#Vahram

[balamist]

something something the immortals help their newest member develop his new signature look and it works a bit too well

[psychopathic-moves]

Sargon + a big shirt

Sargon + the big shirt’s owner

[hyeonje]

[hyeonoll]

Body types of my two favorite characters and PoP The Lost Crown in a nutshell

[pedroam-bang]

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024)

[ojisanmansion]

[kyndaris]

Ascending Mount Qaf

Prince of Persia is a franchise I have faithfully followed since childhood. While I was predominantly occupied by Kingdom Hearts and enjoyed many of Sony's mascot games including Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, and Sly Cooper, there was something about Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time that immediately captured my interest. Although I didn't begin playing it from the start, as soon as I got Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones on my PlayStation Portable, I was sucked in. Especially given how athletic the Prince was as he darted in and around against his foes, absorbing the sand from his enemies and having access to time powers. These concepts blew little Kyndaris's mind. And if Blinx had ever come to PlayStation, I would have gobbled up those games just as readily with all the others.

Since The Two Thrones, titles for the Prince of Persia has been few and far between, with only a reboot game and then the Forgotten Sands entry. After all, when Assassin's Creed and Far Cry can make Ubisoft buttloads of money, there's no need to introduce a competitor to your primary money-making machine.

All that changed with the shock announcement of the Sands of Time remake. Unfortunately, the title has been delayed. Perhaps indefinitely. To ameliorate the discontent of gamer's everywhere, we were bequeathed Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown instead.

This game, unlike the 3D titles that captured the hearts and minds of many, is a metroidvania-style game where you are thrust into the shoes of Sargon, a member of the Immortals. After the prince is kidnapped, Sargon and the Immortals set out to rescue him on the mythical Mount Qaf and find themselves trapped in a place where time no longer flows as it once did.

Along the way, Sargon unlocks special abilities by collecting Simurgh feathers and faces off against alternate versions of himself. About a third of the way through the game, Sargon catches up to Anahita and the Prince, only for the leader of the Immortals, Vahram, to murder the prince and throws Sargon from a cliff. After surviving the fall, Sargon seeks a way to go back in time to stop Vahram.

Although Sargon is successful, he loses Anahita in the process. As he battles against Vahram, he learned the leader of the Immortals is the long lost son of King Darius, the previous king of Persia who was assassinated by Thomyris. Despite this slight, Vahram does not seek the throne. Rather, he hopes to ascend to godhood and remake the world in his vision.

The rest of the game sees Sargon seek to stop the mad Vahram. It all culminates in a battle atop Mount Qaf, harkening a little to almost every single Japanese role-playing game where the last boss is always a God, or someone who tries to claim such powers. By game's end, I did wonder if I had somehow stumbled into a Tales of or Final Fantasy title.

Of course, Vahram's redesign as Time and Space (a terrible name for a God. Perhaps try Bhunivelze? ? Maybe throw in a full Latin choir to chat throughout the entirety of the boss battle just for kicks) was a little lacklustre in my opinion.

Perhaps it's how often I've seen such stories play out that I was hoping for a little more spectacle.

That's not to mention all the plot holes scattered throughout the game, like how did young Vahram initially escape Mount Qaf in the first place to found the Immortals. If he was trapped on Mount Qaf (and players do see versions of him throughout the main story - with Sargon even helping him), why is there another version of him who is too far gone? And where did the alternate Sargons come from? When I first stumbled upon them, I was a little confused as to how they came into being. Perhaps if there had been more exposition on these phenomena, it would have made more sense.

Then there is the fact that Sargon went back in time to save Prince Ghassan. However, Menolias and Orod are apparently still dead.

Not to mention the prophecy of Mount Qaf which alludes to three Princes rather than two. And the way Thomyris allows her son, Prince Ghassan, to walk away from the throne but was more distressed when Sargon, too, left after the revelation she had usurped the throne from King Darius.

These aside, my main gripe with The Lost Crown is the tight timing when it came to parrying attacks and the punishing extra damage. Throughout most of the game, I relied more on dodging instead of relying on parries although the game does encourage such use through the amulets Sargon can equip for use.

Maybe it was simply a matter of me learning enemy patterns but I simply did not have the patience, given how risky it was.

Notably, as well, was the platforming. True, I should probably try and start to 'get good' but it's frustrating when Sargon has so many abilities and one needs to keep all of them in mind as he jumps and backflips his way through, while also crisscrossing into the unseen world to navigate his way through the Citadel. Especially given where these abilities are mapped to.

Like, I know what I'm supposed to do, but my over 30 reflexes no longer work as intended. That, or I mispress something and do something that ruins my entire run although I was just a platform away from being on safe ground.

Very frustrating.

Nobody wants to waste forty minutes trying to desperately get a King Xerxes coin. Still, it's a learning experience. And every failure is a step forward...

...is what I would say if it wasn't so rage-inducing.

This is exactly why I don't play Soulsborne games for fear that I'll always be so close to victory but have it snatched from me in the last moment.

And I simply don't have the time to keep retrying and retrying.

Well, maybe I do, but the perfectionist in me would have me throwing myself at the problem until the wee hours of the morning if I can't get it, and it still wouldn't be satisfied even if I did pull it off. There is no dopamine rush. Only stress and adrenaline that leaves me shaking.

Anyways, I can still see why gamers would still enjoy The Lost Crown. And it is a great game that has been fine-tuned for those with the skills necessary to take out all the challenges the developers have concocted. While it did prove a little frustrating to me in the later stages, the game does also include accessibility options for the main path that didn't detract from the game. In the end, it allowed me to see the end of the game and play it as I liked. Without knowing where the next Prince of Persia entry will land, The Lost Crown is still a worthy game to keep gamers busy.

More importantly, it's not another open-world entry with towers to synchronise with.

Goodness, the fatigue is real and is one of the main reasons I skipped out on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. That and I never did fall in love with James Cameron's alien world.

[salmontooth]

THE LOST CROWN SPOILERS (I think??)

@kaihoney ‘s fate swap AU!

I made Sargon more suspicious of Vahram’s actions than Ghassan because @gryffintheparrotcat and @kaihoney and I were saying how Sargon would’ve been 100x more difficult to kidnap than Ghassan, so I feel like he could sense the vibes Vahram was giving off

[star-arcana]

Prince of Persia The Lost Crown Immortal Showcase Nr#2: Vahram, The White Lion!!!

Hello everyone, here I am again for another Immortal Showcase for the upcoming Prince of Persia game, The Lost Crown!

Today, I will showcase you the fierce and cunning leader of the Immortals: Vahram:

Vahram is known as the White Lion of Persepolis [Persepolis was the capital of the first Persian Empire in the real world, the Achaemenid Empire, and lies in modern day Iran], not simply because of his chic armor or his undoubtedly good looks, but because of the fierceness and sharp intellect that he possesses, allowing him to pretty much become the greatest and best warrior in the Kingdom!!!

Vahram is not just the leader of the often-mentioned Immortals, but their founder!!!

Even from an early age, he was a cunning and powerful warrior, who got noticed by the Queen of Persia, Thomyris, who made him her most trusted general and report to her directly. For his great service and convinced that Persia needs more talented warriors like Vahram, Queen Thomyris tasked him with recruiting other powerful warriors in service of Persia!!! A mission he gladly took and succeeded in completion with the recruitment of its youngest member... Sargon!!!

With his outstanding skills as warrior and good leadership, he became a role model and mentor for many in Persia, including his Immortals, who follow him without question!

Due to his great connection to the throne, Vahram and his elite soldiers enjoy a lot more freedom to do what they want in battle than the more drilled and stricter general forces of Persia, and as such, get to perform one of Vahram's occasionally high-risky maneuvers or unorthodox tactics into the mix of his otherwise rather old-school-looking playbook of warfare, which in combination of the above stuff won them many a battle!

Once the Prince was kidnapped, he and his Immortals were set out to retrieve him at Mt.Qaf, a place that was cursed, where time no longer flows like a river would...

In order to find the Prince the fastest way possible, Vahram came up with a plan that can be described in modern terms as a Teen-Horror-Movie-like-split-up, that would allow them to find Prince Ghassan before anyone else!!!

Vahram would do ANYTHING to save his beloved Kingdom, and if someone were to fatally underestimate his cunning and battle prowess, they would surely fall to him quickly and without any way to get up, unless they earn his mercy, or just REALLY get lucky here!!!

However, the mission he partook in with the Immortals is not one easily bested, but regardless of difficulty, Vahram won't give up easily! He is the leader of the Immortals for a hundred of reasons and will do his best to save Persia!!!

Will his plan succeed or fail in finding the Prince? Will Sargon make his mentor (other than Anahita) proud? Find out on 18th January, once this game releases!!!

Stay tuned for more and fact of the day:

Vahram is super hot!!!

[graaid]

A bit of concept art for a short screenplay I'm working on. These guys are my main characters :)

[crisicsgames]

PRINCE OF PERSIA BOSS DIO VAHRAM THE END LA REGINA 🎮PS5 UHD 60f

[balamist]

no daydreaming, Sargon

[psychopathic-moves]

Quick & stupid comic abt Sargon's self assurance.

@balamist now in technicolor

[iron-idols]

Vahram Hakobyan

[hyeonoll]

You know what I mean

(Edit:correct few mistakes)

[pedroam-bang]

Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024)