The Rogue Prince of Persia has officially shadow-dropped out of early access, with its full release now available for everyone. As confirmed by Ubisoft, the game is now feature-complete and ready for action, with the titular Rogue Prince geared up for his final loops. Returning players can expect a smorgasbord of improvements and additions to the game, with everything including weapons, bosses, and levels being overhauled.
Since The Rogue Prince of Persia launched in early access in early 2024, there has been plenty of questions about when it would achieve completion. Initially, developer Evil Empire indicated the game would be in early access for around a year, give or take, with the most important thing being that feedback from the game’s community was taken on board.
With each new update, new loops and bosses were added, and the game’s final form became clearer. In that time, The Rogue Prince of Persia also went through a visual overhaul, with its vivid pink-based colour scheme reverting to a more traditional brown-beige as development continued and player feedback was adapted.
After over a year of this iterative process, listening to players, and improving the game’s many loops, adding in new rewards, new weapons, new tricks, and a visual overhaul, the Prince’s journey has finally come to its inevitable conclusion.
How The Rogue Prince of Persia has improved
Jumping in recently, for the first time since that early 2024 launch, it was clear to see the overarching changes. It’s not only in the colour scheme that The Rogue Prince of Persia has evolved. It’s in the options available for combat, the many bosses you’ll face off against, and how rewarding each loop is. Having an ending in place gives purpose to the journey, and helps you appreciate the brightness and dynamism of this take on Prince of Persia.
Between this title and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, the franchise has recently gotten its groove back lately. Both games feature side-scrolling action in a similar vein to the original game, but with fresh, modern twists. In both cases, the prince is a lithe, fluid fighter, and guiding him along pathways is like a puzzle – you’re monitoring the arc of his jumps, the sleek swing of his swords, and the speed of his dodges.
In The Rogue Prince of Persia, travelling and fighting is a dance, as you’re dodging and weaving to the beat of a pounding soundtrack, feeling every single blow. It’s hard not to feel cool as you’re charging up and across walls, leaping between obstacles, and unleashing devastating blows on your enemies. It’s all about the flow, and getting your timing right. Even when you put a foot wrong, you can see your mistakes clearly, and work to improve them.
While death feels inevitable – this is a roguelite, after all – the game has very little friction in starting over, with each new loop feeling moreish. You’ll get further, faster in the next loop. You’ll know exactly where you went wrong, and learn lessons to escape the jaws of death. Then the process will start over again, with new rewards, and new pathways opening.
It’s a gratifying experience, and one made better by finally having access to the game’s complete loop. Those keen to check out the full version of The Rogue Prince of Persia can now do so. It’s a very welcome surprise for a relatively quiet week in games, and for those players who’ve been awaiting more news of the Prince, it’ll certainly be a welcome arrival.
