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The Rogue Prince of Persia – Part 2-1

When we last left off, we had obtained all the information we needed to save our brother in our first successful run against the leader of the Hun. However, his defeat was not the end of the campaign, and we must follow the leads we were given.

Our brother’s safety is in our hands.

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Perhaps if I read the information I was given more closely, I would have seen that I made a mistake in not going to the Aqueduct, which stopped me from saving Shahin.

That said, it also slipped my mind before we began this run to turn on a few of the Awakening modifiers (which I call “Heat” because my formative experience with the mechanic is from Hades). I find that many roguelikes these days have similar mechanics where, once we’ve cleared a run, we can add modifiers to subsequent runs it order to add a bit of challenge to the game.

It’s a useful tool to have in a game like this because it means players looking to just beat the game don’t have to interact with the higher difficulties if they don’t want to. They’re allowed to just grow comfortable clearing run after run and room after room until they’ve completed the story. No one and nothing will judge them for it, allowing them to enjoy the game they purchased.

And yet it also gives players who want a challenge something to aim for, with an incentive to keep climbing in their Awakening level. More importantly though, it appeals to players like myself. Without that motivation to go for skins and perk points, I probably would not touch the Awakening system. However, I enjoyed planning out which modifiers I could take on to boost my Awakening level without creating an undue burden on myself. There’s a joy in thinking on that tactical level before the run even begins, planning out what route I want to take and what pressures I intend to add. Without that carrot dangled in front me, I wouldn’t know that I have a taste for that kind of added challenge.

Since The Rogue Prince of Persia is (for me) on the easier side of things, I would’ve dropped the game way sooner without something like this in place.