How Rogue Prince of Persia's Art Style Stands Out From The…

Summary

After years of waiting, fans finally got a new Prince of Persia game - The Lost Crown by Ubisoft Montpellier.
However, another Prince of Persia game, The Rogue Prince of Persia, has entered Steam early access with a distinctive hand-drawn art style.
The Lost Crown had an anime-inspired art style, while The Rogue Prince of Persia features bold black outlines and unified colors.

After over a decade of waiting for a new entry in the Prince of Persia series, fans finally got their wish back in January. Developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was the triumphant comeback that fans had dreamed about for years, delivering some tight platforming and combat mechanics in a well-realized Metroidvania setting. But in a bizarre twist of fate, The Lost Crown isn't the only Prince of Persia game out this year, with The Rogue Prince of Persia having just entered Steam early access.

A roguelike action-adventure developed by Evil Empire, The Rogue Prince of Persia echoes some familiar beats from Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, with both games being 2D platformers. But there are a few key features that set The Rogue Prince of Persia apart from its barely older sibling, and that includes its art direction.

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By Joey Brown

How The Rogue Prince of Persia's Art Style Compares to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Had An Anime-Inspired Art Style

When Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was first announced back in June 2023, many fans took immediate notice of its striking art style. A fairly stylized, almost cel-shaded design, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown looked very different from the entries that came before it, and that was all part of the plan. In an interview with The Best War Games just prior to the game's release, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's art director Jean-Christophe Alessandri explained that the art team was heavily inspired by anime.

According to Alessandri, the art team used its "love for contemporary pop culture, anime, superhero comics, and street art," and combined it with the naturally-stylistic illustrations of Ancient Persia to produce the game's distinct art style. Alessandri also stated that this art style was designed to give Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown a "nekketsu-shonen vibe," a genre of anime and manga that often sees its main heroes overcome failure and become all the stronger for it, which fits Sargon's Metroidvania journey well.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's anime and comic book influences can be felt throughout the game, with character models appearing well-defined, and Sargon's special attacks causing the camera to sweep into a more cinematic angle, fully showcasing the hero's power with a burst of bright colors.

The Rogue Prince of Persia Has a Hand-Drawn Aesthetic

While The Rogue Prince of Persia goes for a similarly stylistic approach with its own art direction, it differs greatly from The Lost Crown's style. The Rogue Prince of Persia adopts a hand-drawn art style, where character models' outlines and the game's backgrounds are clearly marked with bold black lines, and filled in with a unified block of color.

This hand-drawn aesthetic allows Rogue Prince of Persia's enemies and climbable objects to stand out nicely from the background, which is a really helpful trait in a fast-paced roguelike action-platformer. Though a bit more stripped back than The Lost Crown's aesthetic, The Rogue Prince of Persia's art style perfectly suits the vibe of the smaller game while still leaving its own distinctive mark on the series.

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The Rogue Prince of Persia

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Released: May 14, 2024

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Experience a fast-paced, challenging but accessible roguelite as you master acrobatic moves and flow seamlessly between platforming and combat. Find new weapons, equip trinkets with special effects and upgrade them to make your own builds. Discover new characters, information and areas as you try to find a way to save Persia from a Hun invasion and become the hero you have always wanted to be.

Lead the Prince in his fight against a Hun army corrupted by dark shamanic magic and find your place in the royal family as you explore a vibrant reinterpretation of Persia. Put the pieces of the puzzle together and discover new areas as you enter the fight again and again, meeting a cast of colorful characters through non-linear story progression.

Flow seamlessly between platforming and combat, using your acrobatic moves to outmaneuver and outsmart your enemies. Use the iconic wall-run to open new routes of attack, avoid traps and explore hard to reach areas. Kick and dodge to manage groups of enemies when the odds are against you.

Choose from a variety of deadly weapons and equip new medallions each run to unleash devastating effects, giving you the freedom to change your fighting style as you wish. Secondary weapons offer even more options, from bows to shields to grappling hooks. Switch your loadout mid-run to adapt to new challenges.

Developer(s): Evil Empire
Publisher(s): Ubisoft
Franchise: Prince of Persia
Platform(s): PC
Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Roguelike