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Much like protagonist Sargon himself, the entire side-scrolling adventure feels lightweight and agile.
All of this serves to immerse and engross, pulling you intoThe Lost Crowns eerie yet beautiful setting.
This is reinforced by the fluidity of the games mechanics.
You’ll need to engage in forward planning to traverse a challenging section of the map.
So clean isLost Crowns design that you never feel cheated or hard done by.
While you could parry attacks in the moment, theres no option to block for prolonged periods.
As with traversal, combat inLost Crownoffers an unshakable sense of even-handed fairness.
Enemy attacks come in three kinds, clearly telegraphed by a color-coded glow.
No glow means a normal attack, while a red glow signals an unparriable attack that must be dodged.
That said, the game doesn’t rest on the genre’s laurels.
The process of backtracking to old areas with new powers is a staple of any fantastic metroidvania.
Moreover, the act of traversal itself feels dynamic and rewarding, even if youre retreading new ground.
This, in part, is thanks to an air dash you unlock fairly early on in the game.
Though Sargon always has the ability to wall jump, the dash radically expands your platforming options.
Reminiscent of the dash inCeleste, Sargons ability opens up new avenues of exploration, while never feelingtoogenerous.
These feel very much likeElden Ring’sSites of Grace, serving as interstitial checkpoints between Mount Qafs various threats.
However, this approach fitsThe Lost Crownlike a glove.
At its heart, the game is a series of puzzles - a mentality imbued into its boss encounters.
This satisfying learning curve culminated in a powerful sense of accomplishment when the Manticore eventually fell.
Even in this preview build, the game felt generous and open-ended.
If my time with this preview build is any indication, the spirit ofPrince of Persiaseems alive and well.
Looking for something to play in the meantime?
Check out our lists of thebest single-player gamesand thebest story games.
