The Rogue Prince of Persia Is A Great Time in an Anemic Package

After a 14-year hiatus, not counting a few mobile exclusive titles, the Prince of Persia franchise has seen plenty of love in 2024. The Rogue Prince of Persia took me by surprise, but was it love at first sight, or do I need to wall-run by again?

Just Keep Running, Running, Running

After getting the chance to go hands-on with The Rogue Prince Of Persia back in April, I was salivating at the chance to revisit it. While my play session was remote, the smooth controls, excellent animations, and phenomenal soundtrack were imprinted on my mind and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. After having it in my possession once again, I decided that I needed to dive in, lock in, and do whatever I could to beat it.

And then I did. While The Rogue Prince Of Persia has been released in Early Access, the lack of content is worrying. It almost feels like an early, early access title due to the lack of things to do, overall. The story, while entertaining, comes to a halt much too quickly — especially if you’re familiar with other rouge-likes, such as Evil Empire’s other darling, Dead Cells.

While The Rogue Prince Of Persia brings a variety of unique elements to the table — mainly in its weapon types and collectible Medallions that can change a run — it’s hard not to compare this release to other big early access releases that have come this month.

Hades 2, for example, comes loaded to the brim with content, branching paths, and so much more. While The Rouge: Prince of Persia is still an incredible time, it just falls a little short by comparison. We’ll just need to wait and see what Evil Empire and Ubisoft have cooking in the background before this hits version 1.0.

A Growing Boy Needs More Time

Even though the story comes to a close faster than I’d like it to, the general gameplay loop of The Rogue Prince Of Persia is engaging enough for multiple playthroughs. While Evil Empire needs to continue expanding on the overarching world that is placed before us, what is here is technically sound, feels fantastic to explore and peruse, and brings that signature Prince of Persia flair to a well-trodden genre.

The parkour is the main selling point here, much like any other PoP title. Zooming around the stages as the little purple prince, dashing across walls and delivering a healthy dose of sword-based justice feels fantastic here. Dead Cells used to be my favorite feeling rouge-like to play, and it may just be recency bias taking its toll here, but The Rouge: Prince Of Persia feels fantastic to control.

The Prince’s movements and moveset feel as if they were ripped directly from their 3D counterparts, and I mean that in the most flattering way possible. It’s tight, easy to control, and difficult to master, all while providing a satisfying combat experience that feels perfect in this setting.

I also need to give a shoutout to the OST, which just so happens to be one of my favorite parts of the experience. The mixture of traditional Middle Eastern instrumentals mixed with a drum & bass soundtrack was not what I was expecting in the slightest, but it’s something that I cannot get out of my head. I’m already anticipating the soundtrack drop on Spotify.

There’s a lot to like in The Rogue Prince of Persia, but I just wish there was more overall. It has incredibly solid bones underneath, but the lack of content could be a deal-breaker to some. Although Evil Empire has promised to add more content, some players may hold off until the game is complete, or until the amount of content hits a more acceptable point.

That being said, it’s still a Prince of Persia game through and through. I just hope that its legacy is worthy enough for royalty and that it doesn’t miss its chance to take the throne.