A Plague Tale: Requiem Review

A Plague Tale: Requiem excels at blending history with fantasy through alluring first-class gameplay and narrative structure. The sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence is a heart-wrenching story that focuses on our main protagonist Amicia, the daughter of a French lord, along with her brother Hugo. The family name of De Rune rings true as they continue through the pits of darkness — a story told of Amicia and her companions seeking to find a cure for Hugo De Rune — which takes us through stirring moments not seen in many other games. A Plague Tale: Requiem is the perfect sequel.

The Calm Before the Storm — An Introduction to Remember

Gorgeous sights befell me when I started the game. A sweeping landscape of rolling hills and bucolic scenery is clear everywhere you look. As Amicia, Hugo, and Lucas take front and center, the initial conflict is immediate and exquisitely crafted.

At first glance, we face an almost cult-like faction. Veils of basket-akin faces slaughter their way through an entire settlement. However, it is discovered later that we aren’t going to clash against a cult; no, instead, we encounter a ruthless army of soldiers led by The Count and Arnaud. Of course, the antagonists tend to change at any given moment as the story unravels.

Gameplay and Puzzles — The Rats are Not the Only Ones with True Power Now

Within the original A Plague Tale: Innocence, playing Amicia felt a little helpless during combat. Generally. there wasn’t any way apart from a well-aimed slingshot fire to eliminate enemies in proximity. In A Plague Tale: Requiem, however, this is not the case. There is a deep-rooted sense of darker tones evident in the sequel and Amicia’s ability to now counter, stealth kill, and fight certain enemies is a brilliant addition to the already enjoyable formula of the series.

This change most certainly does not make stealth feel pointless in any way, thanks to the all-new skill improvement system — there is always a reason for you to use stealth. In order to earn skills in the game, you will have to alter your playstyle to an according skill line, whether that is to be ruthlessly aggressive, or use logic and tactics to your advantage. It is an impressive way of earning skills that should be highly commended for how successful the system feels. There is even a new “Quick Distract” mechanic which allows you to throw a stone over the shoulders of enemies walking towards you when alerted. Of course, adding even further complexity to the main stealth functionality.

Along with general mechanics, there is now an ability akin to Eagle Vision (akin to the Assassin’s Creed series) within the game. This is called “Echo” which Hugo can utilize to see Enemy outlines when rats are close. Not only that, but once again Hugo will be able to control rats. Though this time, he can take full manual control. It is an explosion of fun in its purest form. The control reminded me of similar abilities pulled from the Dishonored series, which had me on the edge of my seat.

Furthermore, Amicia eventually acquires a crossbow as you progress through the game. This addition ensures that combat is always going to be something that the player can engage in whenever they have the resources for it. Equally, gathering resources, upgrading abilities at workbenches, and crafting are all a great pleasure.

Puzzles are interwoven throughout A Plague Tale: Requiem and, generally, it will once again be a case of avoiding enemies or rats and lighting areas on fire. I would have loved to see more diversity in puzzles, but thankfully, some chapters take the puzzle design to higher heights. Another noteworthy mechanic was the ability to throw objects over to other characters in puzzle areas. In some locations, you’ll learn how to solve crank puzzles and in others, your heart will beat out of your chest as you meticulously avoid the scurrying rats.

Replayability is also something that has been encouraged to a great extent. There is a new crossbow to unlock by completing the New Game+ with numerous collectibles to find throughout the world such as flowers that can be equipped by Amicia and more.

Narrative and story — A Realistic Glimpse at Pain, Love, and Torment

The story succeeds in every aspect. Appearances of new companions such as Sophia (known as the Sea Scorpion) and Arnaud has also been very successful. They both add a lot to the story in their own ways thanks to their incredible performances and placement in the narrative. As you get more familiar with them throughout the game, you will equally see their character development evolve in eloquent ways. 

Although, the story once again mainly focuses on the De Rune family, and Lucas, the fabled Magister from the first game. Amicia’s psychological condition has taken a heavy toll due to past events. There are certain moments in the game where she loses all control of her true self, and the voice actors deserve a lot of praise for their talents.

As much as Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series can run around and kill thousands of people in a short period of time with no effect,  some people simply can’t do that. They aren’t meant to be able to do that. This is why A Plague Tale: Requiem’s much more grounded take on the torments of killing is an interesting insight —. the screams of horror that surely must emit effusively from one’s mind.

Amicia’s ongoing struggle with the pain of her past is evident. It is a testament to the entrancing narrative and writing style seen throughout the experience that this pain is so clearly showcased. Not just showcased, but one that evokes a pummel to the heart with a metal spiked chain. I truly have not experienced anything quite like it since the days of The Last of Us Part II.

The storytelling isn’t just purely narrative-based — instead, it is enhanced by the clear high degree of environmental storytelling as you walk through bodies ensnarled by the plague. It is a harrowing narrative that is beautifully created. The presence of The Order told in backstory has also been successfully added with precise efficiency. The stories of The Order were told from time to time through the environment and other parts of the narrative with great pacing throughout.

Technicality and Level Design — Harnessing the Abilities of the Modern Generation

The actual level design of Requiem highlights the attention to detail put into everything that we play through. Areas shift between closed and open spaces during the course of the game with amazingly designed arenas and fighting areas for tailored battles similar to bosses.

Technicality also gets a lot of praise from the prominent hair physics, lighting, and even haptic feedback usage on the PlayStation 5 Dualsense Controller. As someone who was playing the game on PlayStation 5, the sheer amount of design gone into every vibration and adaptive trigger use on the controller is immense. Feeling heartbeats, slingshot looseness as it becomes less accurate, blades of tall grass rustling against you — everything feels real to one of the highest degrees I’ve felt.

Music and Sound Design — Symphonies of Wonder

The music brings another freshness to the experience with composed tracks throughout. It’s a true testament to the performers’ and audio team’s talents. Lindsey Stirling even starred in an official music video based on the game.

Starting off Chapter VI, for example, I was embraced with a beautiful symphony of guitar strings swaying blissfully in the background, plucking away as the river ran alongside, lapping up against the side of the banks, evoking a tone of tranquility. The sound design pays off tenfold for how successful the game is at conveying areas and feelings.

The Verdict — Beauty Through Adversity

A Plague Tale: Requiem deserves your time in every sense of the word. It is a story that will live on in my mind for years to come and that is for great reason. The powerful, emotional heartaches that you will no doubt experience during the narrative spoken by an incredible cast continue to impress. If you can look past some slight lack of variation and complexity in puzzle areas from time to time then this game will offer you an experience filled with admirably crafted mechanics, thoughtful technicality, and a story set in the fourteenth century which highlights not just a loving story of a brother and sister — but a glimpse at the tragedy and horror which faced many people during the century.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.