The Pirate Queen – A Forgotten Legend Meta Quest 3 Review

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Fast Facts

Pirates have been the stuff of legends since “Treasure Island,” but “The Pirate Queen – A Forgotten Legend” is more of a dud than a swashbuckling adventure. You play as Cheng Shih, one of the most notorious women to ever sail the high seas. The game tries to take a cinematic approach to her rise to power, but it’s more like a leaky ship than a grand vessel.

The narrative spans a single night, starting with Cheng Shih sneaking onto a rival’s ship to poison his tea. Sounds thrilling, right? Well, it’s not. The plot quickly becomes convoluted with a pointless British Navy attack and ends with an unsatisfying cutscene. Every action feels meaningless, making you wish you were watching paint dry instead.

The gameplay is a shipwreck, and not in a fun way. It takes around an hour to complete, with most of that time spent paddling or climbing ropes in the same repetitive motions. Kayaking across dark waters sounds cool, but it quickly turns into a tedious chore. It’s like being stuck in a rowboat with no land in sight.

Even the stealth elements are pointless since there’s only one path to follow. The escape-room-style puzzles offer a slight change, but they’re so straightforward that you’ll be overthinking just to feel challenged. When you’re more excited about finding a way out of the game than completing it, you know it’s time to abandon ship.

The game’s graphics are like a treasure chest filled with rocks—pretty disappointing. While the art department did a decent job capturing the cultural style of the South China Sea’s junks and sampan ships, it’s wasted on a bland, repetitive environment. You spend most of your time out on open waters with little to see.

Character models are stiff, and the animations are as lifeless as a pirate marooned on a deserted island. Lucy Liu’s performance as Cheng Shih doesn’t help either, as her lines are delivered with the enthusiasm of a tired parrot. The Meta Quest 3’s VR capabilities feel squandered on this visually lackluster experience.

“The Pirate Queen – A Forgotten Legend” is a game best left buried in Davey Jones’ locker. Its barebones gameplay, unengaging story, and underwhelming graphics make for a VR experience that’s more of a drag than an adventure. The fascinating life of Cheng Shih deserves better than this half-hearted attempt.

If you’re looking for a thrilling pirate game, you’ll be more entertained reading a history book. Save your gold and avoid this shipwreck of a game. It’s more likely to make you want to walk the plank than live out your swashbuckling dreams. After all, not every piece of treasure is worth finding, and this one is definitely fool’s gold.

2 out of 5

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