A Plague Tale: Requiem review

Agree, it's nice when a game comes out from which you don't seem to expect anything special, but it surprises and becomes something more for you. Released in 2019, A Plague Tale: Innocence took me by surprise. This is one of those gems that came out of nowhere. The original boasted incredible visuals, outstanding acting, original storytelling, and gripping action. Despite the fact that A Plague Tale: Requiem does not fundamentally change anything, the sequel manages to refine the universe and gameplay, becoming something even better.

Return to France

You don't have to play the original to enjoy A Plague Tale: Requiem. The sequel greets players with a lengthy tutorial prologue, introducing the main characters and some of the game's mechanics. Those who know firsthand the original will feel right at home. Beginners will find it easy to learn the combat system and stealth mechanics. The only drawback for fans of the original will be that part of the story being told is familiar to them.

Requiem is set in 14th century France, six months after the original story. All the main faces of the first game return. You play as Amicia, who accompanies her little brother Hugo through the plague-ridden countryside. Hugo has a rare and mysterious illness that has given the boy psychic powers and made him the target of the repressive French Inquisition. Hugo dreams of an island that has a cure or at least an explanation for the origin of his illness, so the brother and sister's goal is to find this island and get to it. While you're still wandering through gloomy locations like the castle's sewers, an abandoned hospital, corpse-littered rooms, and just dark tunnels for most of the game, moving to sunny Provence in the south of France partly changes the situation. It is a colorful, reassuring place with quaint, sun-drenched villages, lush pastures and forests. Over the course of about 20 hours of the story campaign, Requiem provides a wide range of environments. Players do not have to stay in the same place for a long time.

Despite the presence of several main characters and new NPCs, the relationship between Amicia and Hugo is still the focus of Requiem's storytelling. Like the first game, it's a beautifully written, believable, and emotionally compelling story. And in comparison with A Plague Tale: Innocence, the current events have become, one might say, more cruel and difficult. Amicia is fiercely protective of her younger brother. The girl is terrified both by Hugo's deteriorating condition and by his mysterious supernatural powers.

The power of stealth

The storytelling and relationship between Amicia and Hugo may be the driving force behind A Plague Tale: Requiem, but it's the action and gameplay elements that make it so compelling. The sequel doesn't dig into the basics we learned at Innocence, but deepens those systems in every way. Amicia still relies on her sling to take out enemies with shots to the defenseless head, but now she also has a crossbow, knives, and the ability to fend off enemy attacks. Most importantly, she can use alchemy to create a variety of ammo that allows her to set enemies or objects on fire, put out fires, distract rats, and more.

For the most part, A Plague Tale: Requiem encourages players to use stealth and avoid combat whenever possible. Like the original, much of the time progression in Requiem involves solving environmental puzzles that allow Amicia and Hugo to hide from enemies. But this time, these puzzles will be more difficult, and in the locations you will meet many more enemies and opportunities to get around or kill them. The soldiers of the Inquisition spot you very easily and are almost impossible to defeat. Unlike the first game, Amicia can miss one hit and then run and hide from enemies. It soon becomes apparent that in most situations Requiem requires a more methodical and measured approach. From time to time, characters are asked to speed up, but such mechanics are more annoying than giving emotions from the action.

Plague-bearing rats are swarming in even greater numbers than before, attacking in impressive, gigantic swarms. Hugo's abilities, fire and light, still repel rats. Finding or creating areas of light or fire, or using rats to kill enemies are still fun activities that become an important element of complex puzzles. However, there are times when the game mechanics are disappointing. Often, Amicia has to move wagons around, using them as platforms to get higher. And such actions can hardly be called fun and exciting.

The devil is in the details

The environment in A Plague Tale: Requiem is not as inviting and open as it seems at first glance. In general, the game guides the player along a relatively narrow route, but these restrictions are subtle. There is no card, and it is not needed. It is always clear where to go next. The puzzles in the environment are understandable, and Requiem is not one of those games where there are multiple solutions or paths. Depending on your need for action creativity, this can be frustrating or make life easier.

The fact that Requiem doesn't have an open world is a good thing, as it allows you to focus on details, impactful design, and lighting. The first game looked amazing, but Requiem looked even better. The setting is more reminiscent of the films of the Middle Ages of cinema than some exact historical realities of exact historical reality, and this does not matter. Rich textures, lived-in and really oozing life: the countryside of southern France looks like a living postcard.

The lip-sync to speech isn't perfect, but the acting and voice acting are still top notch. Take at least a spectacular whisper when Hugo and Amicia are talking to each other, hiding from enemies in the grass. Sometimes, in the midst of a fight, the couple can seem overly chatty, but that's hardly the only tiny flaw I could find in the sound design. The musical accompaniment by Olivier Derivier is beautiful and restrained. It uses a mixture of medieval and modern instruments, melodies and modes that sound historically appropriate, without thoughtlessly applying the actual music of the time.

A story worth telling

A Plague Tale: Requiem doesn't reinvent what made the first game great. Instead, the sequel improves on everything that worked great in the original. From the graphics and sound to the combat system, A Plague Tale: Requiem adds more depth than we could have imagined when we played Innocence. Many gamers missed A Plague Tale : Innocence , but everyone should play this amazing sequel.