A Plague Tale: Requiem Review
Ali Hasan October 28, 2022
A plague Tale Innocence, for a lot of people, including me was the biggest standout title of 2019. Coming from Asobo studios, a studio that had mostly developed smaller and more arcadey titles a game of such narrative prowess and well-written characters was a surprise for sure but one that was very welcome. Three years later the team is back with A Plague Tale: Requiem. The next outing in Hugo and Amicia’s journey, building on the foundation of its predecessor to deliver what I found to be a very pleasant and polished experience with all the story beats and emotional hooks that make a narrative-driven game enjoyable. Requiem dials up the elements that made Innocence great but often struggles to evolve beyond the confines of the first entry
Amicia and Hugo are the Centerpieces of the Incredible Story
Requiem picks up roughly six months after the events of the first game and puts you in the shoes of Amicia, a teenage girl, and her brother Hugo as they traverse a plague-stricken fourteenth-century France in search of a cure for Hugo’s mysterious illness; Macula. There is a tinge of warmth that is felt throughout the entirety of the story that stems from the siblings’ relationship.
Amicia’s deep and often times desperate attempts at protecting Hugo and her unbashful drive to reach her goals contrast nicely against the grim and unforgiving nature of the world and the story. Like the Last of Us, A Plague Tale Requiem puts its excellent characters at the forefront but unlike the former, there is some actual history here, one that you’ve already experienced and, in my opinion, makes for some incredibly rich and compelling storytelling in addition to having you more emotionally invested with the characters.
Every Actor Turns in an Incredible Performance in this Grim and Unforgiving World
Each actor turns in an incredible and very believable performance, the standout for me however was Charlotte McBurney as Amicia. There is a scene very early on in the game where Amicia is hugging Hugo to her chest as they make their way through a town following a rat attack. During this scene, she tries to comfort Hugo telling him that she will find a cure for him as her voice starts to break and Hugo’s sobs grow louder. The way both actors play off of each other is truly incredible and really sets a precedent for the rest of the game. Moments like these are littered throughout the game and make for some incredibly rich and genuinely gut-wrenching story moments.
The steely nature of the story is something that can not be overlooked and like the Last of Us Part II really pushes you over the emotional edge. Throughout the course of the game, you meet numerous characters that accentuate the already great core cast, watching them die and/or betray you is something that hits you hard especially when you’ve spent a significant amount of time with them. The game is dark, with the characters working against immeasurable odds but the story told is so nice and presented so expertly that I had a hard time putting the game down. A Plague Tale Requiem is a masterclass in great storytelling and well-written characters.
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A Plague Tale: Requiem Features a Beautiful World and a Significant Advancement in The Rat System
These characters and stories shine because the game is presented in a stunning package. The world is incredibly detailed with every object displaying spectacular texture work against the excellent lighting solutions. I’d often stop and look over the beautifully rendered grass and trees, gently swaying with the wind or far-off buildings and their stonework as the light played off of them or the beautifully rendered water in the distance. The characters beautifully blend in with the environment while also looking distinct, which lends a level of believability to the world despite the hordes of disease-stricken rats chasing you.
Speaking of rats, they make a triumphant return in Requiem. The number of on-screen rats has increased from 5,000 to a staggering 300,000 at any given time. It’s clear Asobo has evolved and worked on the tech over the last three years and it works in the favor of the game. While the number of rats on the screen won’t always be at this astounding amount in the chase scenes where they are it truly is a sight to behold.
From a distance, the flowing rats almost look like water but upon close inspection, you can see each individually rendered rat as they form a wave. The PS5’s 3D audio further works to enhance their presence and almost makes your skin crawl. The implementation of the rat system combined with the 3D audio is something I believe is truly unmatched, the rat tech alone makes the game feel like a next-gen experience.
Rats have an omnipresent role throughout the game and you must use fire to dispel them across many scenarios. Anywhere that doesn’t have a fire source nearby will quickly get filled up with these disease-ridden rodents. The best moments in the game come when navigating rats and combat scenarios are combined. It not only places double the pressure on you it makes you think on your feet as you juggle two very hard but totally unique mechanics, making you combine your expertise in both.
The Combat in Requiem is Great but Feels Very Similar to the First Game
The combat in Requiem has been built upon from the first entry and retains much of the same core mechanics and the overall feel of its predecessor. Amicia is a lot more proficient this time around, being able to do a lot more than what she was previously capable of. The game places a great emphasis on stealth, devising unique and clever ways for Amicia to get around enemies which include shrouding an enemy in darkness which makes any nearby rats attack them, or throwing stones against objects to divert their attention to make a quick getaway.
Amicia also uses tall grass to navigate spaces. One of my favorite additions in Requiem is being able to re-enter stealth once you’ve been seen, having to restart encounters often got cumbersome in the original. to see this addressed is a big win in my book and is a great design choice.
Amicia can also use her sling to strangle enemies but the animation is so long that oftentimes you break stealth. Amicia gains access to a crossbow later on in the game (which lets her take down armored enemies in a single blow) in addition to using knives to quickly and silently take out enemies, both these mechanics however are very well balanced with crossbow bolts and knives being relatively hard to come by.
You have to be mindful of your resources making sure you’re not overusing these two weapons. There is a very clear emphasis on trade-offs within combat. If you use the sling, chances are you will break stealth but on the other hand, it means that you can save up valuable ammo and resources for other more difficult encounters. If you use all of your crossbow bolts and knives you will find it difficult to progress later on.
The scarce nature of these items as well as the increased mindfulness in making sure you aren’t being too indulgent during combat works very well in my opinion and adds to the survival nature of the game and makes you step back and assess each encounter thoroughly before you make a move.
Apart from this, there isn’t much else that sets Requiem apart from the first one. Combat has been refined where it feels better overall but most stealth sections, despite the addition of new mechanics and weapons end up feeling very similar to the first game. Most stealth sections feel very similar to the first game, and you end up doing most of what you did in the first game, here. Maybe the addition of other types of distractions and/or some unique weapons would have helped the combat feel a lot richer and varied. This isn’t an inherently bad thing per se, but I would have liked perhaps a bit more work put into changing up the combat.
Verdict
Like its predecessor, A Plague Tale: Requiem delivers a well-crafted and emotionally gripping story in a beautiful rendition of fourteenth-century France. Asobo has taken the time to refine its technology while also perfecting existing mechanics. The game is fun but it often feels like it doesn’t do enough to set itself apart from the first entry which ends up being its biggest downfall. Overall, the team has delivered an excellent game that is rife with great character moments, teeth-clenching stealth moments, and an overabundance of rats.
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