The release of The Rogue Prince of Persia version 1.0 was celebrated yesterday by Evil Empire, the developers, with a candid behind-the-scenes video. The video revealed the challenges faced during the year-long Early Access period, including the decision to completely change the game’s art style and redesign the purple-skinned protagonist.
The video begins by acknowledging the struggles encountered by the Roguelike game upon its Early Access launch in May 2024. Competition from the highly anticipated Hades 2 release in the same month overshadowed The Rogue Prince of Persia. Additionally, players expressed disappointment over the game’s lack of content and its vibrant visual style inspired by Persian art and Mœbius/Jean Giraud.
The choice to give the Prince and NPCs purple skin tones was met with confusion. The developers revealed that this was a tribute to the PC CGA port of Prince of Persia from 1990, which featured neon skin tones due to limited colors. Unfortunately, this reference was not well-received by most players.
Evil Empire’s Marketing Manager, Matthew Houghton, shared, “During a discussion about character skins, our art director questioned the potential issue of making the Prince purple. Initially, everyone dismissed the concern, believing that colorful skins would enhance the fantasy element. However, the outcome proved otherwise.”
The developers not only added more content to the game but also revamped the art style to include detailed levels and a less purple Prince. This updated visual approach is reflected in the game’s key art and the album cover of its soundtrack by ASADI. However, they encountered an unexpected challenge on Steam that required them to use a Spanish phone number to update their product.
Houghton expressed gratitude towards the supportive community who provided feedback and encouragement throughout the development process. Despite facing low player numbers during Early Access, the 1.0 release marks the game as final. There is a hopeful tone in the video, hinting at the desire for the game to gain more traction to potentially pave the way for a sequel.
I plan to delve into The Rogue Prince of Persia over the weekend and am excited to experience it. While I appreciated the unconventional purple Prince design as a nostalgic nod to old computer color schemes, I understand why it didn’t resonate with all players. The game’s updated visuals now align more closely with its Persian miniature inspiration.
What struck me the most was Evil Empire’s transparency in the video. Despite their limited experience and this being their first major project after taking over Dead Cells DLC, Houghton openly acknowledged the team’s challenges. This level of honesty is refreshing in an industry often veiled in corporate jargon, especially coming from a Ubisoft-owned gaming brand. I hope that The Rogue Prince of Persia gains more attention due to this transparency.
