In diesem palastlichen Intrigen-Spiel würde ich wirklich nicht einmal die erste Folge überleben.
In 2016, when Xiaofa finally defeated Guda, the newbie killer in "Dark Souls 3", after spending two days, I thought that having mastered the essence of Soulslike games, I stood at the top of the world. From then on, I believed that no other game could give me a more brutal wake - up call.
In 2025, I was hit by the boomerang from nine years ago.
It's quite embarrassing to say, but what cured my stubbornness wasn't a common game genre like Soulslike, action, or shooting games. Instead, it was a live - action interactive palace survival film and television work called "The Prosperous World", which changed my stereotyped impression of the interactive film and television genre.
The production team of this work is not an unknown one. It's New One Studio. Maybe you don't remember this name, but you must not forget its previous work, "The Invisible Guardian".
Game poster
In recent years, live - action interactive film and television works have long been nothing new. Among you here, many of you may have long had a spiritual connection with heroines like Hao Hao's mother in "Oops! I'm Surrounded by Beauties".
"The Prosperous World" is such a thing, but what's a bit special is that the protagonist controlled by the player is female. To be more precise, the prototype is Wu Zetian.
Still from "Detective Di Renjie"
Oh, sorry, I put the wrong picture. It's this one.
Game still
However, my friend, what you're about to experience isn't the exciting scene of the female emperor ascending the throne. Instead, it's the promotion story of Lady Wu starting from her entry into the palace.
The official secretly told you during the promotion that this isn't a mindless and enjoyable game. Instead, it's a "drama of survival in the ancient workplace".
Game poster
When palace - intrigue dramas like "Empresses in the Palace" became popular across the country N years ago, you could often see netizens joking, "If it were me, I wouldn't survive an episode in the palace."
To be honest, I once looked down on this kind of talk. It's not that Xiaofa looks down on palace - intrigue dramas. It's just that I was once an uncommon male signed author in Jinjiang's female - oriented novels and had written countless palace - intrigue plots.
As a result, in "The Prosperous World", I didn't even survive the first chapter.
When the protagonist entered the palace, an old friend she met by chance wanted to give her a peony hairpin. Just then, Concubine Wei came, and the hairpin fell to the ground. When the maid asked whose it was, in order to protect my friend, I said it was the protagonist's. Then I was taken away for punishment because I was used as an example to assert authority.
Game still
Later, the protagonist accidentally made a mistake and was expelled from the palace. You might think that there are other places to go if this place doesn't want you. But as soon as she got home, she was directly hanged on the spot by her family on the grounds that "you've shamed the Wu family".
In the subsequent experience process, dying and coming back to life became a normal state. It was the first time I knew what it felt like to walk on thin ice.
However, the negative feedback of this kind of death isn't that strong. Even if you make the wrong choice, you can just try again with a different option.
Game still
On the contrary, because of continuous trial and error, Xiaofa discovered the "multiple faces" of many characters while playing.
A person who was smiling at you just a moment ago might turn against you right away. A person who just begged you for help might try to kill you later.
Is it because the protagonist only meets bad people? The dense lines have already told us that every NPC in the game since the start lives within the framework of imperial power and follows a set of quietly operating rules.
There is of course kindness here, but kindness also comes at a price. When you are kind at the wrong time, fate will come to claim the price you should pay.
That's how reality is. It's not just a bed of roses. There are also two words hidden behind it: cannibalism.
Game still
To avoid spoiling the game's plot, I won't go into detailed analysis here. Friends who are familiar with the history of the Tang Dynasty or often read historical online novels can actually guess most of the main plot.
Judging from Wu Zetian's real - life experience, it's not an exaggeration to say that she went on a killing spree.
"The Prosperous World" isn't completely serious. There are also some warm and interesting scenes in it.
For example, the interaction between the female protagonist and the prince is so good that it can attract both the prince and his friends.
Game still
In addition, as a content product, in order to increase its self - dissemination, "The Prosperous World" has buried many Easter eggs.
I'm really impressed by the production team. How did they come up with a line like "It really opened my imperial eyes"? It's so creative!
Game still
We've talked enough about the game. Now, let's give a sharp review.
Currently, after a wave of popularity, people already have a general evaluation standard for interactive film and television works.
The quality of costumes, props, and sets can, to a certain extent, reflect the quality of an interactive film and television work. Whether a production crew is willing to pay for quality can be seen by the audience with the naked eye.
Although "The Prosperous World" has an imaginary worldview, it draws inspiration from the Tang Dynasty, so many things are similar to those in the Tang Dynasty.
Indeed, it really stands out in terms of costumes, props, and sets. Just like Concubine Wei at the beginning, anyone who sees her will be fascinated. If you were the emperor, you wouldn't want to attend the morning court either.
Game still
However, if you're really a nit - picker, you can still find some minor bugs.
For example, a Zhihu user found that the female protagonist's skirt seemed to be worn backwards.
Screenshot from Zhihu
Zhanying also gave a sharp review of the chess - playing scene in the game during a live - stream and concluded that the game understands Go but not very well, but the actors' gestures of holding the chess pieces are very professional.
Screenshot from a Bilibili video
In terms of camera work, it's indeed much better than its peers. After all, New One Studio has the experience of "The Invisible Guardian", so it can't be too bad.
Compared with film and television works, the viewing experience of "The Prosperous World" is close to that of medium - to - large - scale investment works, but there is still a gap from top - quality works. However, its cost - performance is much better than many similar products with high prices.
Related comments on the work
The acting skills of the actors don't disgrace the costumes, props, sets, and camera work. Many of them have participated in TV dramas, so they have no pressure when it comes to interactive film and television works.
The current problem with the game is that only the "Concubine Mei Chapter" has been released. The story ends when Wu Yuanzhao goes to the Gan Ye Temple. The rest will have to wait for the "Female Emperor Chapter" which is still in production and should be released as a complete version.
On the one hand, some people think that ending the story at the most crucial point is too tantalizing and a bit awkward. On the other hand, some people are worried about the production team because if the time is too long and the development cycle is too drawn - out, players may forget about it.
These things could be foreseen before the game was released because the original work of "The Prosperous World" was also divided into the Concubine Mei Chapter and the Female Emperor Chapter.
Game screenshot
Finally, what players discuss are common problems such as minor bugs and unfulfilled character plots.
However, in the end, nothing is more convincing than the results when it comes to whether a game is good or bad.
According to public information, "The Prosperous World" sold more than one million copies within just 12 days of its launch. To be honest, this result is enough to make its peers envious and also makes it stand out in the domestic single - player game circle.
But whether it can replicate the success of "The Invisible Guardian" depends on its future performance.
After all, for a palace survival - themed product like "The Prosperous World", the users it covers are no longer just those game users with established consumption habits. Instead, they are a broader and more diverse group of general users.
Regardless of the final result of "The Prosperous World", I sincerely admire the New One Studio team for "bravely taking the first step".