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.”
The game follows the life of Chinese Empress Wu Zetian, who ruled China as Emperor during the Zhou dynasty from 690-705 A.D. after previously serving as her sons’ empress dowager during the Tang Dynasty. Specifically, it follows her in the early years of her life, as she rose through the imperial court to become the legendary historical figure we know her as today. New One Studios brought in Chinese history professors to consult on the historicity of the story and settings.
Guan told GamesBeat: “[Wu Zetian’s] always been a prominent figure in history, but you’ve likely never imagined getting to play her. Our game lets you do just that: you’ll start as a young girl entering the palace, navigate a life of incredible ups and downs that an ordinary person could never go through, and experience all her loves, hatreds, and complex emotions, alongside little-known, truly pivotal moments of choice. From the rear palace to the imperial court, from youth to maturity, players will personally live through her journey as she shatters millennia of feudal ethical shackles to ultimately claim the emperor’s throne.”
Letting players control the path to the throne
This is New One’s second game using live-action footage, following The Invisible Guardian in 2017. Guan told GamesBeat that game used mostly “freeze-frame live-action images,” as opposed to full-motion footage. The period-specific costuming and sets, as well as the large amount of necessary footage, made for a game that is much longer than The Invisible Guardian.
Regarding how different it is creating a game versus creating a film, Guan said, “Here’s the core distinction: a conventional drama lets creators share a specific theme or message through visuals and sound. An interactive drama, on the other hand, hands the reins to the audience, giving them a stage to drive the story’s direction and outcome. This means what each person takes away from the experience can be totally unique.”
The game also analyzes the choices the players make, while also supporting the ability to rewind and choose other options. It builds a profile of the player based on their first choices, offering them psychological insights as well as access to unique story options and special features.
Guan said, “We packed the game with so many story branches because we want players to truly feel like the main character. Their choices don’t just shape how the story unfolds and ends, but they also get to decide their own fate and even influence—or outright determine—the destinies of non-player characters. Different players will naturally make different choices, and those choices, in turn, lead to completely different story paths. The real magic of FMV games lies in experiencing those divergent storylines brought about by your decisions.”