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A Plague Tale: Requiem review
After the fascinating story of Innocence, Asobo once again made sure to create a sequel that puts the glasses on big studios both in the visual part and in the script. Knowing exactly Innocence’s strengths, Requiem builds on them and takes them one step further.
The game is twice as long as the first one, with the stealth element taking the lead again, but with the option for more “aggressive” gameplay with the addition of some items in Amicia’s possession. The mechanics are simplified in both crafting and skills which are passively unlocked depending on how the player chooses to play. The AI engine is the biggest weakness of the game and it seems like they didn’t put the necessary attention into building it.
The story begins 6 months after Innocence where Amicia, Lucas and Beatrice go with Hugo to find someone to cure him. Everything shows that Hugo must find the island he sees in his dreams to save himself, but as he taught us in the first game, nothing comes easy for the brothers and for every step they take forward, they will take another step back.
For anyone who thought that our protagonists were done with their character development, they were wrong. Amicia is ready to wipe out anyone who stands in her way to help her brother, and sometimes she oversteps her bounds and does more harm than good. As the story unfolds, Hugo loses more and more of his childishness and realizes perhaps better than anyone the destruction that follows where he is. Lucas and Beatrice influence the story more after the middle of the game and are both the voice of reason in the case. Along the way we meet the knight Arnaud and Sophia who help us find the island Hugo sees. Beyond the plot, however, each of them also helps in the gameplay with the possibilities they have to offer.
The graphics of the game are breathtaking, whether they concern flowery plains and populated areas or apocalyptic landscapes with a weakness, however, in the depiction of faces and in some cutscenes even the lip sync is lost. The voice acting is amazing on Amicia and Hugo but on the rest of the characters it seems like different efforts have been joined together to create the final product making some parts sound weird. The soundtrack is amazing and it also adds to building the desired atmosphere.
In summary, A Plague Tale: Requiem is the ultimate sequel to Innocence with a story that can bend even the toughest out there with little downside that gets lost in the atmosphere the game builds. It is an experience that every gamer deserves and will remember for a long time. We don’t know Asobo’s next step but it looks like they have a lot to offer the industry.
