Summary
2024 has already been quite the year for thePrince of Persiafranchise, and it’s about to get even better thanks to the upcomingThe Rogue Prince of Persia. The first mainlinePrince of Persiagame in14 years,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownbrought the franchise backin style earlier this year, offering a stellar Metroidvania experience that not only pushed the franchise forward into exciting new territory, but the entire Metroidvania genre as a whole.
But it turns out thePrince of Persiafranchise had a lot more cooking than many thought. Announced just a week ago,The Rogue Prince of Persiais, as the name implies, a roguelike action-platformer that sees the player take control of the titular Prince once more, this time battling against the dark magics of an oncoming Hun invasion. That invasion givesThe Rogue Prince of Persiaa fairly clear time setting, though fitting that into the widerPrince of Persiatimeline isn’t quite as straightforward.
How The Rogue Prince of Persia Fits Into the Series Timeline
The Current Prince of Persia Timeline
Put simply,thePrince of Persiatimelineis incredibly convoluted. In real-world history, the ancient Persian Empire is thought to have lasted between 559 BC and 331 BC, though, obviously, Persia existed as a named nation right up until the 1930s. ManyPrince of Persiagames never officially state when they are set, making establishing a concrete timeline virtually impossible, with some potentially taking place during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, and some possibly being set in medieval-era Persia.
The originalPrince of Persiatrilogy, released in 1989, 1993, and 1999 respectively, is believed to be set at some point during Persia’s medieval era. In real-world history, this medieval era began sometime during the early 7th century with an event known as the Islamic Conquest of Persia, and lasted all the way up to the early 16th century with the fall of the Timurid Empire. TheoriginalPrince of Persiatrilogylikely takes place towards the beginning of this medieval period, though there’s no clear evidence to support that.
The belovedPrince of Persia: The Sands of Timeand its sequels-Warrior Within,Two Thrones, and technicallyThe Forgotten Sands -are all set during the 9th century according to some old developer comments, though some fans have since questioned the validity of these claims with the real-world timeline not quite matching up to in-game events. For instance, inPrince of Persia: The Two Thrones, players visit Babylon, a city believed to have fallen all the way back in 539 BC, over 1000 years before the events ofThe Two Thrones.
As if that wasn’t all vague enough already, thePrince of Persiatimeline is further marred by a severe lack of continuity between entries. With every reboot thatthePrince of Persiaseriesundergoes, the less connected the entire franchise becomes. The Prince is rarely the same character between entries, and thus the era each game is set in is also rarely consistent. Essentially, there is no concretePrince of Persiatimeline.
When The Rogue Prince of Persia Takes Place
That all being said,The Rogue Prince of Persiacould technically fit into the wider franchise timeline if it needed to. According todeveloper Evil Empire,The Rogue Prince of Persiawill take place during a Hun invasion of the Persian capital, Ctesiphon. Though the in-game conflict hasn’t been directly connected with a real-world invasion, there is one historical period that lines up well, and that’s the Hunnic Invasion of 395 AD, where Hun commanders Basiq and Kursich threatened to seize the Persian capital of Ctesiphon, eventually retreating upon hearing that the Sasanian army was on its way. This could technically placeThe Rogue Prince of Persiabetween the original trilogy andSands of Time, though it’s likely that allPrince of Persiasub-series are pretty much standalone at this point.
The Rogue Prince of Persia
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience a fast-paced, challenging but accessible roguelite as you master acrobatic moves and flow seamlessly between platforming and combat. Find new weapons, equip trinkets with special effects and upgrade them to make your own builds. Discover new characters, information and areas as you attempt to find a way to save Persia from a Hun invasion and become the hero you have always wanted to be.Lead the Prince in his fight against a Hun army corrupted by dark shamanic magic and find your place in the royal family as you explore a vibrant reinterpretation of Persia. Put the pieces of the puzzle together and discover new areas as you enter the fight again and again, meeting a cast of colorful characters through non-linear story progression.Flow seamlessly between platforming and combat, using your acrobatic moves to outmaneuver and outsmart your enemies. Use the iconic wall-run to open new routes of attack, avoid traps and explore hard to reach areas. Kick and dodge to manage groups of enemies when the odds are against you.Choose from a variety of deadly weapons and equip new medallions each run to unleash devastating effects, giving you the freedom to change your fighting style as you wish. Secondary weapons offer even more options, from bows to shields to grappling hooks. Switch your loadout mid-run to adapt to new challenges.
