Turning a 35-year-old legendary franchise into a punishing, “die-and-retry” roguelite is a massive gamble. But if anyone was going to pull it off, it had to be the team at Evil Empire. After years of carrying the torch for Dead Cells, they’ve taken the keys to Ubisoft’s Persian palace, and the result is honestly one of the smoothest action games I’ve touched in 2026.
Core Features:
- Smooth, fast-paced parkour with background wall-running and aerial dodging.
- Randomly generated levels, so no two runs are ever exactly the same.
- Dozens of unlockable weapons and medallions to mix and match.
- An awesome, upbeat soundtrack that matches your speed and momentum.
- Permanent upgrades you can unlock to make your future runs easier.
From Dead Cells Drama to Persian Parkour
For those who missed the industry gossip, Evil Empire’s transition to this project wasn’t exactly quiet. After Motion Twin abruptly pulled the plug on Dead Cells content (much to everyone’s annoyance), the devs literally walked 300 meters down the street to Ubisoft’s Bordeaux office to pitch this. You can feel that “leftover creative energy” in every frame of The Rogue Prince of Persia.
It’s All About the Flow
The first thing you’ll notice isn’t the combat—it’s the movement. Evil Empire didn’t just copy-paste the classic Prince of Persia acrobatics; they perfected them. Wall-running, swinging from poles, and flipping over enemies feels incredibly fluid. In most roguelites, the platforming is just a way to get to the next fight. Here, the movement is the game.
The combat is equally tactical. Instead of a boring, linear skill tree, you’re building your kit on the fly with elemental medallions and a massive arsenal of weapons. It’s a bit more forgiving than Hades or Dead Cells, focusing more on making you feel like a parkour god than punishing a single missed frame. That said, don’t get too comfortable—the Huns will still wreck you if you get cocky.
What’s Coming in the 2026 Roadmap?
The game recently hit a massive milestone with nearly 1 million players, and the Steam reviews have jumped to a solid 88%. To keep that momentum going, the Spring 2026 roadmap is looking packed:
- The Breathless Update (Late March): This is a big one. It’s retooling the early game biomes to be faster and meaner, plus adding a new freeze-element slingshot.
- End Game Update (May): For the masochists among us, this will introduce a dedicated Speed Run mode and “Daily Awakenings” to keep the veterans busy.
- The Fun Stuff: They’ve just added “Flaming Horses” (a chaotic screen-clear inspired by the Year of the Fire Horse) and yes, vinyl soundtracks are finally on the way.
The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
Is it perfect? No. The enemy variety still feels a bit thin compared to the sheer depth of Dead Cells, and if you’re playing on PC, you might run into some annoying micro-stutters that definitely need a patch.
However, if you’re on PS5, this is a no-brainer. It’s a beautifully animated, high-octane reimagining of a classic that actually respects your time. It’s bold, it’s fast, and it proves that the Prince still has plenty of life left in him—even if he has to die a thousand times to prove it.
Fun Fact Sheet:
- Close Quarters: The developers at Evil Empire are practically neighbors with Ubisoft—their offices are just 300 meters apart!
- Dodging the Underworld: The game’s original Early Access launch was delayed by roughly two weeks just so they wouldn’t have to compete with the surprise release of Hades II.
- Direct Lineage: They pitched this game to Ubisoft while Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was still in its early testing phase!
So, what do you think? Are you ready to wall-run your way through Persia, or are the PC stutters holding you back? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
ID Card
- Developer: Evil Empire
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Engine: Unity
- Platforms: PC (Steam, Epic, Ubisoft Connect), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- Release Date: August 20, 2025 (1.0 Release)
- Genre: Action Roguelite / Platformer
Dev & Play Media 
Leave a comment