Topic: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

It's getting close to dread for me. So far, dread is my favorite metroidvania.

You specified 2D. What do you like better in 3D? The term isn't used often, but I suppose some Zelda games arguably count as 3D Metroidvanias.

@WaveBoy The Wonder Boy/Monster World series started in the same year as Metroid and Castlevania.. and Wonder Boy veered towards the Metroid formula faster than Castlevania did. Imagine, the genre could have been called Metroidwonder. Which kind of makes me want to play a Metroid/Mario Wonder crossover. Samus explores the destroyed ruins of the Flower Kingdom floating through space... Imagine a metroid game with wonder effects but dark. But more seriously, Wonder Boy and Shantae games are definitely very different feeling than games like this or Metroid itself. I kind of like the slower pace but not for everyone.

Feel like I'm nearing the end now and having done a lot of exploration, I don't think I'm gonna go for 100% some of the challenge areas are really starting to frustrate me and I don't want to sour the experience I've had so far.

Haven't played much yet, but looking at my map made me reflect upon Metroid Dread and how it compares with Lost Crown. Maybe I'm forgetting, but I feel like Metroid Dread does a good job mostly only letting you go where you need to go to progress - the map is a puzzle I have to look at and say, "OK, there are clear reasons why I can't go that direction, I must have to go this direction..." - whereas Lost Crown seems to be letting me explore more, it's less tight in its design, less confined.

Not saying one approach is better than the other, I like puzzling, I like exploring, and maybe I'm just imagining it anyway.

@gcunit Metroid Dread is generally considered more linear than 'classic' metroid games... and definitely less of a maze-to-get-lost-in than a lot of metroidvanias.

@FishyS Yes, linearity is a much simpler way of referring to what I was droning on about, thank you.

@gcunit I ended up turning guided exploration on as I was starting to get bored of getting sidetracked or lost.

@BookhouseBoy Funny you should say that, because what triggered me first thinking about it was looking at my map and noticing an instruction near the top of the screen to 'Head to the Citadel' (or similar), and as far as I know I haven't got guided exploration turned on, so it just made me think why it was that Metroid Dread never used such methods on the map screen (that I can remember), although I think Adam did give certain guidance during cutscenes...

...I need to play Dread again.

@gcunit Yeah, for the main objectives, it gives you a location of where you need to head towards but if you turn guided exploration on, it will show you places you either can or can't get to yet depending on what abilities you have.

I'm enjoying PoP but Dread is better. The locations aren't as interesting and it isn't as atmospheric.

@BookhouseBoy
locations aren't as interesting and it isn't as atmospheric

Couldn't disagree more. I love Dread to death, but this game absolutely smokes it with locations and atmosphere. Maybe you haven't played enough, but there are areas in this game that are so utterly spectacular and with more atmosphere than I've ever experienced in any metroidvania, it's absolutely mind boggling, and frankly, kinda makes Dread environments seem dull by comparison. Explore the Depths, and you'll feel more alone and creeped out than at any point in Dread. Or the frozen ocean, or the sand area, or time temple, heck even the main city area is just gorgeous.

I don't mean to knock Metroid or Dread cause it's still one of my favorites, but when I hear someone say this game's environments or atmosphere don't surpass Dread, I have to wonder if we're playing the same game. I beat Dread, so I know everything in it. And I think nearly every single area in Lost Crown tops even the best areas in Dread. Not that they were bad. Its just that, the environments in Lost Crown are utterly spectacular.

But, that's just my opinion.

I also turned Guided Mode on. It doesn't lead you to the destination, it just marks your objective far off on the empty map, and you have to find your way there. Which is exactly how Metroid Prime and Fusion did it by default. So to me, Guided Mode just made the game play how I'm already accustomed to by Metroid.

@FishyS
Metroid Prime 2 remains my all time fave. All 3 Prime games are up there but Echoes is something really special to me.

I'd personally argue the environments are one of the maybe two things Dread didn't do all that great (the other being "having memorable music").

@kkslider5552000
The environments in Dread were gorgeous, and very well done imo. But after playing Lost Crown, it kind of puts into perspective just how much better they could have been. Only one area from Dread really stuck in my memory- the foresty area.

But half a dozen environments have stuck with me in Lost Crown. The Depths, the Cities, the Forest, Sunken Harbor, Sand Pit, sacred time temple area, frozen ocean... They're all just so good. And excellent level design and platforming design. Which makes traversing these environments even more enjoyable. Once you get double jump, the insane platforming obstacles using dash and double jump, especially with those blocks that pound out when you cross over them... it's so good. I could do the dash double jump wall kick platforming obstacles all day and never tire of it.

I wish this game had a time trials mode where you're tasked with running certain preset gauntlet paths throughout the world. With online leaderboards. That would add TONS of replayability. I'm a sucker for time Trials in games with peak platforming mechanics and expert level design, like DKC Tropical Freeze and Rayman Legends. This game is worthy of such a mode also. It's actually a massive shame it doesn't have one.

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - Full Game Walkthrough Gameplay / No Commentary 4K 60FPS Ultra HD

@JaxonH I've played all the areas you mentioned and there's nothing spectacular about any of the environments. There's a sewer / ice / forest section in every Metroidvania game ever. Prince of Persia is doing nothing new.

The Further I'm getting into this game, the more I'm realising that Ubsoft have basically stolen all the best elements from metroidvanias that have come out in the last 5 years and mashed them together. It feels very unoriginal to me.

Hows the difficulty here? Is there enough 'challenge' for those that like a rough boss battle (or 2)?

@CJD87 There's multiple difficulty levels and I think you can change whenever if you're finding it too easy or hard. I'm on the standard difficulty and only towards the end I'm finding the boss battles getting more challenging

Kinda reminds me of Dead Cells. And I don't mean that in a bad way. Are the environments original? Perhaps not, but that's a tough aspect of game design to be original with in something like PoP.

Personally, so far I have found the game lacks a little in atmosphere though, in terms of ambient sound design. But I've really not played that much so far due to Yoshi-withdrawal, so I should reserve judgement for now.

@gcunit
"Original" is a tough word to define. I'll say this. The environments are at least as original as anything Dread gave us, but in my opinion far more. Seeing giant statues floating, sand waterfalls you can swim up, frozen ocean, sunken harbor... man. Ive never played any other game with environments that seem similar to these. And while sure, the forest area may not be "original" neither was the forest area in Dread. To me, "originality" means very little, what matters is how well its executed. And boy do the environments deliver in spades in this game.

I can't recall any other metroidvania instilling me with so much wonder and immersion at nearly every single background. It just feels like a living, breathing world. Mount Kaf has to go down as one of the coolest settings in a video game.

These screenshots give a good feel for what I mean, but even all these pics still lack a number of locations where I was really impressed.

@BookhouseBoy Thanks man, I might start on hardest and then work my way down if the punishment is more than I can withstand..!

@JaxonH Yep, you nailed it - execution trumps originality, or at least is a very acceptable alternative. Great work with the screenshots uploaded, I know what I'm playing tonight - is there a shortcut for doing them in bulk like that?