Completed with platinum trophy earned. A Plague Tale: Innocence presents an welcome combination of third-person stealth and light puzzle gameplay mechanics alongside a strong narrative and impressive, if rather grim, artistic design. The game follows Amicia and her younger brother Hugo, children of a French noble family in the Middle Ages, who find themselves pursued by the Inquisition, alongside a growing plague of ravenous rats. Those rats are very much mechanical star of the game, often appearing as a literal 'sea', behaving in a fluid-like manner and providing the impetus for much of the puzzle-solving, as Amicia must manipulate light/fire (which is the one thing that the rats fear) to traverse the environment and also often as a means to take down enemy soldiers. This works as quite an innovative system, which builds nicely as the game progresses and Amicia acquires new means of interaction with the rats.

While undoubtedly a relatively slow experience in most cases, this seems fitting to the game's intentions, which include strong characterisation of Amicia, Hugo and their relationship, alongside a small cast of key supporting characters. The narrative as a whole tells a nicely-involved mystery that gradually takes on a more supernatural note, with the takeaway being a very memorable experience.