![Key art for The Rogue: Prince of Persia, featuring a styilized version of the titular Prince. Key art for The Rogue: Prince of Persia, featuring a styilized version of the titular Prince.](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt740a130ae3c5d529/blt17feef46e989fee6/66169d608025e6d15fe9d47a/therogueprinceofpersiafeatured.jpg?width=1280&auto=webp&quality=95&format=jpg&disable=upscale)
At a Glance
- Dead Cells developer Evil Empire is bringing a roguelike version of Ubisoft's Prince of Persia series to Early Access.
- This will be the second Prince of Persia game released in 2024 following Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
- Evil Empire's take on Prince of Persia is more inspired by Jordan Mechner's original game than its 3D successors.
Ubisoft's Prince of Persia series is having a bit of a resurgence in 2024, and it's been all about embracing the original’s sidescrolling roots. Today Ubisoft unveiled a ‘roguelite’ sidescrolling Prince of Persia game called The Rogue: Prince of Persia, the second game bearing the Prince of Persia branding to debut this year.
With The Rogue: Prince of Persia, developer Evil Empire brings their experience developing Dead Cells (originally by Motion Twin) with the Prince of Persia series’ scope and sense of adventure. The game will also follow Dead Cells’ precedent of launching in Early Access, with a slew of content updates already in the pipeline.
In an email interview with Game Developer, game director Lucie Dewagnier and art director Dylan Eurlings shared details about the process of bringing the Prince of Persia series to the roguelike genre, and how Evil Empire’s time working on Dead Cells taught them the importance of sticking to what makes classic 2D adventures so enjoyable.
The Rogue: Prince of Persia emphasizes fluid platforming and combat over complex upgrades
In The Rogue: Prince of Persia, you take on the role of the titular Prince, heir to the throne of a fictional kingdom inspired by the Persian city of Ctesiphon. Following an invasion from a Hun army led by a ruthless warlord, the Prince tries and fails to beat back the many foes and generals that have swarmed the kingdom, but he inevitably falls in battle.
Thanks to a mysterious artifact in his possession, the Prince returns to the beginning of his mission while retaining the knowledge from his previous attempt. Using his experiences and growing skills, the Prince unlocks new tactics and abilities to put him on equal footing with the Hun army, and encounters more of the magical powers inhabiting the land.
![A screenshot from The Rogue: Prince of Persia. The Prince slides down a ramp. A screenshot from The Rogue: Prince of Persia. The Prince slides down a ramp.](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt740a130ae3c5d529/bltf3a925f131760ad2/66169ce107e66d2d57bcfd9f/RPOP_Screenshot_Untitled_25_Announcement_041024_745PM_CEST.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Image via Evil Empire/Ubisoft.
The Rogue carries many familiar roguelite-isms from games like Dead Cells and Supergiant Games’ Hades—the procedurally generated stages, randomized loot drops, and a sprawling setting that gets more dense as you explore. However, Evil Empire's take on Prince of Persia sticks close to the series' focus on graceful, acrobatic combat and fast-paced platforming. It’s generally less concerned about being an action-RPG that expects players to crunch numbers and keep track of complex loadouts.
According to Evil Empire art director Dylan Eurlings, The Rogue: Prince of Persia is about embracing the original Prince of Persia