Ubisoft’s biggest franchises, like Prince of Persia, Assassin’s Creed, and Far Cry, are usually victims of leaks well before the company plans to announce their existence. While some feel it’s done by Ubisoft, the fact remains that its games are very poorly hidden.
The same can be said for the newly revealed title, The Rogue Prince of Persia. We got a new trailer for the title, including some gameplay, but people have been aware of its existence for quite a bit. The trailer is eye-catching, but there is one criticism already for the game.
The Rogue Prince of Persia Wears its Genre on its Sleeve
The Triple-i Initiative showcase ended just a while ago, and it’s brought something for fans of every genre of indie games. We saw some well-known companies in the space, such as Thunder Lotus Games, MegaCrit, and Evil Empire. The last on that list was saved for the end of the showcase, as the studio developed a game for one of Ubisoft’s oldest franchises.
The Rogue Prince of Persia is an upcoming rogue-lite action-platformer from Evil Empire that will go early access on Steam in May 2024. We got the reveal trailer today, but this is not breaking news. It was reported at the very start of April that an upcoming title in the franchise started as a metroidvania and then transitioned to a rogue-lite.
This is the second Prince of Persia game this year, with The Lost Crown having been released in January. This game is in a different genre, but some people are skeptical and a bit disappointed. One reply on X says that everything indie is now going the metroidvania-rogue-lite route, and they aren’t entirely wrong. These two genres are some of the most popular in the indie space.
Maybe I'm just getting old and cynical but I'm reeeally tired of almost everything indie being a roguelite or metroidvania now.
— Aaron MacNaughton (@Joker13z) April 10, 2024
Others have expressed more optimistic views regarding the trailer. The art style looks very different compared to other games in the franchise. The gameplay also showed they had managed to retain the Prince’s acrobatic prowess as well.
Evil Empire Comes with Experience Working on Rogue-Lites
The studio is best known for its other rogue-lite Dead Cells and the numerous expansions made to that game. The title was well received by the community, and so we can rest assured that the game is in safe hands. The genre boasts some iconic titles such as Hades, The Binding of Isaac, and Enter the Gungeon.
One of the biggest letdowns from the showcase was the absence of Silksong, the spin-off from Hollow Knight. People are a bit annoyed, and rightfully so, that a tease for the title was made during the flashcards appearing on screen before the showcase began.
Even now, people are angrily tweeting at the Triple-i Initiative, asking why they would ask about a “metroidvania with an insect” if they knew it wasn’t a part of the lineup. The most obvious reason that comes to mind is to retain viewers and also get people in a tizzy on X.
Regardless, do you think The Rogue Prince of Persia will be a worthwhile addition to the series? Let us know in the comments below!
