The first game of the series, A Plague Tale: Innocence, quite unexpectedly became the “closing game” of the past generation. It’s also one of my favorite action-adventure games of 2019. Depressing yet excellent story with a brilliant simplicity in gameplay mechanics and visuals that hold up gracefully to this day. With such a reception and cliffhanger ending, announcing a sequel was simply a matter of time.

Since I’ve finished the continuation of Amicia's and Hugo's journey, I can write this review in relief. Not because I've finally made it to the closing credits but because I'm well aware that the developers from Asobo Studio can still work miracles, and the additional popularity after the release of Innocence hasn't overwhelmed them at all. However, is it more than just a follow-up to the fantastic game from 2019? Let’s find out.

• Release Date : October 18th, 2022

• Developer : Asobo Studio

• Platforms : PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X

• Metascore : 82

A Plague Tale Requiem Steam Key is available for purchase on RoyalCDKeys.

June, the year 1349. A few months have passed since the dramatic events of the first game, and we find our heroes in the same lineup. Teenage Amicia and her younger brother Hugo, accompanied by their mother Beatrice and the resolute alchemist Lucas, are still traveling, looking for a safe haven for themselves. A new home looms on the horizon, though the road leading to the desired destination is fraught with thorns.

The story's first chapter begins with carefree delight, which turns out to be a clever tutorial. However, scriptwriters quickly remind us it’s not a family show. In Plague Tale, even the most idyllic moments are only the calm before the raging storm, and our heroes will once again have to fight for survival.

Our mentally exhausted quartet finally arrives at a vast city, which is also the central hub for the next few chapters of the adventure. Exploring the backstreets and picturesque streets, Hugo, in typical fashion, marvels at absolutely everything, but what surprises him most are the smiles on the faces of the locals. It would seem that the plague of rats and the Inquisition trampling on the heroes were just a nightmare, or at worst, something that has passed and will never return. Prepare for a depressing yet awesome story.

A compelling adventure weighed by the narrative is once again the strongest asset of Plague Tale: Requiem. Screenwriters skillfully portray people torn by extreme emotions so they are believable. Amicia de Rune is no longer the same innocent, vulnerable girl. Anger and a sense of injustice need an outlet, and she can turn her hatred into violent and ruthless actions. This does not mean, of course, that killing comes easily to her – every similar act takes its toll on the heroine's psyche, although she explains it to herself by necessity. It's either her or them.

And her little brother? Well, little Hugo de Rune is just himself. He doesn't accompany us always and everywhere – there are times when, for long chapters, he appears only in interludes, and you’re progressing the story alone or with another partner. However, when you hold the youngster's hand, his mouth won’t shut even in the face of danger. I have encountered opinions that Hugo was annoying in the first part due to his insubordination, talkativeness, and puppyish behavior. Well, he’s just a child, and one year between the first and second part isn’t enough time to grow up and make him act like an adult.

And so Hugo, a year older now, seems to better understand the events happening around him this time, although shocking emotions still rack him that he can't quite control. However, certain scenes are truly heart-touching. I’ve constantly found myself pulling away for a moment and stopped thinking about the cruelty around to give the child a moment of solace by playing with him or taking him for a walk around the market.

I don't associate another equally adorable child in a video game, and I understood Amicia's determination to defend her little brother. In the game, we observe his transformation, which often has far-reaching consequences. Amicia, on the other hand, at first seems tough and battle-hardened, but later we witness her deteriorating more and more mentally.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a stealth action sandbox and should be played as such. It only stands out a little from its predecessor in terms of actual gameplay mechanics. In most cases, fighting is your last resort, given that the arsenal of weapons isn’t that generous, and Amicia herself is quite fragile and falls dead after, at most, the second strike of an opponent. So, it's advisable to avoid fighting, sneaking unnoticed between the thugs just to get to the next door, which can be slammed from the inside.

And I have to admit that stealth gameplay works great, gives a lot of satisfaction, and is never boring. Each stage and confrontation with opponents must be properly planned, considering several factors: covers to hide from enemies, carriages you can crawl under, or tall grass to sneak past adversaries.

Rat-repelling light is the foundation of gameplay since rodents won’t come close to any light source, like sun, fire, or lamps. It's been a long time since I felt so involved in gameplay. I used only a slingshot and several types of alchemical ammunition to light fires and pave my way through swarms of terrifying, bloodthirsty rodents. It gets even more interesting when the hostile guards join the rats, and the latter can be used as weapons. A single extinguishing bullet is enough to get rid of the light source and inflict a terrible fate on human adversaries.

A Plague Tale: Requiem provides the player with a fairly wide range of tactical options and problem-solving tools (though not from the very beginning of the game, of course). And even though this time Amicia is equipped with a crossbow and knives, she rarely has enough bolts and blades on hand to slaughter everyone standing in her way. You always have to move carefully from cover to cover, use your surroundings to distract, stun, or, as a last resort, eliminate your opponents – just like in a racial stealth game. It's stressful but also extremely satisfying.

The skill system is a mandatory part of gameplay. It is divided into three skill trees, in which you do not manually select new abilities. To gain experience points, you’ll have to kill enemies in different ways (1st tree), evade them (2nd tree), or produce items (3rd tree). After leaving a location full of enemies, the game automatically counts how many enemies you killed and bypassed. Then, it converts it into skill points and replenishes the EXP bar next to the given trees.

In my playthrough, Prudence and Opportunism leveled up the fastest since I’ve really enjoyed the predecessor’s stealth action gameplay and wanted to continue that in the sequel. But you’re not limited to that path. Amicia is now much more brutal, as she can sling projectiles, stun at close range, and strangle enemies. When knocked down, she will not only get up but also deliver a blow while sticking a disposable knife between the enemy’s ribs. Of course, she's still not a Kratos-like warrior, but she gained some proficiency in fighting.

The game world is filled with leftovers and tools, i.e., items needed for equipment upgrades. You can unlock new crossbow and slingshot abilities, as well as improve Amicia's proficiency at alchemy or crafting. You’ll also unlock additional space in the inventory or new gameplay mechanics, such as getting equipment upgrades on the go, taking apart knives or other items for scraps, moving more quietly past guards when not crouching, and so on. There's really a lot of it when it comes to stealth adventure.

Distributing your arsenal is a must. Every bolt and knife you have is at a premium. Only the slingshot stones are unlimited. However, the slingshot only works well against enemies without a helmet, although in the later stages of the game, you can diversify the projectiles by combining them with flammable substances, extinguishing flames, etc.

Most of the weapons from Innocence are also available in Requiem. The Ignifer for lighting fires, the Exstinguis that extinguishes them, and the Odoris that lures rats to the desired location. A new feature is tar, which can light fires in neutral areas, and when thrown at an already present flame, it will amplify the effect, briefly creating blinding flashes and increasing the range of effect. All in all, there aren’t any groundbreaking innovations when it comes to arsenal, yet enough to keep you occupied.

The game's action was set in the 14th century when an epidemic of plague – one of the most dangerous diseases – took place. Games from this historical period are scarce, and Asobo Studio's location designers have shown what a production set in the time of the plague should look like. Brutality is noticeable at every turn here, not because of fighting or blood but because of the desire to survive. There's a smell of fear, dirt, and stench in the air caused by the numerous diseases caused by the constant wars, and in almost every major building we visit, we'll notice rodents that the residents can't cope with. And rat-filled moments are not scarce either. 

As we visit one location after another, we see devastated, decomposing bodies (not only of adults but also of families with children), barely gasping, or dead animals with their skin slit and guts sticking out. Walking through a courtyard, wading up to your waist in the feces and remains of butchered pigs, is more than suggestive. The same applies to the long corridors filled with human corpses, where it’s impossible not to notice the body of a woman pressing a small child to her breast.

This is certainly not a production for sensitive people. While in Plague Tale Innocence, cruelty is present but more scarce, the designers of A Plague Tale Requiem take no prisoners and show the vision of the world in the way they want. Props to developers for not letting the game be gentled – not only in terms of art but in terms of story – as the game does not lack the heart-breaking deaths of important characters.

A Plague Tale: Requiem impresses with its fantastic graphics. Each stage of the game features a different and interesting color palette, new environments, and breathtaking landscapes. The visited towns and population centers are vibrant with interesting genre scenes and pleasantly reflect medieval realities, and the atmospheric music fits fantastically with what we see on the screen.

Admittedly, the lighting effects and fire animations combined with the rampaging horde of rats at times can cause noticeable drops in fluidity. And the number of visible rats on screen has increased to a whopping 300,000, compared to 5000 in the first game. At times, there is so much going on that the game is plagued with framerate drops on current get consoles. Poor technical performance is the price to pay for visuals of such caliber.

However, I’ve played on my personal PC equipped with RTX 3070, with DLSS set to quality and high settings without any hiccups. Even during graphically intense scenes, my framerate never dropped below 60, and I play in an ultrawide resolution which the game supports flawlessly, by the way.

A Plague Tale: Requiem eventually expands on its predecessor with an intriguing storyline, engaging characters, a peculiar historical background hooked a bit on actual events, and an absolutely phenomenal soundtrack. Heck, if it wasn't for it, most of the atmosphere would have escaped from this game.

Unfortunately, the execution, like repetitive gameplay, fails a bit. If it weren't for the somewhat overly drawn-out story and emotional rollercoaster, in which great moments are mixed with frustrating ones, we would have a masterpiece. And given the number of awards, it is one of the best games of 2022. Nevertheless, it’s a worthy follow-up that you definitely won’t regret getting, despite some gameplay flaws.

Pros :

• An engaging and heartrending story.

• Characterful heroes who are not wax dummies.

• A highly visual vision of 14th-century medieval France.

• Stunning and more varied outdoor locations.

• Excellent dubbing (both English and French).

• Atmospheric soundtrack.

• Cleverly constructed puzzles.

• Stealth sections no longer hold the player's hand.

• Wide scope for crafting and combat.

Cons :

• Enemies are sometimes blind and inconsistent.

• Open clashes are annoying and expose the weaknesses of the combat system.

• Occasional errors in collision detection and interactions.

• Framerate drops on consoles.