Uncovering the Shonen Anime Influences in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

I find myself in an interesting position with Prince of Persia. Although I am a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed series, which clearly drew inspiration from a potential Prince of Persia sequel, I have never actually played the original Prince of Persia games that served as its inspiration. Therefore, the return of the series in 2024 with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is particularly exciting for me as it offers the opportunity to finally understand the appeal of the series without having to go back and play games that are over two decades old (and even older if you consider the original Broderbund titles).

I had the chance to play just under four hours of The Lost Crown during a preview event and thoroughly enjoyed it. The game's initial hours feature exciting combat that encourages players to master impressive combos, challenging boss battles, engaging music, and memorable characters. Also, the "The Eye of the Wanderer" feature, which allows players to pin screenshots to their in-game map as visual reminders of chests to return to, hidden traps to avoid, and secrets to remember, is a fantastic addition that should be included in every metroidvania game moving forward.

After my time with The Lost Crown, I had a sit-down with Joseph-Antoine Clavet, the cinematic lead, to delve into the game's sources of inspiration, narrative themes, and The Eye of the Wanderer feature. Our discussion ended up centering more on shōnen anime than I had anticipated, with references to the likes of Dragon Ball and Naruto. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is set to be released for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC on January 18, 2024.

Our Website: What was the intention behind the visual direction, especially with the inclusion of so many vibrant and bright colors?

The influence of shōnen anime is evident in Clavet's observations, where heavy topics are balanced with bright, poppy colors, making the game visually appealing and accessible without being too dark. The deep meaning of existence is still present in the game, similar to the themes found in shōnen anime. Game director Mounir Radi often compares the character Sargon to Vegeta from the anime, emphasizing the ongoing inspiration from shōnen anime in the game.

The visuals will be vibrant and colorful, but the narrative will convey a sense of anger and a desire to be incredibly powerful, possibly at the expense of other aspects of strength. Similar to the way Naruto addresses deep dark themes with a poppy presentation.

In addition, creating a metroidvania game with fast-paced action and off-screen elements, the contrast in colors will enhance the readability of the screen.

The Manticore boss fight gave me a shōnen anime vibe, especially when I saw Sargon effortlessly catch and toss the beast after it charged at him.

Sargon harnesses the power of chi, ki, or life essence, drawing it from his inner rage. This allows him to access superhuman abilities.

We sought a sense of self-assuredness in the protagonist, a balance between confidence and a drive for improvement. While being confident is admirable, we also wanted to explore the concept of true strength. This led us to repeatedly ask ourselves, "What does it mean to be strong?" The archetypal warrior's journey was integral to this exploration. Consider the life of Miyamoto Musashi, one of history's greatest swordsmen, who defeated over 60 opponents in duels. However, he also understood that true strength encompassed abilities such as calligraphy, poetry, kindness, and the nurturing of relationships. We aimed to create a character in the mold of Miyamoto Musashi: a figure like Sargon who must evolve beyond mere physical prowess.

Are there any skills in the game that focus on gaining knowledge or improving mental abilities? Or, are the majority of upgrades centered around combat, like in most metroidvania games?

No, you won't gain abilities that enhance your artistic skills. It's not designed like that. However, we aimed to use the narrative elements and the character relationships to also improve the protagonist's mind.

Because ultimately, a metroidvania must deliver a seamless and engaging gameplay experience. Personally, I believe it's an exceptional game that allows for exploration of the storyline and attention to the finer details. While following the main path is satisfying, I find that the side quests play a key role in fleshing out Sargon's character.

The concept of being able to swiftly capture a screenshot and overlay it onto the map is a game-changer. I believe that this feature is now imperative for all future metroidvania games. I only wish I had this capability when playing Hollow Knight.

Everybody loves it. We started thinking, "How can we make it easier to remember the map?" Many of us on the team are now busy making games, so we don't have as much time to play. Sometimes we won't play for a week or two and then struggle to remember where certain things are located.

We wanted to provide players with a tool to keep the story moving forward and always feeling fresh. The memory charts were designed to make it easier for players to pick up where they left off, although some hardcore Metroid fans choose not to use them. However, for those who don't mind, we believe that having this tool in the game will enhance the overall experience for all players.

This interview was edited for both brevity and readability.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I am excited about the upcoming release of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and appreciate the developers' decision to draw inspiration from shonen anime. The vibrant colors, engaging combat, and memorable characters all contribute to the game's appeal. The "Eye of the Wanderer" feature is a fantastic addition that enhances the gameplay experience and should be included in future metroidvania games.

The influence of shonen anime on the game's visual direction and narrative themes is intriguing. The balance between heavy topics and bright colors creates an engaging and accessible experience, similar to popular anime series like Dragon Ball and Naruto. The comparison of Sargon to Vegeta highlights the ongoing inspiration from shonen anime in the game. The Manticore boss fight further emphasizes this influence, with Sargon effortlessly catching and tossing the beast, reminiscent of iconic anime moments. The exploration of true strength beyond mere physical prowess adds depth to the character and aligns with the archetypal warrior's journey. Overall, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown seems to offer a captivating blend of action, adventure, and shonen anime influences that is sure to appeal to a wide range of gamers.