Well, I’m taking a step back today, as Dave Corn is here to review Prince of Persia Rogue from Evil Empire and Ubisoft. That almost 40-year-old franchise, given a modern/old-school lick of paint.

“In this challenging, fast-paced roguelite, every death is a unique chance to rewrite fate, save Persia or die trying. Master fluid, acrobatic combat and parkour as you explore your kingdom to right your wrongs!”

Prince of Persia Rogue is available on all major platforms, but I’ve been playing the Nintendo Switch 2 version for this review.

The last Prince of Persia game I played was Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown from 2024, a 2D roguelite. It was an impressive outing that boosted the classic IP. And with the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake now confirmed cancelled, this game may be the last time we see the Prince for a while. The Rogue Prince of Persia tells you the kind of game it is in the title, much like Lost Crown, a roguelite but with a cell-shaded art style, which looks great with the Switch 2, docked or handheld.

Released in 2024, developed and published by Ubisoft, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown revitalised the franchise as a 2.5D Metroidvania, featuring a new protagonist, Sargon, and returning the series to its Persian mythological roots. Both that and The Rogue Prince of Persia were in development at the same time, so there are quite a few similarities. This is a 2D action-platformer roguelite developed by Evil Empire, the studio behind the DLCs for Dead Cells, and they know what makes a good roguelike. Players control an unnamed character simply known as the Prince.

The Rogue Prince of Persia follows the Prince as he attempts to save Ctesiphon from a Hun invasion corrupted by dark Shamanic magic. It’s not a deep story, but it works. Using a mystical bolo that resurrects the Prince upon death, he endlessly battles through a shifting landscape, perfecting his skills to defeat the relentless army and find redemption.

While similar to The Lost Crown, The Rogue Prince of Persia does have some new mechanics; its wall-running implementation is brilliant and very intuitive, making you feel much more agile and faster. The cell-shading (as with most cell-shaded games) gives it a fantastic cartoon feel that pops off the screen. This is very much a standalone title, and you can easily slide in without any knowledge of the series. As with all Prince of Persia titles, platforming is paramount, and parkour traversal is a huge element. Personally speaking, I much prefer platforming in 2D over 3D, but that’s a different conversation. The platforming challenges are a lot of fun in The Rogue Prince of Persia. With a lot of upgradable skills and weapons to acquire, the runs stick with the basic roguelike rules, splitting items between permanent and those used just for that particular run.

Overall, The Rogue Prince of Persia is a good entry into a franchise that has revitalised itself into a new style. While there is a lot of fun here, it’s really nothing new, and I feel that hardcore fans of the series will most probably want more. There’s been a fair bit of focus on Prince of Persia over the past few years, but I’m often left wondering if there will ever be a new 3D game. It doesn’t look very likely right now, and maybe Ubisoft are happy sticking with the 2D formula.

If you want a fun platforming roguelite, then this is certainly for you. Perhaps older fans of the series won’t fully understand the IP’s newest entries’ change of direction, but will still find enjoyment in this pick-up gaming style

Graphics 8/10: Looks great, but nothing new.
Gameplay 7/10: Fun but unoriginal.
Plot- 5/10: (See above) I probably could have come up with a better plot if they’d asked.
Sound 2/10: No voice acting and repetitive text boxes hinder the story’s pacing, as you just want to skip to gameplay.

For the whole package, an 8/10 seems fair. If roguelites are your thing and platforming challenges are something you enjoy, I’d suggest picking this up in a sale. If the new Prince of Persia titles leave you yearning for the 3D-style games, you can usually find them quite easily.