A Plague Tale: Requiem is a sequel that gets all its rats in a row. It’s an action adventure starring two young siblings and a swarm of killer rats. The game excels in contrasts, flooding the screen with vibrant joys one minute and despair the next. It boasts a strong linear narrative with engaging characters and challenging stealth puzzles. The palpable texture of its medieval setting, the pathos in its character relationships, and the persistent menace of the rats make it more compelling and relatable than its celebrated peers.
The story follows the survivors from the first game as they travel south through France to escape the scar of the rat plague that swallowed up their home. Teenager Amicia De Rune—the player character—and her little brother Hugo are starting to enjoy life once again, frolicking in lush fields and pretending to storm an abandoned castle. Meanwhile, the children’s mother and her apprentice Lucas are more concerned about getting Hugo checked out by a renowned alchemist since the rats are after all linked to a curse in his blood.
Naturally, the group’s fortunes soon take a turn for the worse, and it’s not long before you’re knee-deep in slurry, cadavers, and beady-eyed rodents. “Nothing ever stays nice,” Hugo says succinctly. Requiem excels in these contrasts, though, flooding the screen with vibrant joys one minute, despair the next.
Despite some technical difficulties, it’s an amazing experience with great storytelling and fun gameplay. However, strange character animations and limited combat hold it back from being best in class. In terms of production values among comparable titles, it still bows before Sony heavyweights such as The Last of Us Part 2 and God of War but little else.
The game raises the stakes with an even defter touch. Despite the unorthodox casting of its beasts and youngsters, Innocence largely worked within boundaries set by bigger names, most notably The Last of Us. Requiem, by contrast, feels like a spread of the wings, buoyed by its predecessor’s success to forge an unmistakable identity.
Overall, A Plague Tale: Requiem is an impressive sequel that builds upon everything that was already good on A Plague Tale Innocence and also corrects some of the mistakes from the first game. With improved stealth action mechanics, a fantastic (and deeply depressing) story, and graphics that had me gawking, A Plague Tale: Requiem is an impressive glow up that’s easily worth the immense horrors it subjected me to.
In conclusion, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a worthy sequel that builds upon the strengths of its predecessor while also addressing some of its shortcomings. The game offers an engaging narrative, memorable characters, and challenging gameplay that will keep players on the edge of their seats. Despite some technical difficulties and limitations in combat, it’s an amazing experience that’s not to be missed.
REVIEW : The Creepy Syndrome (PC)
