Evil Empire, the developer behind The Rogue Prince of Persia, has released the first in a series of community update videos to shed light on the game’s genesis and vision.
Matt Houghton, Evil Empire’s marketing manager, acknowledged the game’s unconventional nature as it is an Early Access title from a studio primarily known for Dead Cells DLC. However, Houghton assures players that The Rogue Prince of Persia is not a rehash of their previous work.
The concept for the game emerged at GDC, a convention for game developers, where Evil Empire members had a chance encounter with Ubisoft representatives. Houghton recounts how the idea of using their Dead Cells experience to create a 2D Prince of Persia action platformer was casually discussed. Eventually, Evil Empire submitted a formal pitch, and Ubisoft signed them on to develop the game.
Despite its origins as a 2D cinematic platformer, The Rogue Prince is heavily influenced by modern entries in the franchise, emphasizing fast-paced combat and fluid acrobatics. Houghton stresses that The Rogue Prince of Persia is designed to be a genuine Prince of Persia game, albeit a smaller version.
Evil Empire’s decision to launch the game in Early Access is deliberate, drawing inspiration from the positive experiences of other successful indie games like Dead Cells, Hades, Subnautica, Slay the Spire, and Baldur’s Gate 3. The team believes that community feedback will play a vital role in shaping and improving The Rogue Prince of Persia over time.
