How To Play Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Early

A new year has barely begun, and already, a must-play game has entered the scene. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is officially out on January 18, but if you're looking to get a headstart on the game, you can start playing the fast-paced metroidvania as early as tomorrow, January 15.

How do you get in three days early? The Deluxe edition of The Lost Crown, which is digital-only, grants three days early access on console or PC. At $60, it costs $10 more than the standard edition. Alternatively, you can save some cash and sign up for Ubisoft+, Ubisoft's monthly subscription service that offers a wide selection of games to play from the company's catalog, including big day-one releases like the new Prince of Persia adventure.

Ubisoft+ costs $15 a month--or $18 a month to play select games on PC and Xbox--and is available on both PC and Xbox currently. It's worth noting that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown won't be available on Steam in case you're planning to play on PC, but it will be available through the Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store marketplaces. With EGS, you can launch games purchased from Ubisoft through that launcher, to keep things simple. You can even get the game running on Steam Deck, by installing by adding Ubisoft Connect to your library and using a Proton workaround. We'll have a guide on how to do that available soon.

As for length, you can expect to complete this game in around roughly 20 hours. A month should be more than enough time to finish it, and if you go in with a rental mindset, the $15 subscription fee could be more attractive than paying $50 on launch day. Plus, you'll be getting access to dozens of other Ubisoft games and in-game rewards.

"Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the series' first attempt at a modernized metroidvania, which could have easily fallen into the category of competent imitators," Steve Watts wrote in GameSpot's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review. "But with impactful combat, silky platforming, and innovative exploration mechanics, this latest Prince of Persia makes the series a leader in its class once again."