming too overwhelming or prolonged.

The game is beautifully designed and made great use of the Prince of Persia franchise, offering a powerful blend of movement and navigation, despite its minor issues.

The presentation of the game is not only impressive but also amplifies the vividness and richness of its settings, even in the backdrops, all while maintaining its animated essence. Asadi’s music continues to be awe-inspiring, and I fear that it might miss out on recognition if awards are not bestowed upon it before the end of the year.

Unlike games such as “Dead Cells” and many other rogue-lites, “The Rogue Prince of Persia” seems designed more with its final moments in mind. While this isn’t necessarily a drawback, it does impact the game’s potential for repeat play. However, it remains an exceptionally well-made, visually stunning title that effectively utilizes the “Prince of Persia” license to offer one of the most engaging combinations of movement and traversal, despite its minor issues. Here’s to hoping that, like with “Dead Cells”, Evil Empire invests time to elevate it from very good to something truly iconic. The Prince himself would settle for nothing less.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2025-08-27 13:42