The Rogue Prince of Persia

The Rogue Prince of Persia shows a hefty amount of promise, but it may be worth waiting until that promise develops into something more bingeable.

The Rogue Prince of Persia may still be in early access, but it's already a strong roguelike.

Smooth action blends seamlessly into smooth traversal, making this the better modern 2D Prince of Persia.

There's a fluidity that thrives when the environment is set up well.

The Rogue Prince of Persia stands as both an excellent and innovative entry in the long-running series and a worthy follow-up to the developer's previous work. The smooth action, gorgeous visuals, and addictive loop all come together to make for the kind of game that's tough to put down.Though skilled players may be a bit put off by the easier difficulty relative to roguelite genre standards, this is still a very easy recommendation for anyone interested in a more approachable roguelite that doesn't have a massive learning curve. Evil Empire has done a great job in crafting an impressive, approachable action game here.

Even with its faults, The Rogue Prince of Persia is another strong outing for Ubisoft's long-running franchise, still fresh off of last year's overlooked gem, The Lost Crown. Evil Empire continues to up its game and it'll be exciting to see what awaits the team beyond the Prince's Oasis.

Even in its early state, The Rogue Prince of Persia masterfully blends the best of Prince of Persia and Dead Cells in a solid package offering a more involved narrative, excellent platforming, dynamic combat and a lot of death, as is tradition for a proper roguelite. While there's still a lot of work to be done, regarding content and balance, the game's strong core mechanics have the potential to make it one of the best Metroidvania roguelites ever made.

The Rogue Prince of Persia doesn't reinvent the roguelite genre, but bends it with style, pace and smart design into a formula that gives fresh identity to a historic franchise.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a fast, addictive, and surprisingly faithful spin-off that combines fluid parkour, simple but satisfying combat, and rewarding roguelike progression into an ideal handheld experience. Its story and characters are weaker, and repeated runs can become slightly repetitive near the end, but the strong movement, energetic soundtrack, and smart exploration loop make it very easy to recommend.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is an absolutely gripping experience with a unique movement system and just enough lessons learned from the genre to keep you coming back for “one more run” until the early hours of the morning. Your first successful run will likely come quicker than in most titles from the genre, but there are plenty of ways to make the game a much tougher and grueling experience should you need to feed your masochistic side. ​It’s quite sad that the Sands of Time Remake got cancelled, but The Rogue Prince of Persia does a fantastic job of not only healing that wound but offering another standout title not only in the franchise but in the roguelite genre as a whole. All hail the prince!