Ubisoft's Genius New Prince of Persia Map System - It Blew Our Minds!

Ubisoft has introduced an incredible new map system in Prince of Persia that is set to revolutionize Metroidvanias. We tried it and were seriously impressed.

Ubisoft recently announced an exciting new feature for their upcoming game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown that has gotten many gamers talking. The feature allows players to place screenshots and annotations directly onto the in-game map to keep track of important locations.

We had a chance to try out this groundbreaking new map system ahead of the game’s release, and we have to say, we were blown away by how clever and useful it is. As avid fans of the Metroidvania genre, we think this could be a total game-changer that every developer should consider implementing.

An Ingenious Solution to a Common Problem

Anyone who has played classic Metroidvania games like Super Metroid or Castlevania knows the frustration of coming across areas that are seemingly inaccessible, usually because you haven’t obtained the right skills or gear yet.

You make a mental note to come back later when you have more abilities, but often end up forgetting where those areas were in the game’s massive, maze-like environments. Even expert players can spend ages backtracking to uncover hidden secrets and pathways.

Prince of Persia’s new map feature, which Ubisoft has dubbed “Memory Shards”, elegantly solves this problem. It lets you drop map pins anywhere that you can take a screenshot of your surroundings. You can then click on those pins anytime to see the exact screenshot indicating that location.

Our Hands-On Experience: Addictively Helpful

During our hands-on time with Prince of Persia, we became addicted to liberally sprinkling Memory Shards across our map. Whenever we spotted a cracked wall, elevated platform, or strange artifact that looked like it could be significant later, we snapped a pic and pinned it.

Having those visual reminders made it so much easier to keep track of places to revisit and cut down on frustrating wandering. It gave us more confidence to thoroughly explore without worrying about forgetting something important.

The feature is incredibly quick and easy to use with just a couple button presses. The screenshots are crystal clear, making recognizable landmarks and terrain details clearly visible for easy reference.

Viewing all the collected snapshots as we fast-traveled around made the environments feel more cohesive. The pins almost act like an automatic photo album cataloguing your journey.

Streamlining Progression in Metroidvanias

Slowly gaining access to new movement and combat capabilities in order to progress is part and parcel of the addictive Metroidvania formula. backtracking to discover previously blocked-off areas is an integral, satisfying part of these games.

However, when that backtracking becomes aimless wandering, the pace can grind to a frustrating halt. Players want to feel like intrepid explorers, not lost tourists.

The Memory Shards feature provides just enough helpful guidance to keep you oriented without detracting from the spirit of exploration. Streamlining the process of revisiting meaningful locations lets you focus on platforming challenges, battles, and unraveling puzzles.

We immediately started thinking through other classic Metroidvanias like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night that could have benefited enormously from this addition. Can you imagine having a snapshot album of all those tantalizingly remote power-up spots as you gain new double jump abilities or unlock the high jump boots?

More Than Just Helpful – Adding to the Experience

Beyond the utilitarian benefits of tracking important map locations, we found the Memory Shards genuinely added to our enjoyment and immersion in Prince of Persia.

Casually flipping through vivid frozen moments of our journey sparked nostalgia and highlighted how far we’d come. It felt similar to looking back at old vacation photos, transporting us back to those times and places.

For a game series that is deeply focused on storytelling and worldbuilding, giving players a way to easily relive their own personal memorable story beats is brilliant.

Seeing areas from new vantage points created with additional movement powers made the spatially complex levels feel even more multifaceted too.

The fact that Ubisoft has made Memory Shards so integral to Prince of Persia makes us confident that they will be polished and stable as opposed to tacked on. We can’t wait to see speedrunners and completionists make good use of them as well.

A New Gold Standard for the Genre

Metroidvania fans are used to being starved for new quality games, so we couldn’t be more excited for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. However, the element we’re most thrilled by is undoubtedly the ingenious Memory Shards system.

We firmly believe this should become the new gold standard that all Metroidvania games aspire to include going forward. It would have already benefited so many classic games, and will only continue to prove increasingly useful as environments grow larger and more complicated.

After getting to thoroughly test it ourselves, we really can’t overstate what a huge evolution this is for the genre. Here’s hoping that other studios take notice and that we’ll soon be snapping screenshots in many more of our favorite exploratory platformers!

Why Memory Shards Are a Game-Changer

Let’s take a deeper look at why Prince of Persia’s new Memory Shards feature marks such a major step forward specifically for the Metroidvania genre.

Addresses the Main Map Problem

Having an detailed map is absolutely vital in expansive Metroidvania environments. So much time is spent consulting your map to decipher where you are currently, where you want to go, and what obstacles are stopping you.

However, so many areas end up looking very similar when translated into simple map icons. It becomes extremely hard to accurately pinpoint precise locations for backtracking.

By letting players create visual anchors using real screenshots, it becomes almost effortless to identify areas and set waypoints.

Transforms Progression Loop Satisfaction

Unlocking new traversal skills in order to reach previously impossible areas provides the primal thrill at the heart of every Metroidvania.

However, the potential excitement of using those new wall jumps, grappling hooks, etc can be lost if you simply wander aimlessly with no clear spots in mind to utilize them. Players can end up feeling directionless.

With Memory Shards providing vivid reminders of tantalizing locations spotted long ago, it immensely amplifies the payoff when you finally obtain the exact right tools to explore them.

Creates Deeply Personal Map Experience

Rather than following static hints left by developers, players get to decide for themselves which locations seem intriguing or worth investigating later.

This makes the mapping process feel more intimate, customized and tied to your unique path through the levels. Your album of screenshots almost starts to feel like a travel scrapbook chronicling your personal journey and accomplishments.

Extra Dimension for Advanced Players

While Memory Shards make Metroidvanias more accessible for casual players, they also provide expanded creative options for expert players.

Speedrunners can use placed screenshots to memorize optimal routes. Completionists can be sure they didn’t miss any secrets. Or players can get more playful with leaving themselves cryptic clues or Easter egg hunting.

Built for Modern Gaming Habits

Modern gamers have become accustomed to documenting their adventures by capturing endless screenshots and videos. Memory Shards wisely incorporate this impulse seamlessly into the game itself.

Rather than just existing as isolation entertainment, fans now have more tools to memorialize their personal stories and connect with fellow players by sharing map pins and opinions.

The Vision Behind Ubisoft’s Map Reinvention

Curious to learn more behind the genesis of this fantastic new feature, we spoke with Prince of Persia’s development team at Ubisoft Montreal Studio.

Goal to Push Boundaries of Metroidvania Design

While Prince of Persia had drifted away from its roots in recent major releases, the team felt strongly about re-embracing the spirit of the original games with The Lost Crown.

One key element was amping up that sense of rhythmically navigating environments as fluidly as possible. They didn’t just want players to find their way around; they wanted memorable sequences of running along walls and bounding between precipices.

Part of achieving this involved taking a fresh look at maps. Traditionally, they were treated as more of an afterthought or crutch for when you felt stuck. The team became determined to make consulting and annotating maps more harmonious and gratifying.

Prioritizing Accessible Navigation

The team emphasized that players across all skill levels can feel intimidated by sprawling Metroidvania environments. Getting frustrated trying to keep track of intriguing discoveries sucks away all momentum.

By letting screenshots do the heavy visual lifting, the UI could stay clean while still clearly pointing out places that inspire curiosity or further investigation. This transformed the map into an enticing catalog of destinations to yearn reaching rather than an annoying chore.

Encouraging Completionists by Removing Guesswork

Another philosophy behind Memory Shards was enabling players to be completionists IF they want to be.

Having such easily accessible reminders eliminates the guesswork of remembering where rumored hidden collectibles might be located. At the same time, nothing is forced or overloaded. You can capture and reference as much or as little as suits your play style.

Fostering Community Collaboration

Lastly, streamlining the capturing and cataloging process was also intended to nurture fan bonding and guides.

Now players can excitedly swap screenshots of well-hidden secrets as battle scars earned cooperatively exploring every nook. Fans can feel empowered collating their map knowledge without reliance just onstrategy guides.

Final Words:

We walked into our Prince of Persia hands-on demo curious but not necessarily expecting to be wowed. We walked away completely blown away by the Memory Shards system for how ingeniously it mitigates Metroidvania map frustrations.

Once we got the hang of liberally snapping screenshots of intriguing spots, it became painful to imagine traversing environments without this handy feature. No matter your gaming skills, it effortlessly improves navigation and cuts down on wasted wandering.

Beyond that though, Memory Shards enhance immersion in the world, increase satisfaction for progression-based unlocks, and even further fan bonding. They demonstrate remarkable understanding of how modern gamers consume and document their experiences.

To put it simply, Memory Shards feel like the obvious evolution that Metroidvania maps should have received years ago. We consider this a monumental step forward for the genre that establishes a new standard across the board. It would measurably improve practically any exploratory action-platformer, both old or new.

We offer our highest commendation to the developers at Ubisoft Montreal for this stroke of genius. Here’s hoping it doesn’t remain exclusive to Prince of Persia for long before becoming a staple Metroidvania feature! We’ll definitely be snapping many Memory Shards when the game launches on January 18.

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Ubisoft’s Genius New Prince of Persia Map System – It Blew Our Minds!