THE PIRATE QUEEN: A FORGOTTEN LEGEND

Action, Women, Narrative

Tribeca Games & Immersive Experience press preview day was held Thursday, June 8th 2023. A one-of-a-kind medium for storytelling, art, and innovation. l had the pleasure of covering Tribeca Games & Immersive and testing out this year’s games & VR. (See full Game coverage HERE)

IMMERSIVE

This year’s program features 13 VR, AR, XR and participatory experiences that push the technological boundaries of immersive storytelling, divided into two categories – Main Competition, New Voices. One of the immersive games  I go to test out was The Pirate Queen: A forgotten Legend 
the forgotten story of Cheng Shih. The Pirate Queen won the “Immersive 2023 Storyscapes Award”!

I am joined by the award-winning filmmaker as we discuss the making of the upcoming narrative project. The project, from UK writer-producer-director Eloise Singer of Singer Studios, will see players take on the identity of Shih to complete a series of puzzle-based tasks and outsmart enemies to become the Pirate Queen. 

As Singer Studios continues to push the boundaries of immersive storytelling, we are absolutely thrilled to announce our collaboration with the fantastic Lucy Liu in ‘The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend’, an exciting adventure narrative VR game brought to you by Singer Studios which made it’s debut at Tribeca in 2023.

Catch us discuss (above) how Eloise learned about the forgotten story of Cheng Shih, and what kind of research was required. Eloise tells us about bringing Lucy Liu on, and her remarkable performance. Eloise tells us how Singer studios came up with the puzzle-based tasks for the game, and how they developed the challenges, play-through and characters. We also learn about Singer Studios upcoming plans and what’s next for The Pirate Queen franchise.

Are you ready to step into the shoes of the legendary Pirate Queen in a high-stakes quest to outwit your rivals and become leader of the pirate fleet before daybreak?

Coming to Oculus Quest 2 and Steam in Early 2024

The Pirate Queen is the forgotten story of Cheng Shih – a woman in 19th-century China who became one of the most powerful pirates in history. When the leader of the fleet dies suddenly, a widowed Cheng Shih faces the possibility of losing her status, security, and even her life. Players take on the identity of Cheng Shih to complete a series of puzzle-based tasks, outsmart enemies and become the Pirate Queen.

CAST & CREDITS

DIRECTOR
Eloise Singer

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Lucy Liu, Dave Ranyard, Eloise Singer 

WRITER
Maja Bodenstein

PRODUCER
Siobhan McDonnell

LEAD ARTIST
Will Brosch

AUDIO DIRECTOR
Damion Sheppard

COMPOSER
Edward Lun

LEAD DESIGNERS
Andrew Smith, Simon Barratt

CAST
Lucy Liu – Cheng Shih, Orion Lee – Cheung Po Tsai