Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has many different layers to its combat and exploration that can be difficult for beginners to wrap their heads around without knowing some important tricks first. You play as Sargon, the youngest member of an elite group called the Immortals who defend Persia. The challenges and time-warping effects of The Citadel, where your journey takes place, will test every ability you have at your disposal.
The first two quests of the game will take you through tutorial levels designed to teach you the basics behind combat in the game. Prince of Persia: TLC is a modern Metroidvania with a unique fighting system closer to the Devil May Cry series. When you progress far enough to reach The Haven hub area, you can receive additional tips about the battle from the NPC Artaban as you unlock new skills.
8 Learn To Parry Early
Block and Counter Attacks
Early in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, you will discover that nearly every enemy attack can be parried with Sargon’s twin swords by pressing L2. However, the difficulty of your adventure determines how tight the timing window is to perform this defensive maneuver. Learning how long this move lasts and when it activates is crucial to understanding the fundamentals of combat before reaching the Citadel.
Some enemies will try and hit you with a significant attack surrounded by a yellow aura, but these attacks are meant to be parried. Suppose Sargon counters a yellow attack, a small cinematic plays where you deal a ton of damage to that foe. This even works on some bosses, but keep in mind that you need to time your parry correctly to avoid taking more damage from the incoming hit than you normally would.
7 Launch Enemies Into The Air
Air Combos are the Best
Like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, there are many ways to fight enemies as you gain new skills. One of the most important techniques Sargon can do is to knock an enemy into the air and follow up with an air combo. There are a ton of moves at your disposal to knock enemies into the sky, but some are only unlocked after you progress through your main quest.
Pressing your attack button after sliding, inputting Up + Attack at the same time, or using a Sweep with Down + Attack are all excellent methods for getting enemies off the ground. Any of these moves causes a foe to be suspended in the air at the mercy of your attacks. Simply jump up and continue landing strikes to deal massive damage while your opponent can’t resist in Prince of Persia: TLC.
6 Preserve Sargon’s Athra
Keep Your Surges Ready
Athra is the life force that connects all things, and Sargon can channel this energy into extremely powerful moves called Athra Surges. Unleashing a Surge can do various things, from dealing damage to enemies to placing down a pool to restore your health. As a result, you want to keep this energy source as full as possible while exploring the Citadel.
Your Athra increases when you land attacks on enemies or successfully land parries against an opponent’s attacks. You lose Athra if you take damage from enemy strikes or obstacles seen throughout your explorations. Be careful not to run into different environmental hazards if you can help it to keep as much Athra as possible for boss fights in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
5 Search For Wak-Wak Trees
Find Your Nearest Pit-Stop
A Wak-Wak Tree is one of the most important landmarks you can discover around the Citadel due to its healing properties. These golden plants restore your health and any resources you may have spent while exploring. These areas become visible on your map, similar to hidden spots or flashing rooms seen in Metroid Dread, another game of the same genre.
You can also change your Amulets and Athra Surges at a Wak-Wak Tree, making them the first thing you should track down whenever you arrive in a new region. Golden leaves along the ground are a clue to where the next Tree can be found. Follow the air currents moving the leaves to see a path leading to a Wak-Wak Tree’s welcoming embrace.
4 Accept Every Side Quest
More Rewards = More Items
The natural exploration of Prince of Persia: TLC will cause you to encounter NPCs with side quests you can accept. It’s recommended to add as many of these missions to your list as possible since each offers Time Crystals or Xerxes Coins as rewards. These currencies can be spent on new items or upgrades to improve Sargon’s combat prowess even further during your adventure.
3 Equip Powerful Amulets
Customize Sargon’s Necklace
Amulets are the core buffs you can apply to Sargon through special items you get by defeating bosses, finishing quests, or in chests throughout Mount Qaf. Each Amulet takes up several slots on Sargon’s Necklace, allowing you to mix and match them differently. The culmination of abilities you can equip in Prince of Persia: TLC allows for surprisingly deep customization.
Once you meet the fire goddess, Sargon can also upgrade each Amulet you find at Kaheva’s Forge. You will need plenty of money to buy better enhancementsto face the growing challenges of the Citadel.
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2 Buy Maps From Fariba
See How Areas Look
A young girl named Fariba can be found in hidden locations around the Citadel and offers Sargon advice about navigating the mysterious time curse afflicting Mount Qaf. This NPC also sells a map of whatever region you find her in, which gives you an outline of that region. Those looking to find treasures like Soma Petals for health upgrades will want to buy this map expansion to leave no stone unturned.
Fariba only asks for 50 Time Crystals to unlock an area’s map outline, but keep in mind that dying makes you automatically lose 10 Crystals before you return to your last Wak-Wak Tree. If you are running low, you should be able to easily farm enemies for enough Crystals in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
1 Use Memory Shards To Remember Places
Leave Images to Return To
One of the most frustrating parts of a Metroidvania-style game is remembering the places around the map that you can reach after getting new skills or upgrades. Thankfully, Prince of Persia: TLC adds a defining feature in the form of Memory Shards, which take a screenshot of your current location and keep that image on your map for you to check anytime.
Memory Shards appear as small eyes on your map and can be hovered over whenever you check Sargon’s Eye of the Wanderer in Prince of Persia: TLC. You only have a limited amount of Shards until you get upgrades later in the game, but even one of these is a fantastic way to remember old spots you passed over because you didn’t have the right ability to explore that area.
You can see how Memory Shards look by watching developer Ubisoft’s YouTube video showcasing the many surprises in this game’s world. For those playing a Metroidvania for the first time, this feature is something you need to know in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown to explore without the usual tedium that sometimes comes with this celebrated genre.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Franchise
- Prince of Persia
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows , Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , Amazon Luna
- Released
- January 17, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Genre(s)
- Action , Adventure , Platformer
- ESRB
- T
