Prince of Persia game returns after a 14-year hiatus with Farsi voiceover

The highly anticipated new edition of the popular video game, Prince of Persia, has been released after a 14-year gap. Titled The Lost Crown, it is the first game in the series to be fully voiced in Farsi, the Persian language. The franchise has always been heavily influenced by Persian mythology and Iranian culture, but until now, the games were only available in English. The developers have expressed their intention to accurately depict and respect Persia and Iran in this latest installment. Fans have applauded the inclusion of Farsi audio, with many appreciating the increased focus on representation in media. This decision holds personal significance for some players, like Sam Mandi-Gohmi, who shared the game's announcement with his Iranian father, who found it unbelievable but delightful. Sam also pointed out that previous games in the series lacked characters who fully reflected Iranian heritage. While this new release marks a positive shift in representation, there is still a significant lack of Iranian representation in Western media, according to Sam. The Lost Crown is developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, a subsidiary of the renowned developer Ubisoft behind Assassin's Creed. The game's designer, Mounir Radi, stressed the importance of staying true to Persian culture while creating the game. The developers strived to modernize The Lost Crown by updating its graphics, taking inspiration from the acclaimed animated film Into the Spider-Verse. They also introduced elements from the Zoroastrianism religion, which originated in Iran, to enhance the authenticity of the gameplay. The team behind the game takes pride in these changes, stating their goal was to respect and accurately depict Persian culture. Fans of the series, such as Emad Saedi, expressed their happiness at finally seeing their culture represented in the game. Emad noted that previous Prince of Persia games felt incomplete without the prince speaking Persian, his native language. Including Farsi in The Lost Crown is seen as a significant step forward and an opportunity to showcase the underrepresented Iranian and Persian culture to a wider audience. Emad hopes that the entertainment industry recognizes the potential for commercial success and continues investing in stories and content from their culture.