Mount Qaf is a massive, sprawling nightmare. Honestly, if you jumped into Sargon’s shoes thinking this was going to be a straightforward linear romp like the Sands of Time era, you're in for a rude awakening. It's a Metroidvania through and through. That means you’re going to get lost. Frequently. A solid Prince of Persia The Lost Crown walkthrough isn't just about telling you where to go; it’s about explaining why you can't get there yet and how to stop dying to those annoying undead guards in the Lower City.
The game doesn't hold your hand.
Ubisoft Montpellier took a "tough but fair" approach here. You play as Sargon, the youngest of the Immortals, sent to rescue Prince Ghassan. But time is broken. Everything is shifting. If you aren't using the Memory Shards feature—which lets you take a literal screenshot of a puzzle and pin it to your map—you are playing the game on "hard mode" for no reason. Use them. Seriously.
The Early Game Grind and the Lower City
You start with nothing but your twin blades, Qays and Layla. The first hour is basically a tutorial disguised as a rescue mission. You’ll spend most of your time in the Lower City. It’s the hub. Everything connects here.
Most players get stuck trying to reach the upper platforms early on. You can't. Not yet. You need the Bow of Menias first. You’ll find this after defeating Erlik, that giant boar-like creature that serves as the first real "vibe check" of the game. Pro tip: don't just mash the attack button. Sargon’s slide is his best defensive tool. Slide through enemies, not just away from them.
Once you get the bow, the game opens up.
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Suddenly, those glowing orange bulbs can be shot to create temporary platforms. This leads you toward the Hyrcanian Forest. The Forest is a visual shift—lots of greens and purples—but the enemies are faster. Watch out for the spiked flora. If you're following a strict path, your goal here is to track down the first Athra Surge. These are your "super moves." Verethragna’s Smite is the first one you'll get, and it’s a literal lifesaver for clearing out mobs.
Navigating the Simurgh Powers
The meat of any Prince of Persia The Lost Crown walkthrough revolves around the Time Powers. You don't get them all at once. It’s a slow drip-feed of mobility upgrades that make you feel like a god by the end of the 20-25 hour campaign.
- Rush of the Simurgh: This is your air dash. You get this after beating Jahandar, the Manticore. He’s the first boss that will actually make you sweat. His tail swipe has a massive hitbox, so stay close to his front legs and parry the yellow flashes.
- Shadow of the Simurgh: This is the game-changer. You press a button to leave a "ghost" of yourself behind and press it again to teleport back to it. This isn't just for puzzles. It’s a combat mechanic. If a boss is charging a massive beam, drop a shadow, run away, and then teleport back behind them once the attack starts. It’s slick.
- Clairvoyance: This lets you shift between dimensions. Some platforms only exist in one "plane."
- Dimensional Claw: Basically a pocket dimension. You can grab an explosive barrel, "store" it, and throw it later to break a wall. Or, better yet, grab a high-level enemy and throw them off a cliff.
The Difficulty Spikes You Need to Watch For
Let’s talk about the Depths. It’s dark, it’s damp, and it features some of the most frustrating platforming sections in the genre. You’ll lose your map visibility for a while. Don't panic. Just keep moving left.
The boss fight against an "alternate" version of yourself happens here. It’s a mirror match. He uses all your moves. The trick? He’s aggressive. If you try to out-aggro him, you’ll lose. This is where you learn the value of the parry. In The Lost Crown, parrying isn't optional. Red attacks cannot be parried—you have to dodge. Yellow attacks must be parried to trigger a cinematic counter that deals massive damage.
Later, you’ll hit the Sacred Archives. This place is a giant puzzle box. You'll encounter "The Jailer." You cannot kill him at first. If he catches you, you go to a literal jail cell and have to break out. It sucks. Just avoid his line of sight until you have the mobility to circle around him.
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Breaking Down the Map: Where to Go Next?
The flow of the game usually looks like this:
Lower City -> Hyrcanian Forest -> Sacred Archives -> The Depths -> Pit of Eternal Sands -> Sunken Harbor.
The Pit of Eternal Sands is where things get vertical. You’ll need the Gravity Wings (double jump) to make it through. To get them, you have to face Azhdaha, a massive snake-dragon thing. It’s a multi-phase fight. Focus on the eyes. Also, keep your arrows stocked. You’ll need them to hit the projectiles he spits out, which drop health and Athra refills.
Understanding Amulets and Build Diversity
Don't ignore the shopkeeper, The Mage, or the giant blacksmith goddess, Kaheva. Your Amulet slots are limited.
If you're struggling with combat, equip the "Solidarity" amulet which increases damage when you're at full health, or the "Mount Qaf Blessing" for a health boost. Personally? I swear by the "Amulet of Agony." It triggers an explosion whenever you take damage. It’s great for when you get cornered by those annoying flying medusa-heads in the Sunken Harbor.
Upgrading your swords is expensive. You need Azure Damascus Ingots. These are rare. You'll find them hidden behind breakable walls or as rewards for the "Lost Warriors" side quest. Don't waste them on early-game amulets; save your crystals for sword reinforcements. The damage scaling in the late game—specifically against bosses like Vahram—is steep. If your blades are still Level 1 by the time you reach the upper palace, you're going to be chipping away at health bars for twenty minutes.
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Practical Tips for Completionists
If you want the Platinum trophy or 100% completion, you have to find all the sand jars. There are 30 of them. They tell the backstory of the prophecy. Most are hidden behind "illusion walls." If a wall looks slightly different or your controller vibrates near a dead end, hit it.
- Fast Travel: It's sparse. Use the Homa Statues wisely.
- Wandering Eye: Buy the maps from Fariba. She’s usually tucked away in a corner of each new biome. She charges 50 crystals. It’s the best investment in the game.
- Platforming Assists: If you’re genuinely stuck on a platforming section (some of the late-game sawblade rooms are brutal), check the accessibility settings. You can actually turn on a "Portal" feature that lets you skip the platforming if it's ruining your experience. No shame in it.
The endgame is a gauntlet. You'll be revisiting the Temple of Silence and the Frozen Sea. These areas require you to chain all your powers—dash, double jump, shadow teleport, and dimension shift—all within about five seconds. It’s intense.
Moving Forward in Mount Qaf
To wrap this up, the biggest mistake you can make is trying to force progress. If a gap looks too wide, it is. If a gate is glowing blue and you can't interact with it, you lack the power. Stop banging your head against the wall and go explore a different branch of the map.
Start by focusing on your parry timing in the Lower City training area with Artaban. He gives you crystals for completing challenges, and it’s the safest place to learn the "Red vs. Yellow" attack cues. Once you master the parry, the rest of the game becomes a rhythmic dance rather than a desperate struggle for survival.
Go talk to the Archer Immortal in the hub; he usually has the best hints on where the next main story beat is triggered if you’ve lost the thread of the narrative. Keep your map markers updated, and don't forget to visit the Blacksmith every time you find a new Ingot. You'll need every bit of extra damage for what's waiting at the top of the mountain.