expert evaluation
merit
- Stylish and colorful graphics
- Combat feels fast and fluid.
- Various difficulty levels available
disadvantage
- Only available on the Mac App Store
- There are currently no DLC packs available.
- Works best with a controller.
our verdict
The precise timing required for the game’s combat and movement can be frustrating if you’re not used to arcade games, but it’s nice to see Prince Of Persia back on the Mac, and this latest chapter is one of the best arcade games currently available. vein.
Price upon review
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best price today
Price upon review
$39.99
Best price today: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
It’s been quite a while since the Prince Of Persia game was released on Mac, and The Lost Crown episode itself was first released for Windows PC in early 2024. But it has just appeared on the Mac App Store. Little fanfare – and it’s quickly climbing Apple’s gaming charts.
For more Mac games we recommend, read our Best Games for Mac.
Lost Crown has been really popular in the past because it’s a side-scrolling ‘Metroidvania’, a game that combines the combat and platform jumping elements of the Metroid and Castlevania arcade games (which were never officially released). Scotsman). However, no knowledge of the previous game is required as The Lost Crown has its own story where you play a young warrior named Sargon, part of a group calling themselves The Immortals.
The game begins with the kingdom of Persia being attacked by enemy forces, and Prince Ghassan being taken prisoner and trapped on the magical Mount Kaf. Sargon and his friend set out to rescue the prince, but soon discover that Mount Khaf is filled with mysterious enemies, puzzles, and obstacles to overcome.
The game uses detailed, colorful graphics that appear to be 3D, at least for the main character, but mostly it’s presented like an old-school 2D platformer where you run left or right across the screen and use the space bar to jump. obstacle. But the game looks great, with detailed backgrounds that create a real atmosphere, whether you’re rushing down the corridors of a royal palace or wading through a forest.
casting
The only bad news is that the game won’t run on Intel Macs and requires an M1 processor or higher and macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or higher. However, the 2D presentation means you don’t need a powerful Mac, and I had no trouble running it at high graphics settings at 4K resolution on a MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip.
Combat in the early stages of the game is fairly simple, with mouse buttons assigned to basic and heavy attacks, as well as the ability to dodge and block incoming attacks. The opening section acts as a tutorial introducing the main moves, but the game offers five difficulty levels to make it easy for beginners to get in on the action, as well as more difficult permadeath and speed run modes for experienced players. Combat is fast and fluid, but would probably be easier using a game controller. This is because I found that parrying attacks using keyboard and mouse controls required very precise timing and that it took quite a few attempts to get past the first boss. Battle at the start of the game.
casting
There aren’t many games for the Mac that focus on parkour movement like Prince Of Persia, which requires you to run, jump, and climb with extreme precision to get past various obstacles. This can be tricky too, as you need to press the spacebar to fast jump, hold it to jump higher, and many obstacles require you to quickly jump left and right to reach the next area. Otherwise you won’t be able to reach it. It’s a little tricky with a keyboard, so you might find it easier to play with a controller (there are assistance options to help you overcome some of these obstacles, but most of the fun lies in learning how to master the combat and movement abilities). ).
As you progress further in the game, you’ll learn to master a magical energy called Athra that gives you more powerful attacks, and you can also find or buy magical amulets that give you additional power. And of course, a traditional feature of Prince Of Persia games is the use of the ‘Power of Time’, which allows you to manipulate time to avoid death or outsmart your enemies.
Should you buy Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown?
The need for very precise timing during combat and movement may be frustrating for beginners, but if you’re a fan of arcade games, The Lost Crown is a great way to relive some of your missed youth. What’s a bit annoying, though, is that the Mac version only seems to be on the Mac App Store at the moment, meaning people who already own the PC version on Steam or Epic won’t have access to the Mac version either (and Steam, too). It looks like Epic has additional DLC packs that aren’t currently available on the App Store either.
