Year In Review—Everyone Forgets Ubisoft Had a Big Winner in 2024

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As a gamer who’s seen his fair share of highs and lows in the gaming industry, I can confidently say that Ubisoft‘s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a breath of fresh air in 2024 – a year marked by turbulence for the French giant.

2024 has been a challenging year for Ubisoft, marked by one setback after another. As the company moves forward with plans to change and improve, let’s take a moment to reflect on one of its standout successes that seems to have gone under the radar—a game that was among the best of the year.

2024 at Ubisoft seems to have been a challenging year, marked by low morale and internal conflicts as the starting point. One of the projects, The Division Heartland, unfortunately met an untimely end, joining others on the list of abandoned projects. Behind the scenes, layoffs were underway, and the long-awaited XDefiant, which had been in development for quite some time, surprisingly announced its closure just a year after launch.

Truthfully speaking, only a small portion of what the globally renowned game studio experienced over the past year has been revealed. Yet, there was a glimmer of optimism amidst the gloom; an illuminating signal that beneath its formulaic RPGs and predictable sequels, a genuine game studio with potential lies hidden.

I’m talking about Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

The Lost Crown is Lost Amongst the Shuffle

Admittedly, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown didn’t grab my attention when it was first announced. In fact, I barely recall it until a few weeks before its release. At first glance, The Lost Crown seemed like an acceptable Metroidvania-style game, but my mind kept wondering where the long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake had disappeared to.

Initially, I wasn’t very enthusiastic about a Sands of Time Remake, but after spending 10-15 hours with The Lost Crown, I found myself yearning for it to have a sequel instead. This unexpected change of heart was primarily due to some of the most enjoyable and seamless gameplay I’ve encountered in a Metroidvania game.

Sargon leads The Lost Crown, and he’s vibrant and full of character. The environment surrounding him is a breathtaking mix of cel-shaded graphics and unique landscapes. It exudes innovation and sophistication, to the point that I occasionally wondered if it was an Ubisoft production. Despite planning to launch two Assassin’s Creed games annually for the next decade, this studio continues to advocate for the outdated idea of NFTs until at least 2024.

Man, I’ve been blown away by Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown! With an impressive 86 rating on Metacritic and winning the “Innovation in Accessibility” award at The Game Awards 2024, it truly showcased its exceptional quality. It was also nominated for “Best Action/Adventure Game,” which I think it deservedly so.

A Sequel is Probably Buried in the Sand

On October 23rd, we exclusively announced that the team behind Prince of Persia was being reassigned to various projects at Ubisoft. This move aims to accelerate the development of other games, as well as reflecting on The Lost Crown’s underwhelming sales—a pattern observed by Ubisoft throughout 2024.

It appears that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown didn’t quite meet its sales goal of around a million copies, which has led some to wonder if Ubisoft might be setting their expectations too high. For now, it seems unlikely that we’ll see a sequel in the near future as this game may have been more of a one-time success.

The postponement of Assassin’s Creed Shadow for quality enhancement, along with rumored adjustments in Far Cry 7 gameplay and structure, seems like a sign of change blowing through the French company. It appears that 2025 is a pivotal moment for them to get back on course, modify their image, and reshape the storyline going forward.

Should Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown not receive a follow-up, I’ll continue to cherish the memories of it. Ubisoft dared to produce it, and it resonated with players as a victory. If you ever have some spare time, I can’t help but strongly suggest giving this hidden treasure a try. Perhaps, with enough support, it may eventually find itself entangled in the development limbo of a remake.

Have you managed to try out The Lost Crown yet? What did you make of it, do you believe it was Ubisoft’s top production of the year? Do you think it could steal the show with a follow-up release? I’d love to know your opinion on this game below.

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2024-12-25 15:49