by Chris PenwellI never imagined I’d learn how to paint graffiti (spray paint) in a million years but after two or so hours, I really thought the maligned art form is unexpectedly robust. Heading down to London on a coach, I accepted an invite to a Rogue Prince of Persia event with two professional spray painters.
In a random East London community called Hoxton on a Tuesday afternoon, I shook hands with a few excited influencers from Instagram and Twitch, welcomed by a glorious spray-painted depiction of the game’s protagonist, The Prince. Grinning with his shiny silver teeth, the artist SRJP and his partner killed it with a bold recreation of the character with detailed shading and outlines. It was also hard not to glance at the rock-hard abs the artist recreated.
When everyone was gathered, the artists explained the health and safety procedures of spray painting. At first, I was afraid because I had never even touched a spray bottle before. Additionally, I have asthma, so it was twice as scary because you’re spraying solvents in the air. Thankfully, my mask and suit protected me, even though I took a few breaks here and there. We were also told we could go blind if the can was sprayed towards our eyes. We were in good hands, however, as the trainers ensured our safety.
With our silly masks and white suits on (thank goodness, it fit my round body), we began to paint, Naturally, on a plain black wall, we first practiced how to paint a straight horizontal line. To others, it was fairly easy, but to me, I struggled. Rather than the handsome lines the Prince was given, my efforts were faded at first. SRJP taught me well, however. In a casual manner, he instructed to have a firmer touch on the top button and get further back from the wall.
Additionally, spray painting requires way more technique than you’d expect. You have to use your whole body and move with the can. By stretching out your left leg, you can gain firmer control of the spray bottle and achieve a straighter, clearer line. You also had to move with the can to the right or left, depending on the direction. With a circle, you’ll need to make one firm move: bend down, then up, for a great result. The more practice I had, the better I was.
We also learned that to create a shadow in the artwork, you have to position your spray bottle at a 45-degree angle with a different color. It looks surprisingly effective. Feeling the rumble of the trains rattling above us and learning graffiti at the same time, it truly felt like an authentic experience you don’t get in other towns, especially from where I’m from. It was a neat vibe as we admired each other’s work in the group and received advice from the masters.
The last part of the experience had us guide The Prince through a maze crafted by the masters who trained us. They created immaculate stencils that recreated the game’s mechanics. They had him running, attacking an enemy, jumping, and reaching for the ledge. In teams, we worked together to place the stencil down and then paint over it. This time, we had to place our bottles closer to the wall to create a more fulfilling effect.
After about 30 minutes, The Prince accomplished the end goal as we sprayed through the entire wall. Later on in the process, it was neat to fill in the stencil with two different colours. At the end, I even tried three, which looked neat. You can see it below.
The experience was eye-opening and entertaining, and the PR manager representing U&I Entertainment provided us with a copy of the Immortal Edition of The Rogue Prince of Persia, releasing on April 10.
Only about an hour in, The Rogue Prince of Persia is glorious so far. The art style really pops, just like the graffiti we saw in London that day. The platforming is tight, and the story so far is intriguing. It’s very promising so far, and I’ll keep giving this adventure a whirl. We talked about the game in a podcast episode last year.
Returning home on a long coach ride, I was happy. This, alongside the excellent food I had in London later that evening at Brother Marcus, will be memories I’ll treasure like the Gold Coins you collect in The Rogue Prince of Persia.
Thanks to U&I Entertainment for the Switch copy of The Rogue Prince of Persia – Immortal Edition and for the spray-painting experience.