Summary
There are a handful of Metroidvania tropes thatPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownnails, yet the one notion it knocks out of the park is how adaptable many games may be to the 2D or 2.5D side-scrolling genre. There are enough of these Metroidvanias with tough combat and tougher platforming out there now thatPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownmight not necessarily create a cataclysmic impact for some, but how it iterates onPrince of Persiain this space is truly commendable.
In essence,The Lost Crownhas all the makings of an excellentPrince of Persiagame. Its platforming is key here because wall-running and such traversal translates well to a Metroidvania with rigid geometry in its environments, leading to platforming options that aren’t unfamiliar to games likeBlasphemous2orMetroid Dread. There are many influences peppered throughout that help reinforce its transition to the genre, and it would be terrific now to seeGod of Warmake a similar leap even if that’s highly unlikely.
Is God of War Ready to Make the Metroidvania Leap?
Prince of Persia’s Hop to a Metroidvania Should Be Inspirational
God of Warrecently reinvented itself with its titular fourth mainline entry back in 2018 and it’s enjoyed the spoils of an over-the-shoulder camera and elaborate combat systems since. There’s no reason to believe that Santa Monica wants to switch up its highly cinematic direction any time soon, either, as it helps strengthen its storytelling emphasis with a one-shot camera that follows the playable protagonist wherever they go.
God of War Ragnarokspruced up the new saga’s traversal, which was arguably stiff and slow in its predecessor, giving Kratos the ability to clear gaps with the Blades of Chaos and interact with environments far more.
It’s nice to have another way to progress through levels besides having to make one’s way up a wall or row a canoe upstream, and that fluidity in movement will hopefully be expanded on further with both Kratos and Atreus as their stories continue on diverging paths. Now, whilePrince of Persia’s last game was released over a decade agoand a reinvention of its approach was warmly welcomed,God of Warcould still find it fortuitous to branch out with a Metroidvania of its own.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Lays the Brickwork for God of War
God of War’s Hack-’n-Slash Days Show How It Could Transition to a Metroidvania
Remakes of theoriginalGod of Wargames as Metroidvaniaswould be intriguing, but would also likely be disappointing to anyone who prefers their nostalgic and dated hack-’n-slash genre. Instead, if a newGod of Warwas made that fit somewhere else in the timeline and could behave as a spin-off, it might be more agreeable. Either way, aGod of WarMetroidvania with the art style ofPrince of Persia: The Lost Crowncould be phenomenal, especially withRagnarok’s traversal methods and more being adapted.
God of Warcould have similar hack-’n-slash combat asThe Lost Crownand even go back to its roots in that case, flailing the Blades of Chaos about and using them to reach ledges and platforms from a distance. Then, depending on when in the timeline it was set and which saga or mythology it’s involving, it could employ a series of other weapons and items to enhance gameplay. Transitioning fromGod of War’s archaic hack-’n-slashto a Metroidvania would have been a far simpler endeavor, to be sure, but there’s no telling how popular the former could be as even a one-off from Santa Monica.
PlayStation’s first-party games seem to be inspired by the roguelike genre at the moment, for example, and if Metroidvanias reach the same level of popularity in the near future it’s possible that something akin to that might be on the table. If for no other reason,The Lost Crownalso demonstrates how phenomenal it could be to seeGod of War’s enormous boss fight spectacles in the same space.
