The Rogue Prince of Persia stirs up controversy in its biggest update to date

Dover were a rock band from Madrid who became quite popular because in the early nineties it was strange for a Spanish band to have lyrics in English, and because, having become world famous with their second album, they opened news programs and society was less tend to. Musical offerings of this type have been blown up by their satanic lyrics and the idea of ​​singers spitting on their audience like it’s nothing. However, a few years later they radically changed their style, moving from alternative rock to the more commercial electronic pop typical of mainstream radio. Although they lost their personal identity along the way, they moved closer to a new audience, more mainstream but perhaps less loyal. Perhaps not as radical, but similar in form comes Second Act, the largest update to date of The Rogue Prince of Persia, a roguelike from Evil Empire (creators of the successful Dead Cells) inspired by the work created by Jordan Mechner. The project continues to make strides in its Early Access, adding new content, but is also controversial due to the changes it is receiving compared to its initial phase.

The main change is obvious: the choice of a new art direction, which, according to those in charge, “fits the setting and saga much better.” Of course, this is a matter of differing opinions, and this is causing some controversy around this update, as a large portion of the public that has supported the game since its inception is somewhat disappointed with the new direction. It is very difficult to draw a conclusion on this matter, since there is a clear division of opinion on this matter; The original version stood out with Prince’s design and the cooler tones that graced the stage, giving the offering a unique personality that set it apart from the rest of similar games and the brand itself. With the changes it is obvious that he looks much more detailed, especially in the background; It was decided to emphasize the environment more, which sometimes makes scripts difficult to read, especially in the early hours of the game, which could pose an additional risk in a game as fast paced as the game. it comes especially when avoiding enemies or crossing platforms. Eventually you get used to it, especially when you have a few runs under your belt. That the game looks very good is obvious, although it seems that it is the helm’s turn to try to become more attractive and closer to the majority of the audience and thus overcome the small number of active users that the game has had in recent years. weeks. It seems that with new management, the strong personality that this offering exuded to attract new audiences has been lost. The Dover effect, wow.

On first impressions of Early Access, my colleague Enrique said that the title was too green, and it’s harder to think about it given the elements added in The Rogue Prince of Persia, which is no longer just a good idea among roguelikes – adding parkour and the famous saga to dizzying and captivating proposition, as does this evolving genre. Obviously there is work ahead, since as stated by Evil Empire they have the idea of ​​​​staying in Early Access for a year, but it no longer seems like an empty room, and now we see how there is furniture and elements that begin to give a feeling of getting closer to that what the end result will be. This experience is useful because the exploration of the scenarios, the pace of the game and the combat are quite exciting, meaning that we have to adapt in seconds to the environment, the type of enemies and the weapons we are carrying at the moment. . And all this is without downplaying the importance of medallions, which give us certain privileges that can be different when it comes to going as far as possible (although previous modifications made by the Evil Empire have been widely discussed). It’s important to know that every moment is a learning experience that should help us prepare for the next attempt with more confidence, and that it adapts very well to all types of players, offering options for both those who are most experienced in roguelikes and those who They are interested to know why such a fast and direct way of playing is so fashionable.

There are also a lot of technical fixes that would be boring to put together, but it’s worth noting that we found interesting little additions that serve to shape the story of what happens between one attempt and the next: new characters like the Archivist, and elements that we we find in a setting that constitutes the history of the place and, above all, of the prince. A very well thought out aspect because in a sense it prevents a feeling of monotony or boredom from occurring when repeating a scenario, since if we choose a different path it can serve to find a character or object to interact with and this contributes to more background. And by populating the Oasis, a link in which, between one attempt and another, we can improve the characteristics of the main character, forge new weapons for which we received drawings, or improve medallions. Speaking of those medallions, there is a mechanic added at the beginning of some levels where we have to rescue a child caught by a black shadow; To do this, you need to travel across the map at full speed and arrive before this evil energy consumes you, and thus have access to several of the most powerful medallions that will help us face the coming events with a slight advantage.

The content has almost doubled from what we had to date. Act 2 introduces a total of nine biomes, three of which are completely new, as well as four final boss fights instead of the two we’ve had so far. The increase has also affected the weapons, which have increased from eight to twenty, allowing for an infinite number of combinations so that we can find the right one in every game. The studies mentioned above now assume greater significance; not only to improve the main character as quickly as possible, but also to unlock or obtain higher level weapons or access to areas that we have not previously found. The Metroidvania spirit is also present here in one form or another; For example, at a certain point we will reach a starting area where we will need a lever to access a new part of the map, but we will find this element on a level that we will reach later. It is the drive that, once accomplished, when starting a new race, we seek new ways to satisfy our urges to complete and help us be better and better prepared. Rogue Prince of Persia measures this very well, and to achieve this goal, each level has transport portals, so-called dream wells, that invite us to pass through them and leave no corner unnoticed.

The changes are significant and overall enhance the feeling that we have ended up with a proposal that is closer to the final version. But we’re already halfway there and we’ll still have to wait to see how the proposal develops in terms of form and content; Ultimately, public feedback plays a key role in the development of Early Access, and its reaction, and above all the hope of a wider audience interested in The Rogue Prince of Persia, will determine the future of its success. This year with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, we have already seen that the saga deserves better results for its good work. But this may affect the project and they should tread carefully. Because there’s no time here to reverse it.