Road to Empress Review - A Game of Thrones
Sometimes, I get a shock when I’m reminded there are whole swathes of media I’m just not aware of. Regression manhwa, isekai fantasy, wuxia and most relevantly to this game, palace dramas. It’s a stark reminder of how small our own individual worlds really are, and how much just taking small steps outside of them can really open up things.
Road to Empress takes place during the Tang Dynasty (circa 600CE), far from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms period that I actually know something about. Regardless, you play as Wu Yuanzhao, who has recently started working in the Imperial Palace and discovered everything that entails – politics, romance, and subterfuge. This is meant to be very loosely based on the life of Wu Zetian, the only female empress in Chinese history.
By all accounts, Road to Empress shouldn’t have stuck with me. I’m not super familiar with the style or setting, despite enjoying them. I haven’t played a lot of FMV games, and I find some of the overdramatic segments (music swelling, single tear down cheek) a bit much. Despite all of this, I find myself thinking back on my time with the game fondly. It isn’t a long game, taking me sub-15 hours to beat fully, but the writing is great, the characters are fun to love/hate, and the set-pieces are amazing.
In reality, it all plays like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure game for sickos. Whilst the game does sport multiple endings, be aware that many of them will end in your death. The chance of you dying is extremely high. I must’ve seen well over a hundred death scenes, something that normally only happens in horror games. I was very into it, though, and going back to an earlier choice isn’t too hard. That’s great news, you’ll be doing it a lot. Each death is a learning experience, though, as the game gives you a chance to see where things went awry. After each chapter ends, you’ll also have the opportunity to see videos from other characters that will help expand upon the world, giving you an idea of other characters’ motivations.
One of the major draws for me is that the sets and costumes are out of this world. I couldn’t tell you if they are accurate to the time period (I come from a Dynasty Warriors background, so I don’t have a leg to stand on here), but I really did enjoy them. As you play the game, you will build out a wiki of all the characters, as well as the ability to look over some of the more ornate set-pieces, outfits and jewellery. I think it’s touches like this that really add a lot to the experience, and help you get invested in the experience.
It’s important to note, whilst Road to Empress has a satisfying ending, it’s clear this is only the first game of many. This might turn some people off, but for me, I was locked in and ready for more once the credits rolled. Even after 100% completion, I want to see more from the characters and where their paths end up.
Your two main antagonists, Consort Wei and Consort Yang, are both so unashamedly evil it’s hilarious. They do not want youto succeed, and will stop at nothing to make sure you don’t. They’ll lie, betray, sometimes outright try and murder you. They’re fun to hate, and just as fun to thwart their schemes. It’s not like Yuanzhao is better, though. She freely admits she treats people like pawns to try and get her way, but that’s the environment you’re in. If you play coy and demure, you’re going to die. You need to be ruthless and play the game.
If I were to complain, it’d be around the relatively linear narrative. Whilst there are many endings, the paths to getting there are extremely limited. I think this is more of a limit of the FMV genre, but you’re shoehorned into a specific narrative, and deviations will lead to your death. I wish there were a bit more wriggle room, but the endings are satisfying enough to make this a minor complaint.
Road to Empress was a surprise. Despite having no vested interest in the genre or period going into the game, I came out a massive fan. Is it enough to make me want to watch a bunch of palace dramas? No. I like the interactive nature of this game, and it does make me want to play me want to play more. If you’re after a dramatic, sometimes silly and overall great fun FMV experience, this should be at the top of your list.
Road to Empress was reviewed on PC with code kindly supplied by the publisher.
