Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown kicked off Summer Game Fest with a surprise trailer (although its soundtrack did leak just before the show). Many were taken aback by this entry, though, as this 2.5D search action platformer is a little different from the 3D Prince of Persia games. However, Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner is not one of those people and has voiced his support for this game.
Prince of Persia’s creator is looking forward to The Lost Crown
Mechner posted his thoughts on his blog. Although he said he didn’t write the game or “have a direct role” in its development, Mechner explained that he was “eagerly awaiting” the reveal and praised the Montpellier team leading The Lost Crown.
“Ubisoft’s storied Montpellier studio and ‘French touch’ were a big part of what drew me in 2001, when we first joined forces to reboot Prince of Persia (The Sands of Time), and again in 2017,” said Mechner. “A number of Montpellier hands have also worked in Montreal, including some of the best talent I’ve had the privilege to work with anywhere.
“I’ve seen their dedication and love for POP at close range; we’ve immersed ourselves together in Persian mythology and gameplay on past projects. It’s no coincidence that this group of people is the one to finally crack the challenge of reinventing POP for a new generation of gamers.”
This comes amidst a huge outcry that is most easily represented by the dislikes the trailer has on YouTube. The one on the official Ubisoft channel currently has roughly 5,300 likes and 20,000 dislikes. The video on PlayStation’s YouTube channel has around 5,900 likes and 17,000 dislikes. That general pattern is in line with the other versions of the trailer on IGN, GameSpot, and GameTrailers (although the one on Nintendo’s channel is more or less split down the middle). The sentiment comes in the absence of a more traditional Prince of Persia game and the troubled development of the Sands of Time remake.
However, Mechner once again reiterated his support for the studio and said he’s watched the team work on it for years.
“I know the talented POP team at Ubisoft Montpellier well, I’ve watched them pour their hearts and passion into this project over three years from pre-conception to full beta, and I couldn’t be more excited,” said Mechner. “This is the Prince of Persia game I’ve been wishing for.”
Mechner has lightly spoken out against only one Prince of Persia game in the past. In 2005, he said he was “not a fan” of the edgy Warrior Within, which dialed up the violence and angst. But he did say he was “glad” that Warrior Within’s follow-up, The Two Thrones, returned to a being a game for both kids and adults.
Mechner is most known for creating the original Prince of Persia in 1989 and its 1993 sequel. This is about a decade before Ubisoft released Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which was, like The Lost Crown, a visual departure from what came before. Mechner was a creative consultant, designer, and scenario writer on the pivotal 2003 title, but didn’t have a heavy role in games that came out after. However, he also wrote two Prince of Persia graphic novels and the first drafts of the story for the 2010 Jake Gyllenhaal-led film.
