So Playstation has just put up a news post that has got the Internet talking, and some, well, the responses are quite scattered. They had announced that The Rogue Prince of Persia, the side-scrolling rogue-lite action game, is now in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. For subscribers, it means that they could just download and play the game for free. Not bad, right? And the replies got me cracking up.
Well, for one, the game does look slightly interesting. Being a rogue-lite, it means you die a lot, start all over again, yet every time it’s different. And, of course, it’s Prince of Persia-referring to what was once a very classic franchise that so many of us grew up with. That’s your basic info: new game in catalog, check it out.
Scroll down and take a look at what’s out-there-wild. Some crowds got hyped up. BigMazi_300 of Forbes said, “Can’t wait to try it 🎮” Positive! Another user PromptlyAI: “Worth a look for sure.” Simple but nice. Good guy Jim Pal (@dimee91) even posted a screenshot and said, “Enjoyed it a bunch!” So it bodes well that at least one person has tried it and enjoyed it.
On the other hand, oh boy. The others are not having it. One user named goldenboy 85 went all-in: “The days of actual good, fresh games are over. I’ll say what many others are saying. ‘I’ve wasted money on a ps5!’ U all are just done making actual great games.” Now that’s a really hard take. It’s getting some replies, too. One from Keak Da Sneaks said: “Maybe you should try something daring and make ps plus worth the price.” Whooof; it’s been a long while, some players seem to think, since the subscription was worth it.
And this is where it starts to go weird. This whole business about the game’s… identity? “There’s only one Prince of Persia and he’s not gay or black,” said one user named SHAMROKH, what a comment! Yorch Torch Games went all-in with the name-calling by labeling it “Prince of Soy,” which is some sort of internet slang-based nonsense. Then, another user Paul Puddicombe, shut that down saying, “Incel behavior detected.”
Aside from the drama, come the random requests. Get Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS Plus already, they scream for a date for the State of Play, they complain about remote play (which apparently got fixed, according to an ecstatic bella ∪･ω･∪ 🏳️⚧️🇮🇪), and are even asking for customized button assignments for said touchpad. It’s sort of a miniature customer service hell.
The one by African Crusader (@diefilosoof) is quite interesting: “It’s literally just Dead Cells but Prince of Persia themed,” which actually is a good comparison if you think about it. Dead Cells is one of the next leading names in the world of roguelike-metroidvanias, so it would be a good omen for lovers of that style if this game really is something similar.
Things in general are mixed. Some could hardly wait to get stuck in; others could hardly wait to rain on it. There’s a lot more using this as a platform to voice their grouses about PlayStation in general. A reminder that gaming houses will never please all of their readers and that the web is a warzone for opinions.
The Rogue Prince of Persia, by the way, for what it’s worth, was developed by Evil Empire, the studio behind Dead Cells, so that makes for an obvious comparison. Ubisoft, owners of the Prince of Persia IP, are publishing it. Apparently, a fast-paced roguelite in which you unleash acrobatics and carnage in the form of a procedurally-generated city under siege. Early access for PC, and a full release on PS Plus.
If the thought of a rogue-like or Prince of Persia appeals to you, it is definitely worth a spin, considering it’s basically “free” with your subscription. But judging from those tweets, don’t expect the world to be happy about it. The gaming community is as divided as they’ve ever been, and this is just another day on their timeline. At least it gives you something new to play, right? Who knows, maybe you will like it. Or maybe you will add it to the ever-expanding list of titles you never got around to playing. Either way, it’s there now. Happy gaming or whatever!
