Pretty sure they trashed any further possibilities of continuing that type of stylized PoP, since they complained about sales and critics were complete dicks to the game.
I can't believe people were that bothered that Elika saves you from the game over screen. It's creative, incredibly convenient, keeps the game fluid, and in its own way attaches the player more to the characters -- though I do not know how good the narrative/characters will turn out just yet. The Prince is a bit cliche but it's an amusing cliche, nonetheless. Not expecting anything great in that department, nor do I think it's very crucial to how enjoyable the game is at this point.