Road to Empress joins live-action drama with player choice, says producer

New One Studios this week launches its latest game, an interactive adventure title with full-motion video elements called Road to Empress. It blends live-action cutscenes, complete with elaborate sets and actors in complete period gear, with player choice, allowing gamers to live out their own story of Tang Dynasty court politics. The story offers over 100 branching narrative paths, with the game also creating a psychological profile of the player based on their choices. The game is available to play on both mobile and PC via Steam.

GamesBeat spoke with BAFTA Award-winning producer Demi Guan about the game, and how New One Studios developed it using real actors and sets rather than computer-created worlds and characters. Guan talked about the studio’s decision to use full-motion video (FMV), saying, “Though it remains a niche genre globally, we truly believe it’s brimming with untapped potential. Narrative games aren’t just about telling a good story; they’re about powerful emotional impact and deep immersion.”