Nintendo Switch drops free 2024 action-adventure game you can play in its entirety

One of the best games of 2024, hailing from a major fantastical realm, has just been dropped for free on Nintendo Switch, coming as arguably the best freebie of the year.

Nintendo Switch freebies are few and far between, as the Japanese giants have been building on the console's success with new instalments in iconic series like Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda.

But every now and again, a hidden gem is added to the catalogue of free Switch games, especially thanks to the new N64 classics scheme.

Yet the latest free game to land on the Switch market is actually one of the greatest games in recent years and of its genre, as Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has become free-to-play for a limited time.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is now free on Nintendo Switch

The Prince of Persia franchise is one that has long been chasing its glory days, having splashed onto the scene back in the 80s, reaching a peak in 2003 with its smash hit The Sands of Time.

Scoring 92 on Metacritic, the reboot series is considered to be one of the greatest games of its generation, earning the coveted Game of the Year award in 2003, and has been the bar that all successive games have tried to reach.

That unimaginable high was almost reclaimed in 2024, as the Prince of Persia series found its second-best instalment of all time with The Lost Crown.

Sticking to the metroidvania style rather than chasing the open-world adventures that many like-minded franchises have expanded to, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was hailed by critics as a game whose story and gameplay reclaimed the series' greatest features. Especially on Nintendo Switch, for which its 2D side-scrolling format suits best.

Now, this timeless classic is now available for free on Switch as Ubisoft continues to dish out its best games to the masses.

Yet, there is a catch.

The entire game has been cast into 'game trial' status which makes it a limited-time freebie, where fans only have until Wednesday, September 30 at 11:59pm PT (Thursday, 07:59am BST) to enjoy the game without spending a penny.

After that time passes, the game will then be locked behind its usual paywall. That being said, you do have access to the entirety of the game, so you could roll credits before that deadline rolls around.

If you're interested in the game, you can expect a thrilling and emotional tale with scaling difficulty that continues to challenge the most experienced metroidvania players.

Back in 2024, our review described The Lost Crown as, "lavish, grandiose, and consistently theatrical in style".

"Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is, by turns, thrilling, bombastic, and extravagant. A welcome entry into the genre, a welcome return of a legend and a brilliant good time."