A Plague Tale : Innocence from Asobo Studio was the hit of 2019, out of nowhere becoming one of the most notable releases of the year. Since A Plague Tale: Innocence is a new IP from an unconfirmed developer who primarily makes licensed games or acts as a supporting studio, it launches with little expectation. Meanwhile, A Plague Tale: Requiem had to live up to the high standards set by the first game, and luckily for fans of the series, A Plague Tale: Requiem not only achieved innocence, it went far and wide. over it.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a gorgeous game, especially when exploring its brightly lit and beautifully detailed wilderness areas. A Plague Tale: Innocence is dark and gloomy, while A Plague Tale: Requiem is vibrant and full of life, which actually amplifies its more sinister moments. The attention to detail is incredible, the damage a character takes remains visible throughout the game, and small changes in the level design make each area not only feel different from the other, but alive.
However, players should prepare themselves for the occasional slowdown and some kind of stuttering in A Plague Tale : Requiem that is absent in the next-gen version of A Plague Tale : Innocence. Most of these issues are fleeting graphical anomalies that come and go without a headache, but a couple of bugs require a checkpoint reload, such as Hugo being frozen in place while trying to interact with an object land, and an invisible carriage blocking the path in one of the early chapters. As far as slowing down, it’s most noticeable in the calmer parts of the game, which is weird and doesn’t happen at all when the screen is engulfed by 300,000 mice, so players don’t have to worry about the visuals being more impressive. The scene suffers from performance issues hinder.
Sometimes developers make wacky claims about their games that don’t really make it into the final product, but Asobo Studio’s : Requiem for A Plague Tale has 300,000 rats on screen at the same time. The statement is not exaggerated. Swarms of rats are a jaw-dropping spectacle whenever they appear, leading to moments of terror and heart-pounding scenes. Plague Tale: Requiem features multiple instances where the player must flee from a real rat tsunami, maneuvering around obstacles as buildings collapse under the weight of the rodent swarm.
Plague Tale: Requiem features more action than its predecessor, resulting in faster-paced and more engaging instant play. This time Amicia has a crossbow to pair with her trusty sling, both of which are more than capable of taking out enemy guards. Alchemy still plays an important role in combat, and Amicia is able to craft useful items to enhance her gear. For example, Amicia can prepare flammable tar in a pot, break it at the feet of enemies, and then throw fireballs to engulf them.
As players fight and sneak through enemy soldiers and hordes of rats, they’ll find that A Plague Tale: Requiem is still mostly a linear experience, but it offers a lot more freedom than the original game. Areas are larger and more open than before, allowing players to handle most situations as they see fit. Players can sneak through most areas with little to no kills, but this time they won’t be punished harshly for being caught.
Amicia is more capable of defending herself in A Plague Tale: Requiem, so being spotted by enemy guards in restricted areas is hardly a death sentence. Amicia can counter her attackers with a counter attack, and if the player is quick enough, they can often escape before being killed. The game recognizes the playstyle players use to deal with most situations, and upgrades Amicia’s skills accordingly to cater to it, so those who don’t really enjoy pure stealth games can still make their way through combat and make real progress.
Even if players aren’t interested in the gameplay of A Plague Tale: Requiem, they’ll want to see how the story ends. A Plague Tale: Innocence was recognized for its strong characters and compelling narrative, and Requiem goes even further. The sequel, set a few odd months after the events of Innocence, sees Amicia and Hugo traveling the countryside with their mother and alchemist friend Lucas in search of a cure for Hugo’s disease.
For those of you who haven’t played the original game, Hugo has special powers that allow him to control rat hordes to a certain degree. This revelation comes fairly late in A Plague Tale: Innocence, so it’s not used much in the gameplay, but A Plague Tale: Requiem fully embodies Hugo’s unique talents. Controlling small groups of rats opens the door to new puzzle-solving opportunities and combat, and players can sometimes lead the rats directly to hapless guards and devour them in seconds.
Death is not something to be taken lightly in A Plague Tale : Requiem, and the game will certainly highlight the effect all this murder and destruction has on Amicia, Hugo and the rest of the cast. The actors are all excellent in their roles, and their stellar performances ensure that the game’s intensely emotional moments deliver as expected. Charlotte McBurney’s performance as Amicia is particularly impressive, and one has to imagine she’s on the shortlist for Best in Show at this year’s The Game Awards.
There aren’t many options for high-quality storytelling experiences this year. Most big game releases are multiplayer-centric or focused on other things, so anyone who’s been dying for a good story to sink their teeth into should play A Plague Tale : Requiem ASAP. The story is briskly paced, the plot twists are shocking, the forward momentum continues, and it all leads to a powerful conclusion that will stick with players long after the credits wrap up.
Those who really enjoyed A Plague Tale: Requiem and want to fully complete the game should note that collecting collectibles is easier than ever. Not only can players choose which chapters to return to and play, but they can also choose from specific subsections within those chapters. This greatly reduces the tedium of trying to find all the achievements and trophy hunters of A Plague Tale: Requiem collectibles. Plague Tale: Requiem also has a New Game+ option, so players have the option to fully replay the entire experience with all upgrades while searching for collectibles, if they choose to do so instead of jumping between chapters.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is everything you could want in the sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence. It’s more ambitious and action-packed than Innocence, and it’s easily one of the best new games of the year. The fact that A Plague Tale: Requiem is a day one Xbox Game Pass game adds significant value to Microsoft’s subscription service, and anyone with Game Pass should make sure to play it as soon as possible. Those on other platforms shouldn’t miss out either, as A Plague Tale : Requiem is easily worth full price. In short, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a must-play game.
A Plague Tale : Requiem will be released on October 18 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant obtained the PS5 code for this review.