Prince of Persia The Lost Crown release date: review, is it on Steam PC, PS5, Switch - and Metacritic score

It's a series that's lain dormant for 13 years, but this week, Prince of Persia is back! And it's back in a big way.

The first game in the series was created by Jordan Mechner and initially released in 1989, but it was 2003's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time which brought innovative time-manipulation mechanics to the series, and inspired multiple sequels and adaptations.

Four games - and a Jake Gyllenhaal-starring movie - later, the series was put on the backburner following 2010's The Forgotten Sands. But now Ubisoft are resurrecting the series in an exciting new direction with The Lost Crown.

Reviews for the game have been circling for a good few days now, and critics seem to have only praise for the 2.5D side-scrolling "Metroidvania" take on the franchise, including us here at NationalWorld.

But when is the game actually released, what exactly does it entail, and where can you pre-order it? Here is everything you need to know.

What is Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown?

The Lost Crown is an action-adventure game that marks the first major instalment in the Prince of Persia series since 2010.

Gameplay harkens back to the 2D roots of the original game, but incorporates Metroidvania elements. This means that the game world is interconnected and filled with shortcuts and secret rooms, and players have to solve various puzzles in order to progress.

However, players may not immediately have the tools or skills to overcome an obstacle - the game allows players to take screenshots and pin them to the game's map - meaning you will have to return to previously explored areas later in the game to take on any unsolved puzzles.

The Lost Crown revolves around new protagonist, Sargon, as he navigates a 2.5D side-scrolling environment using acrobatic moves such as jumping, sliding and air dashing between platforms.

Armed with a pair of blades, combat is another crucial part of the gameplay, and utilising a well-timed parry will build up "Athra's Glow", which can unleash special abilities when fully charged.

As in previous Prince of Persia games, time-based powers are present, like Rush of the Simurgh for instant time travel and Shadow of the Simurgh for creating temporary checkpoints, and these enhance both the combat and platforming experiences.

Is it any good?

Yes! At the time of writing, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown commands a rather impressive Metacritic score of around 86 (it varies slightly depending on the platform), meaning critics have been rather enamoured with the new game.

We here at NationalWorld gave it four stars out of five, and said The Lost Crown "captures the essence of both its iconic lineage and the Metroidvania genre, creating an immersive and thoroughly enjoyable gaming experience."

Read more: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - a Metroidvania well worth playing

When is it released?

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 18 January 2024.

However, those who opted for the Deluxe Edition of the game were granted three days' early access to The Lost Crown, and have been able to play since 15 January.

Where is the best place to pre-order it?

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown can be pre-ordered from Game.co.uk, where the game is available for £42.99 or £44.99, depending on your platform of choice.

Simply click on the relevant link below to be taken to the platform of your choice:

• Nintendo Switch
• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation 5
• Xbox One & Xbox Series X/S

For PC players, the game can be purchased through The Lost Crown’s Epic Games Store page.

Note: Xbox’s ‘Smart Delivery’ feature means there is just one ‘Xbox’ version of the game to look out for if you’re looking to buy it physically - the game will automatically detect whether you’re using a current or last-gen Xbox console.

But PlayStation players will need to make sure they buy the correct physical version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and since there is no Smart Delivery feature there, if you one day wish to upgrade the PS4 version to its PS5 counterpart, you may need to buy the game all over again!

Is there a demo?

Yes. A free demo of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - giving you access to the early sections of the game - is available now on all platforms.