Pirate Queen - A VR Game based on a True Story

An atmospheric VR Experience from film director Eloise Singer. As an avid history buff Eloise is fascinated by stories from the past which can be re-imagined and brought into the present, using the immersive medium of VR. Singer studios aspires to tell untold stories of note, something I really like. Cheng Shih is one of those characters that history glossed over but her story is quite incredible. As a female pirate leader, she led the largest fleet of ships in pirate history with over 600 & up to 80,000 crew. Pirate Queen charts her mission to control the Red Flag fleet by outwitting her many rivals. There are some interesting features of this playable story. FIrstly they created a rowing mechanic. It's quite satifying to say the least as you sneak across dark waters. Climbing ropes is also novel and the moodiness of being in the late evening adds to an air of suspense. As an animation specialist, I really liked the backstory intro and the use of scrolls to reveal story detail. Animated faithfully in a traditional chinese style, they are beautifully rendered, just going to show how high production quality can be achieved in a cinematic way. I personally find the look for a key, open a drawer, grab an item, stow it kind of game underwhelming but there's more to this game than looking for objects. There's a certain charm in this game and some clever tricks. The way the story unfolds means you genuinely become familiar with the story & although pirates are the classic bad guys you come away with an appreciation for what Cheng Shih achieved. There are some clever touches. The use of negative space with lighting works really well. Characters rendered behind glass save a whole host of difficulty in production and without spoiling it, there are some accomplished moments & a grand finale that will make most headset wearers smile.