Prince of Persia and the odd state of Early Access
Why does a company the size of Ubisoft want to release a game incomplete?
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Prince of Persia is back — again! For the second time this year, Ubisoft has released a new Prince of Persia game that shifts the series to a new genre. Rogue Prince of Persia is, as the name suggests, a roguelike. Built by the team that steered Dead Cells through its post-launch updates, Rogue Prince of Persia builds on the Dead Cells formula in clever ways. But! In a market full of killer games in this genre, where does this new, incomplete one stand?
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This week on The Besties Bonus Patreon: There’s so much new stuff on the Patreon! Last week, we premiered The Besties Battle Bracket on roguelikes — a must-listen for longtime fans of the show. And this Tuesday, The Resties gush over the indie heir to The Simpsons: Hit & Run’s delightful formula, and a brand new FPS that feels like Half-Life and is built on a maximalist version of the Doom engine. Plus, Plante takes a moment to give a genuine, spoiler-free pitch for 1000xResist.
Games discussed:
Rogue Prince of Persia, Destiny 2: The Final Shape, 1000xResist
Games discussed from PlayStation’s State of Play:
Astro Bot, Silent Hill 2 remake, Concord, Alien Incursion, PSVR2, Dynasty Warriors Origins, Infinity Nikki, Monster Hunter Wilds
Stand-up discussed:
Jenny Tian: Picture This
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Next week on The Besties:
On next week’s The Besties: Our thoughts on Summer Game Fest announcements, surprise releases, and the state of the video game industry in 2024
Bonus links:
Plante on Indika and “What makes a game cinematic?”
Disney published a full POV ride-through of Tiana’s Bayou, the overdue Splash Mountain replacement
The reaction that everyone has whenever Plante talks about an abstract narrative heavy game is how all of us that are sick of hearing about souls likes have all of the time.
I can kind of see why a company would want to release a game in Early Access, but I just cannot see my way to paying them for it. It feels like paying them for the privilege of being their beta tester, and that is a solid no from me and my games budget.