Mia and the Dragon Princess Critic Reviews

Mia and the Dragon Princess is limited even when it comes to the classic full-motion video approach. There are some player choices, the narrative does branch, and it can take some time to put together the best way to get characters to one of the positive endings. Even with the ability to skip scenes, there’s little incentive to play through it for more than 2 or, maybe, 3 times if you really feel a connection to one of the main characters. The biggest problem is the lack of narrative coherence. The villain is just a collection of ticks and tropes and, while I like the central pair, their characterization is also scattershot. FMV experiences can be interesting and engaging, both in terms of story and gameplay. Mia and the Dragon Princess fails to deliver on either of those fronts and would have worked better as a straight-to-streaming movie.

Mia and the Dragon Princess is an entertaining FMV game with branching storylines and great action sequences. Other than those strengths, nothing else stands out as the story isn’t developed enough for an impact. Railroading forces the story to go in certain directions, removing the choices that most players are making. While the story itself is decent, playing to unlock all the scenes peels away the exterior to show you the flaws.

Wales Interactive has its fans (rightfully so), and they will know what they’re in for here. But for the uninitiated or those looking for a cheesy, goofy adventure story that satisfies, Mia and the Dragon Princess ultimately fails to deliver the goods.

I find it hard to see Mia and the Dragon Princess as one of Wales Interactive's best works. Compared to the simpler and more well thought out Ten Dates, this game feels like a step in the wrong direction in a multitude of ways.

Another in the series of film adventures from Wales Interactive wants to enchant us with a theme, branching story and plot. Unfortunately, not very successfully.