Of Rats and Resilience

Asked about "horror games", a genre that has come into its own over the past two decades, many players will distinctly think of the visceral, the grotesque, and the physically unfathomable.  These terrors can arrive in the form of mushroom-headed mutants, giant, overhead spiders??, or hideous, skinless, black-eyed zombies, ready to pop up directly into your PoV with a ghastly scr?eam in what we have coined the "jump scare".

Boo.

But, even within scenarios set outside of our own sphere of time or reality, horror can strike much closer to home.  It can be presented in its purest form, via themes of grief, regret, responsibility, and, scariest of all, the loss of one's own capabilities, focus, and mind.  I've never encountered a mushroom-headed mutant, but I've been completely terrified at the thought of a loved one in peril, or concerned that I won't deliver in a desperate hour of need.  More candidly, I frequently feel abject fear about my own ability to be who I want to be, or even the person that I need to be.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a horror game, no doubt.  But its teeming, skin-crawling swarm of black rats only represents its horror in a physical and fantastical form.  Who we are, our inescapable fates, the fragility of our lives, the untold damage we can do to ourselves and others, and the irreversibility of said damage �this is also horror.  And it is the horror that faces Amicia and Hugo de Rune.  A horror so relatable, so tangible, so real, that it can reach out through the screen and grab hold of us, cutting deeper than any sackcloth-wearing, chainsaw-wielding madman?.

A Plague Tale: Requiem (PS5 [reviewed], PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Game Pass)
Developer: Asobo Studio
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Released: October 18, 2022
MSRP: $59.99

A Plague Tale: Requiem is the sequel to the cult 2019 sleeper hit A Plague Tale: Innocence, produced by French developer Asobo Studio.  As an untested IP, not boosted by the billion-dollar cogs of the marketing machine, Innocence had to fight to make something of a name for itself, despite being well-regarded by critics and beloved by an ardent fanbase.  As a stealth title with a heavy emphasis on narrative progression, patient gameplay, and extensive dialogue, Innocence struggled to find its audience against similar cinematic adventures.  Sat against the Molotov cocktails and box-cutter zombie stabbings of its brethren, Innocence??'s flower-collecting side-quest wasn't really pulling in the masses.

And it's a damn?????????????????????????? shame, because it was a pretty special release.

In creating the sequel �a sequel that was never guaranteed to get the go ahead �Asobo Studio has chosen to stick to what originally brought it to the dance.  For better and for worse. A Plague Tale: Requiem chooses not to stray far from what made its predecessor a low-key classic. Instead, the studio has merely tweaked some of the gameplay elements, while focusing on boosting the scope??, scale, and narrative power of its world and story �also harnessing modern-day tech to further polish the franchise's celebrated, stunning environ?ments.

And thus, rather than attempting to win over everybody, A Plague Tale: Requiem instead has chosen to double down for somebody.  In doing so,? Asobo S??tudio has created what can be considered a flawed but very enthralling mini-masterpiece.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK9vYJ1g2WE

Light their way, When the darkness surrounds them,

Following on from the events of Innocence, Requiem sees Amicia and Hugo de Rune attempt to rebuild happier lives in the aftermath of their tragic odyssey through the province of Guyenne.  With life looking up for the first time in months, the de Rune offspring are moving into a beautiful new province, away from the oppression of The Inquisition and the terrifying black rat plague known as "The Bite". Unfortunately, these youngsters soon discover that, no matter how far they travel, their fate is inescapable.  A chance encounter with ultraviolence reawakens Hugo's dormant bloodline, "La Prima Macula", bringing with it a million piercing eyes and a bi?llion razor-sharp teeth.

Their new life in ruins, and riddled with guilt and despair, Amicia is convinced that the answer to stopping this endless nightmare lies in a mythical island, envisioned by her brother in a series of strange dreams. With death nipping at their ??heels, thousands of innocent bodies behind them, and myriad armies, doomsday cults, and vengeful victims out for their? blood, the duo is forced back onto the road �searching for a place, a cure, or simply an answer that may not even exist.

Requiem is a story about duty, family, friendship, and destiny. Its sharply written and utterly compelling chronicle is set against the backdrop of the encroaching rat army, but places its focus squarely on our heroes, their allies, and their enemies. From young Hugo's despair at a world that forever disappoints him, to Amicia's increasingly declining mental and physical health, Requiem is about the frayed bonds of hope, as two ??broken youngsters search for stitches to r??epair seemingly irreparable lives.

Give them love, Let it shine around them,

It behooves me to speak at great length about the narrative because, as previously mentioned, A Plague Tale: Requiem does not do a whole lot to reinvent its gameplay. Still a stealth adventure at heart, Requiem consists of lengthy, (but arresting), walk-and-talk sequences, perfo?rated with frequent forays into crawling through long grasses, throwing pots, starting fires, and, when the best-laid plans of... rats and... women... come crashing down, fighting for your life with the aid of a slingshot and a selection of alchemic ammunition.

While some new elements are introduced, little has advanced in Requiem's gameplay from its predecessor. A veritable feast of cart pushing, lever-pulling, and stick-burning lies ahead. Hell, even Amicia's hilarious habit of bolting every door behind her is still present and correct.  There are some new abilities, alchemic items, ?and weapons introduced, while a new counter-attack fe?ature always offers our girl a "second chance" upon discovery.  This helps a little with the frustration of getting caught in the act.

The clunky "Stay and Come" Hugo mechanic is gone entirely, with the young lad developing some... worrying abilities himself as the story progresses. In addition, the stealth sections are a little more open-ended than they once were, typically offering more than one route to the objective. A neat feature sees Amicia's skill tree auto-fill based upon playstyle, with respective rewards for going in quiet as mice or all crossbows blazing. Still, for the most part, anyone who has played Innocence knows what to expect he?re: walk and talk, stealth, action setpiece, and plenty of hidden flowers (and feathers) to collect.

While this sounds like very "safe" design, (and it is), Requiem's calling lies in its surrounding elements. Liter?ally?.

Keep them safe, keep them warm

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a gorgeous game. While Innocence already pushed console limits in regard to environment and visual effects, Asobo Studio has harnessed modern tech to produce some of the most beautiful and absorbing towns, meadows, beaches, and vistas experienced in gaming. The flora and fauna of Requiem's world, along with its bustling town fairs, ramshackle villages, and ornate monasteries are dazzling, equally juxtaposed by the skin-itching misery of its sewers, slums, swamps, and endle??ss mounds of viscera that our protagonists will be forced to wade through.

Adding further to its world are some fantastic weather effects and a highly realistic audio package that certainly deserves to win awards. From the dynamically adaptive and deeply affecting score of returning composer Olivier Deriviere, to a smorgasbord of authentic and seamlessly integrated sound effects, Requiem sounds every bit as good as it looks.  Its paradise islands, cheerful m??arketplaces, storm-ridden seas, and bleak, war-torn fields balance its majestic audio/visuals to create a "lived-in" world �as warm and attractive as it can be completely cold and repellent.

Give them shelter from the storm

Clearly aware that its stealth-based gameplay is somewhat on the rote, even repetitive side, Requiem goes all-out to present a story, world, and cast of characters that truly embrace the players and their emotional resonance. Requiem's tale runs a gamut of themes focusing on unspeakable tragedy and how it affects the individual, the family, the fanatical, the religious, and all those who fall in the cracks between. As one might expect, it's a rough ride, with events getting almost unbearably oppressive as the second ac?t progresses, (though the arrival of some likable new characters brings relief).

Amicia de Rune still holds fort as one of the great unsung heroes of gaming's modern age. The elder de Rune's struggle is depicted at great cost to the player's heartstrings.  Amicia's declining mental health, loss of self-identity, and abandonment of her stolen teenage years form a core theme of Requiem's underlying narrative. In the (highly recommended) French voice track, Amicia is once again brought to life by actor Charlotte McBurney, who gives a stunning, nigh-on flawless?? performance as the young woman forced to abandon all that she is, and to take up arms, to endure, and even to kill, by the terrible hand dealt her bloodline. True character strength. Depicted and performed with passion and ?conviction.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a legitimate cinematic epic �a deliberately paced odyssey that expresses its heavy emotional arc at its own speed.  Several hours longer than its predecessor, Requiem is confident in its story and asks that the player allow themselves to sink into the adventure without paying too much attention to their watch. In Requiem, we are not here t??o run (at least not always) and the game will reward the patient with engaging conversation and resonant dialogue.

Bless the beasts and children

It's difficult to score a game that does little in the advancement of gameplay, instead choosing to put all of its chips in its visuals, sound design, world layout, characters, and narrative. Ultimately, Asobo Studio has created a fantastic, rewarding sequel for fans of A Plague Tale: Innocence that will, just like that release, likely turn off those wh??o prefer their third-person adventures with a little more machine gun.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a stealth game through and through, and the gameplay carries with it all of the exact same perils and pitfalls of repetition that come with the now-aging genre.  This element, much like Innocence, may dissuade fence-sitters from parting with their hard-earned $60 (though Requiem is available on Xbox Game Pass). However, as an example of video games as a cinematic storytelling medium, it is fair to call Requiem a bar setter, capably delivering a solid and emotive journey.  A Plague Tale fans �their passion and??? loyalty rewarded �will be captivated.

Choosing not to reinvent the wheel in regards to its by-the-numbers stealth gameplay, A Plague Tale: Requiem instead goes above and beyond to present greatness in its overall package, delivering an enthralling story, magnetic characters, tense action setpieces, and stunning visuals that rank among the generation's finest. It won't bewitch everyone, but for devoted fans of rats and resilience, A Plague Tale: Requiem absolutely delivers.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: A Plague Tale: Requiem appeared first on Destructoid.

All those lil' critters need some oomph

Focus Entertainment and Team Asobo have released the final PC requirements for their incoming stealth sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem. The gri??m-looking adventure is currently scheduled to launch on PS5, PC, and Xbo?x Series X on October 18.

A Plague Tale: Requiem will tell of the continuing tale of orphaned children Hugo and Amicia de Rune, violently torn from their aristocratic family and thrust into a miserable world of death and disease �pursued by both The Inquisition and a terrifying army of ?needle-teethed black rats. The sequel will see the de Rune as they country their epic journey through 16th century France, outnumbered and outg?unned.

Despite being a so-called "AA" release, predecessor A Plague Tale: Innocence was an incredibly attractive title with highly detailed worlds and lavish lighting and visual effects. As ?such, it would figure that the French developer would go all-in on new-gen for the sequel, in order to further realize its ambition of creating and grimly gorgeous world.

You can check out the Minimum and Recommended requirements/specifications below????.

The post A Plague Tale: Requiem? PC specs harness the po??wer of the rat army appeared first on Destructoid.

Big congrats to the team at Asobo!

There are plenty of big milestones in game development: announcing a new game, getting in the first playable build, and of course, the release. But one of the most exciting parts of that process is when a game goes gold, meaning the final playable version goes off to distributors and manufacturers. It's a culmination of years of work from sometimes hundreds, if not thousands of people, and it's more excit??ing than it probably sounds.

Well, we got some good news from Asobo Studio this morning, because it just announced on Twitter that its highly-anticipated sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem has gone gold.

The game has been in development at Asobo for three years, but it wasn't announced until June of last year during E3 2021. That's a pretty quick turnaround after A Plague Tale: Innocence, so it's really impressive that the game went gold so soon without any hitches. We don't have any news of a third game in the series yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if Asobo w??anted to ??make it a trilogy.

//twitter.com/APlagueTale/sta?tus/156064198??8591882249

What does this mean for ?us players? Well, it means that we're one step closer to that October 18 release date for PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S, and that the ever-present threat of a delay has been mitigated. Other than that, it's just a nice thing to celebrate with developers! They likely pulled crazy hours to get the game all ready to go, so it's an achievement worth announcing for sure.

We got a first look at the gameplay for A Plague Tale: Requiem during the Game Awards in 20??21, where Amicia and Hugo continue their journey south using stealth and the envi??ronment to their advantage to evade those who might want to harm them, including huge masses of squeaking rats.

The post A Plague Tale: Requiem has gone gold appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready for another harrowing adventure

A Plague Tale is a series that has made a name for itself in the action-adventure genre with its gorgeous visuals, compelling story and characters, and creative gameplay. The second game in the series, A Plague Tale: Requiem, was announced last summer, and we got a first look at its gameplay during the Game Awards in 2021 as well. Today, during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, developer Asobo Studio ??showed off a new trailer, aptly titled "End of Innocence."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6trXEz1YvM

We got a closer look at some story, some gameplay, and some stunning set pieces, so it looks like we've got a lot to look forward to from A Plague Tale: Requiem. We don't have an exact release date as of yet, but the trailer did confirm that the game will be coming to Xbox Consol?es, PC, and Cloud sometime in 2022, and o??f course, it will be available on Xbox Game Pass.

The post A Plague Tale: Requiem gets a chil??ling new trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Nielsen Rat-ings

It seems that A Plague Tale is getting set to bring its grim nightmare to a whole new medium?, as the T??eam Asobo stealth adventure is to be adapted as a live-action TV series at some point in the future.

Details about the new production are incredibly thin on the ground, with the news first reported by French outlet Allocine, before being later confirmed by the new show's director, Mathieu Turi. Turi already knows his way around a grisly encounter or two, having previously worked on horror films Hostile (2017) and Meander (2020), while also directing episodes of the Rosemary's Baby TV series.

"I’m honored to work on the adaptation as a TV series of A Plague Tale," wrote Turi on Twitter. "Thank you to Asobo Studio and Focus Entertainm??ent for their trust. I can’t wait to bring Amicia and Hugo’s journey to the screen!"

It is believed that the new A Plague Tale adaptation, much like its video game source origins, will see the displaced De Rune children pick their way through 14th century France, desperately trying to stay one step ahead of both The Inquisition and a terrifying army of black rats that has enveloped the countryside. It's no secret among Destructoid readers that I'm a big fan of said game and I'm very much looking forward to seeing its period gothic story of loss and survival played out in?? televisual form.

A Plague Tale: Innocence is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox Platforms. Sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem is currently i??n development for? PS5, PC, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch (via cloud).

//twitter.com/Ma??thieuTURI/status/1504430034202812417?s=20&t=2XWEeqvfCkagLMJApRZc_g

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Rats swarming in 4K

If the recent announcement of A Plague Tale: Requiem had you thinking about playing the first game, there's a few new versions on the way you can check out. A Plague Tale: Innocence is getting a new version for t??he PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and a special online launch on ?the Nintendo Switch via the cloud.

As confirmed at today's extended Xbox Games Showcase, A Plague Tale: Innocence will be?? coming to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on July 6. The new version will have 4K UHD, as well as 60 FPS and 3D audio support.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evv-ECAk35g

If you'd rather stay portable you can, although you'll still need an internet connection. A Plague Tale: Innocence is also coming to the Nintendo Switch on July 6 as a cloud-based title, allowing you to play digitally via cloud streaming. Several other games have done this in the past, though I haven't seen much discussion around those versions since launch. I'm curious to see how it far?es.

Since it first launched in 2019, it feels like A Plague Tale: Innocence has been sneaking onto everyone's backlog over time, my own included. With the reveal ??of a ne??w game in the plague-centric series, complete wi??th massive rat swarms, maybe July will be the time to finally give it a go.

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