The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend sets sail on VR devices

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Historical adventure based on real historical character features the voice of Lucy Liu in lead role

Blackbeard we know, and William Kidd, not to mention fictional characters like Jack Sparrow, Captain Hook and of course Guybrush Threepwood. Far less renowned, at least in the Western world, is Cheng Shih, who is not only the most famous female pirate to ever set sail, but one of the most successful pirates of all time, full stop. Helping to correct that oversight is today's release of The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend, a historical VR exclusive from the female-led Singer Studios, starring the voice of Lucy Liu in the title role. 

Born into poverty, Cheng Shih would grow up to marry Cheng Yat, the leader of the Red Flag pirate fleet, which ruled over the South China Sea in the early nineteenth century. Upon her husband's death, Cheng Shih herself would unofficially assume command of hundreds of ships with crew of tens of thousands. But exactly how did this noteworthy transition of power come to pass? This game poses one such answer, taking place on "the Night of Succession, when the Pirate Council meet to decide who will take over as captain." With Kwok Po Dai, leader of the Black Flag fleet also vying to to take over as successor, Cheng Shih is confronted with "the possibility of losing her status, security and even her life." Now she must do everything in her power to defeat her rival by completing a series of crucial puzzle-based tasks on that fateful night, with guidance from her second in command, Cheung Po Tsai, along the way.

This VR exclusive is a first-person 3D adventure that challenges you to "navigate the treacherous waters and cabins of a moonlit pirate ship, break out of locked rooms, crack complex codes, creep through winding passages ... climb precarious rigging, solve puzzles to outsmart adversaries, and exercise your wits to seize control of the fleet." The gameplay elements will be relatively light as you explore "historically accurate environments" across five different elvels. Instead, the focus here is on a "journey of discovery, resilience, and power" for those who "crave the thrill of stepping into another time and place." It was important to get just the right actor for the part, and it's hard to imagine a better one as Lucy Liu portrays the "badass pirate queen" and also serves as the game's executive producer, under the direction of filmmaker and creative director Eloise Singer.

Coinciding perfectly with International Women's History Month, The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend is available now on Meta Quest and Steam VR devices. And if you like what you see here, there's plenty more ahead  where it came from, with a planned multimedia franchise seeking to encompass a graphic novel, film and TV series that explore more of Cheng Shih's incredible story. 

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