Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown vs Sword of the Sea
Lost Crown's long platforming grind versus Sword of the Sea's short, lyrical glide — pick your pace.
Updated 25d ago
The best Ubisoft release in years — Lost Crown nails 2.5D metroidvania flow with Hollow-Knight comparisons, but Ubisoft canceled the sequel after sales disappointed.
Giant Squid's glide-and-grind traversal is pure flow — a worthy heir to Journey's throne despite the short runtime.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 8; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 8.
| Measure | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Sword of the Sea |
|---|---|---|
| Value Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown wins on value | ||
| Price now | $7.20 −76% · Ubisoft Store | $29.99 Epic Game Store |
| All-time low | $8.99 | $20.99 |
| Cost / hour | $0.43/hr $7.20 · 17 h main story | $10.90/hr $29.99 · 3 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low low was Jun 2026 | +43% low was Mar 2026 |
| Main story | 17 h | 3 h |
| Health Sword of the Sea wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 84% 7k reviews | 90% 2k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 85% 151 votes · vs 84% lifetime | 87% 47 votes · vs 90% lifetime |
| Peak players | 375 Aug 2026 · ↓ 42% MoM | 33 Aug 2026 · ↑ 3% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 7% of Aug 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 1,446 Aug 2024 · now at 26% | 493 Aug 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 25 months ago | 12 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
The fluid platforming and responsive combat make this one of the best Metroidvanias, with a rewarding difficulty curve.
from our May 2026 verdict
Sword of the Sea
Sliding and tricking across dunes is the hook that holds even veteran Game-of-the-Year voters, the movement so fluid it feels effortless.
Ending the game is a letdown — a third of players call it a quality cliff, and the collectible sprawl can sour the closing stretch.
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown if
- You want 17 hours of combat and platforming for under $1 per hour
- You favor 2.5D metroidvania flow reminiscent of Hollow Knight
- You accept a 84%-rated experience over a niche gem with low consensus
Pick Sword of the Sea if
- A 3-hour meditative ride at over $2 per hour seems fair to you
- You measure art-games by Journey, not by boss-fight density
- You prefer 6% of launch peak means you're fine with a quiet evening, not a bustling lobby
Bottom line
For your money and time, Lost Crown wins on value alone; but if you want an afternoon of pure momentum and don't need a marathon, Sword of the Sea's short arc fits that mood perfectly.