A Plague Tale: Requiem (Xbox Series X|S)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): October 18, 2022
- Release Date (EU): October 18, 2022
- Publisher: Focus Entertainment
- Developer: Asobo Studio
- Genres: Stealth, Adventure
- Also For: Computer, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5
Game Features:
It was only last month that I played and completed A Plague Tale: Innocence; and without knowing much about what I was going into, I was positively surprised by its level design and focus on stealth. Being devoid of any new Metal Gear Solid title (aka my favourite video game franchise), I was thrilled to play an original story-driven game with a gameplay that favours stealth over full-on combat. After completing Innocence, I was quite eager to play the sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, to fill the MGS-shaped gap in my gaming life.
I’d really recommend playing A Plague Tale: Innocence before jumping into A Plague Tale: Requiem as the story picks up right after the events of the first game. We are reunited with Amicia, Hugo, Lucas and Béatrice as they head to the south of France. After a brief period of respite, the Prima Macula has started to spread again on Hugo. The group doubles down on their quest to find a cure for the curse which gets them travelling across the land, on sea and on an island while evading new threats and the rodent infestation that seems to be plaguing their every step.
If the first entry to the A Plague Tale series had a mostly sombre colour palette, Requiem shuffles things up in this department. Sure, you’ll get to control Amicia in dark caves and sneaking through villages at night but these scenes are balanced with colourful landscapes that teem with detail and are a real treat to the eyes. They bear that cinematic presentation that Asobo Studio introduced in the first title and it’s well executed in the sequel in a visually jaw-dropping fashion.
The scenes are not only more varied but also more expansive. While I thought the first opus was well crafted in its linearity through its level design that cleverly guides the player forward, the second instalment takes a more sandbox approach to exploration and tackling enemies. There is now more than one way to clear areas and poking around while exploring will yield collectibles as well as items essential for Amicia’s skill upgrades.
While the focus is still on stealth and light puzzle solving, Requiem introduces some new mechanics on top of those that players of the first game are familiar with. To stay out of the sight of enemies, you still have to make use of grass and bushes but can also sneak under tables and squeeze through tight spaces. You can further plan your approach to clear an area by a new sensing ability from Hugo who is able to highlight enemy and rat locations.
Of course, Amicia is still wielding her trusty slingshot to take out enemies and hit targets from afar. But now her inventory has expanded to include the likes of a crossbow, knives, a flammable tar and explosive pots. Should you be discovered by an enemy, it is no longer game over as you can melee or stab them (if you have a knife), giving you a chance to run. If you are surrounded by rodents, you now have the ability to escape thanks to a new item Luca crafts in an early chapter that allows you to fling sparks around you. A Plague Tale: Requiem also introduces a new upgrade mechanic that automatically upgrades Amicia’s skills based on your approach.
Throughout the game, companions, new and recurring, will join and leave your party and can assist in combat and puzzle solving. With Hugo by your side, you will also often be able to control the rats and direct them towards enemies so you don’t have to face them head-on. Upon Amicia's command, Arthur can attack enemies while Sophia can distract guards with smoke.
These new mechanics enable a wider range of playstyles which feels less restrictive than the first game.
However, several of those new features take a while to be introduced. Even around halfway through, I was still being introduced to some new mechanics. This dragging aspect also spills over into the gameplay. I often came across more enemy-filled areas after just clearing one up; and encountered puzzle sequences that felt a bit too elaborate and not very intuitive just so that a chapter lasts longer. The pacing could have been better executed in this regard through shorter sequences of lighter, puzzle-solving and more tense sequences.
Even if I played the game post-launch, I came across some bugs in early chapters. While on a platform on the ship dock in Chapter IV, the game wouldn't let me walk forward. Then another one in Chapter V where I'm supposed to throw a branch at Lucas, I wouldn't get the prompt for him to catch it. While inconvenient, those issues were thankfully fixed with a restart.
Throughout its 17 chapters, A Plague Tale: Requiem offers great spectacle with its gorgeous, detailed landscape but the experience is slightly marred by the balance of the gameplay that can often feel dragging. That said, it is a worthy successor of the original game and will provide that fix for those looking for a cinematic stealth-focused title. And if the ending is any indication, I look forward to what’s shaping up to be an engrossing stealth trilogy.
A Plague Tale: Requiem - Launch Trailer
Verdict
- Spectacular landscapes
- New sandbox approach to gameplay
- Some sequences can feel dragging
- A few persisting post-launch bugs
