Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m obsessed with FMV games. Like… obsessed. Wales Interactive has provided me many, many hours of amusement, thoughtfulness, and action through the FMV games it’s developed/published. Especially its interactive films. I’m talking about games like Late Shift and The Complex, that are more films that games but still involve the player at every turn. So I’m really excited about Mia and the Princess Dragon. It was originally announced nearly a year ago, with a release target of Q4 2022. Well, that’s come and gone, but if it produces a better product I have no issues with that! With the launch date in early May so close by, Wales Interactive has released the game’s launch video. It is also available for pre-order on Steam now!
The game follows Mia, a “plucky” (I love that word) bartender who dreams of adventure. But she feels responsibility towards her workmates, who she considers a surrogate family, so she works a boring job and lives a life she didn’t want. (Can we just stop and consider how sad that is? Living a life you don’t want isn’t something I’d wish on anyone except the worst society has to offer.) When a mysterious woman turns up scared and on the run, Mia decides to takes the stranger under her wing. She tries to discover the woman’s identity, which leads down a path of intrigue, mystery, and danger.
A group of thugs turn up at the bar, led by a quietly terrifying Walsh. Mia and her colleagues are taken hostage along with some customers. Mia’s boss becomes injured, and the stakes are raised. You know what’s real? The struggle. (Sorry, Drag Race reference. I had to.) Mia and the group end up on the run, battling for their lives.
The viewer/player’s choices will guide Mia through this adventure and determine her fate – as well as the entire group’s fate. Interactions may increase knowledge about the mysterious woman, but the way Mia deals with the group will also impact the game. Each choice must be carefully considered.
The game stars Noa Bleeker, Paul McGann (Doctor Who), Brian McCardie (Time), MyAnna Burning (Ripper Street), and Dita Tantang.
Developed by Wales Interactive, Dead Pixel Productions, and Good Gate Media (and published by Wales Interactive), Mia and the Princess Dragon will be released for iOS/Android, PC/Mac via Steam, PC via Epic, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on May 4. Basically, if you own any sort of contemporar platform, it will launch there.
