The gaming world has seen a surge in the ‘Soulslike’ subgenre, a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. While many games have been labeled as Soulslike, some may not fit the bill entirely, such as 'Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.' However, it's evident that the influence of Soulslike design has played a role in shaping Ubisoft Montpellier’s 2.5D Metroidvania.
Modern Metroidvanias, including 'Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown,' draw inspiration from features prominent in Soulslikes, such as the need to recover valuables upon death and the presence of health-recovering checkpoints. In particular, the game's boss fights against main antagonist Vahram bear resemblance to the design of FromSoftware’s work.
Comparing Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
While 'Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown' and 'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice' differ greatly in their narratives, the approach to their main antagonists, Vahram and Genichiro Ashina, shares striking similarities. Both bosses are encountered multiple times, with the initial encounters designed for players to lose and the subsequent ones being winnable, leading to a final showdown with evolved forms and multiple battle phases.
Similar Boss Structures of Vahram and Genichiro
Vahram in 'The Lost Crown' shares a connection with protagonist Sargon as both belong to the Immortals, adding weight to his betrayal and murder of Prince Ghassan. Similarly, Genichiro's early confrontation in 'Sekiro' and Vahram’s delayed reveal of deception create impactful moments. The initial fights are intentionally challenging, yet victory is possible for skilled players.
The rematch in 'The Lost Crown' revisits the same boss stage and initial phases, as it is technically the same encounter. In contrast, 'Sekiro' presents a second confrontation with Genichiro at Ashina Castle, introducing new phases and abilities, including the Way of Tomoe.
Epic Final Boss Fights
The third and final encounters with Vahram and Genichiro are the most elaborate and challenging. Vahram wields god-like time and space powers and undergoes a transformation with four distinct phases, each rewinding time and restarting the fight. Meanwhile, in 'Sekiro,' the third encounter with Genichiro sees him summoning his grandfather, Isshin, resulting in an intense battle across four phases and health bars.