A Plague Tale: Requiem Review- The Rats Run this City
A Plague Tale: Requiem may be the sequel to the much praised indie game A Plague Tale: Innocence, but the leaps and innovations made in just one game for such a small studio is ground-breaking. Almost everything about this 20 hour adventure is fantastic. Aside from a few drawn out exposition dumps and its locked 30 frames per second, Amicia and Hugo’s newest journey is a more ambitious, compelling and satisfying package than the original- but even then, it might not be for everyone.
Gameplay
The first Plague game really didn’t focus too much on its gameplay. It was more of a means to get from one narrative destination to another. With stealth and chase sequences sprinkled in to keep players engaged, it did a good enough job of balancing story and action. This aspect is the most improved upon and likely the most praised part of the sequel. Where the first outing limited you to very small areas that you had to make your way through, Requiem gives a lot more choice and variety in this regard. You still have to make it to one destination, but how you do this is up to you. You can distract and weave your way around guards or slaughter all of them if you so please, thanks to a variety of new tools that Amicia has open to her. The interesting thing here is that this not only bleeds into the story (which we’ll discuss later) but also the gameplay) with a new three-pronged skill tree that automatically levels up depending on how aggressive, stealthy or crafty you are, the game manages to still immerse you while progressing your skills and abilities in a natural way.
What makes Requiem so interesting compared to its contempararies like the Last of Us or Uncharted is the inability to fight back as well. While you can use a crossbow and sling against unarmoured combatants, the game quickly introduces new enemy classes that can’t be so easily beaten. This still puts an emphasis on stealth, much like the last game, but being spotted isn’t the end now- it instead provides an opportunity to fight back in more unique ways. For example, you can put out a guard’s torch when surrounded by rats, or lure one into a puddle or tar where you can then light them up. Aggresion is (most of the time) never the way you want to go, but the option to engage when things get dicey is largely appreciated. This brings in a more guerilla feel to combat encounters that pit you more as the predator as your skills and arsenal grow.
Outside of combat arenas, there are some more open environments to explore- with one huge area coming halfway through the adventure. There are also a few simple puzzles that aren’t too developed from the original, and can occasionally feel quite slow considering their simplicity. However, the chase sequences feel tense and, most of the time, actually quite terrifying. Although you can fight back against a few enemies, being chased by a horde of rats or an army of guards still instills fear- and reminds the character that you aren’t an invincible action hero. By keeping this theme running throughout the experience, the core of the original is expanded but not lost. Against overwhelming odds, you are still going to die. It’s only when you can fight on your own terms that you can feel powerful. This is one of the biggest strengths that Requiem manages to pull off in an impressive way.
Story
Now, the narrative of Requiem is where a lot of players will likely be torn. Instead of an intese, gritty story about survival like the original, Requiem takes a more traditional action adventure tone with pirates and forgotten tombs to explore. That being said, the game is still most definitely about a plague and trying to find a solution to the rat menace, but it just so happens that this takes you on a larger journey than the original. This can be either a positive or a negative depending on how you look at the original. While it is true that some of the claustrophobia of the original is lost slightly with the broader focus, it also provides a lot more narrative variety that allows the characters more time to breathe and develop.
By giving stopping points to relax in between high-stress situations, you get to see more of Amicia and Hugo’s relationship. On top of this, there are new and returning characters that aren’t just there for the sake of being killed off like in Innocence. By the end, you really become attached to them and that could only have happened with time. Speaking on this, this sequel is almost twice as long as the first game, and this can make it feel bloated at times. There are long sections of exposition dumps and quite a few chapters contain no combat or stealth at all. However, these don’t feel boring or pointless, as they all manage to develop the comraidory or the main cast- something that feels very important towards the final hours of the game. When everything comes crashing together, the final hours capture the best of the first and second game- and leaves things on a surprisingly satisfying note that puts the rest of the journey into perspective.
Presentation
In the days up to the launch of Requiem, it was revealed that the game would be capped at 30 frames per second on consoles. Now, this caused quite the controversy- especially considering Gotham Knights had the exact same cap. While this would be considered fine on last generation consoles, the Xbox Series X/S and PS5 have been out for almost two years now, and the lack of 60FPS support is a little disappointing and is very noticeable when going straight from 60 to 30FPS. That being said, this wasn’t too big of an issue for A Plague Tale: Requiem. Considering that this is a single player heavy narrative adventure with minimal combat, the cap isn’t horrendous.
Of course, 60FPS would be much nicer, but this is certainly not a dealbreaker. This is especially true considering how good the game looks on the newer consoles. The graphical fidelity is outstanding and Asobo Studio should be praised for managing to create a AAA looking game despite being an indie studio. From its animations to its textures, A Plague Tale: Requiem looks incredible. There’s one open area around halfway through the game that is very reminiscent of Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us Part II’s open ended areas, and it plays surprisingly well. Not once did I get a dip in frame rate or game crash. While the adventure is limited to 30FPS, the advantages this brings of allowing the player to be completely immersed at all times are fully worth it. The other big leap from the original is colour. From bustling markets to open oceans, the visual upgrade is enough to experience this game alone.
Conclusion
Overall, A Plague Tale: Requiem takes a different direction from the original, but this gamble will probably pay off for most fans. While losing the more closed off feel, Requiem allows a wider variety of gameplay, more diversity in its areas and visuals, as well as a narrative that builds on the foundations of Innocence to create something truly unforgettable. I strongly recommend Amicia and Hugo’s newest adventure. With trudges through hordes of rats and close calls with even more terrifying human enemies, Requiem still feels like an evolution of the franchise in a way that I’d find hard to argue is a waste. With such a satisfying end package, I can see this duology being heralded as a cult classic for decades to come.
