Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Didn't Start Out as a 2D Game

The new Prince of Persia could have been a 3D game instead!

By Marc Deschamps

Like so many classic video game franchises, Prince of Persia started life as a 2D series, before moving into the realm of 3D. When Ubisoft announced a new Prince of Persia game, fans of titles like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time were hoping it would be a similar 3D platformer. Instead, Ubisoft Montpellier is taking things back to the early days with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. However, things could have gone in a different direction. In an interview with Game Informer, game director Mounir Radi revealed that The Lost Crown wasn't always planned as a 2D game!

"It was not 2D from the start," Radi told Game Informer. "I had the chance to work on some prototypes in 2D, but before going into it, we studied the Prince of Persia series, just to be sure we understand all the legacy."

During those studies, Radi tried to zero in on everything fans had come to love about the series over the last 35 years. That includes elements from the original games, as well as those fan favorite 3D titles. As he researched, the one element Radi wanted to bring back was a sense of fear. 

"I wanted to have a callback to the fear and isolation that I had when I was playing the 2D games," Radi told Game Informer. "And to also push a lot of experimentation with the aspect of the time powers."

The Lost Crown's Origin Started with Rayman 

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(Photo: Ubisoft)

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown might not have started as a 2D platformer, but the developers have some experience with the genre. The team includes several veterans that worked on Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends. Those 2D Rayman games received strong critical praise upon release, which should bode well for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Radi noted that the gameplay in 2D platformers has a lot in common with music, as there's a certain rhythm to the gameplay. While Prince of Persia and Rayman don't have a lot in common tonally, that's an important lesson that the team tried to carry over to this new game. 

"For me, and for a lot of people on the team, the action on-screen is music," Radi told Game Informer. "When you work on a game such as Rayman, you learn how to convey this aspect into gameplay."

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Release Date

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will release January 18th on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Given that, fans of the series won't have to wait long to find out if Radi and the rest of the team managed to deliver an experience that feels true to all the best games in the Prince of Persia franchise. It will be a tall task making both sets of fans happy, but for those on the fence, a free demo will be released on January 11th. 

Do you plan on checking out Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown later this month? Would you have preferred a 3D game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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