Every time a sequel to a game I like gets announced, I have a big concern that the game will play it too safe, and essentially be (Original game) 1.5 and won't stand up on its own two feet. Because even if the game is set right after the events of the first, I think it should still function as a distinctly different experience. Yet at the same time, the story should feel like a natural continuation from the original, allowing the writers to delve deeper into the characters, themes, and world they created in the first game. In other words; the sequel has to feel necessary. It's a tough line to walk for sure, as creating something fresh while still being faithful to the original is not an easy task, but I can happily report that A Plague Tale: Requiem does so expertly.
Set 6 months after the events of Innocence, A Plague Tale: Requiem follows Amicia and Hugo as they desperately search for a cure to Hugo’s condition. Like a certain other great sequel to a stealth action game starring a female protagonist, Requiem directly deals with obsession, and the cost of your actions (and occasionally, your inaction). It’s a harsh and unforgiving world, but sometimes being just as harsh and unforgiving in return isn’t always the best course of action. Hugo is undoubtedly a lovable little shit, but he is cursed with horrible, world altering abilities, and it cannot be overstated just how devastating any slip up may be. It’s quite an extensive journey, as you travel from one end of the world to the next, following an ancient breadcrumb trail in the hopes of finally finding something tangible to help him. In that regard it's actually quite similar to Uncharted, with lots of different sights, sounds and side-stories along the way. And there are some truly gorgeous sights to behold, as Requiem does a fantastic job of constantly taking you through new environments, each one more compelling than the last, even offering a semi-open world area on a beautiful island. It really does feel a lot like an uncharted game, only this time it just so happens to be SIGNIFICANTLY fucking darker. And for as dark as Innocence was, this definitely takes it a step further. But thankfully it’s done with a grace and nuance only found in the best narrative games, and it all feels natural to the story Asobo wants to tell. It doesn’t quite hit all the notes it aspires to reach but it's still damn good and certainly my favorite narrative of the year (Not counting TLOU Part 1). It also helps that the cutscenes and visuals have seen a sizable bump in quality from the original, with great voice acting from the entire cast of characters, even the side characters (which were a bit iffy in the first game IMO). The lighting has also seen a significant bump in quality and I really liked a lot of the lighting choices and framing during cutscenes. When gamers inevitably say this game is very “Cinematic” I will still cringe, but significantly less so than I would for 90% of other games, which is pretty big praise in my book.
The facial animations however still leave a bit to be desired, but thankfully that really doesn’t matter because Olivier Derivere is the composer for this game, and his score ABSOLUTELY CARRIES some of these scenes. He has always been one of my favorites, but his work here is just astounding. It’s unbelievably good, and not only is it by far my favorite score this year, it could very well be in my top 5 favorites all time. It perfectly remixes old themes from the previous game, while adding in a ton of new pieces to send your heart to the moon and then bring it back to earth to stomp on it. A good composer is vital to games that want to tell these serious stories, and I am forever thankful that Asobo managed to snag Olivier for this franchise. Because while Amicia and Hugo are the heart of it, Olivier is the soul.
Gameplay wise, Requiem doesn’t stray too far from the first game, with the same blend of stealth, action, exploration, and puzzle solving. It has been expanded upon however, offering several new tools and abilities to give you a wider range of ways to approach some of the more open sections. It’s still very gamey, with several moments of classic video game logic, but I think they did a better job grounding it so that there aren’t quite as many “I can’t carry a torch up a 3 foot ledge” type of moments in this one, which I appreciated. Most of it is pretty simple overall, and while I think the complexity of some of the encounters could stand to be ramped up a bit, I definitely did enjoy it. I also liked how they really leaned heavy into some of the crazy, supernatural aspects that were apparent towards the end of the first game. I know that might not sit well with everyone, but I thought it was executed very well and led to some insanely cool late game moments.
When it comes to the direct combat, it's actually seen a solid upgrade and I think it’s pretty well utilized this time around. There are now several sizable full-on combat encounters/boss fights that can be fairly challenging, as dying will bring you back to the start of the encounter. The spear guys that can occasionally spawn to your side and 1 shot you are not the most ideal, but aside from that, I actually quite liked the combat. It’s heavily cover based, as you will mostly pop a shot, hide, then move to the next bit of cover. But I think it works well in context with both the rest of the gameplay, and the story Asobo is telling. The new tools and items also offer some ways to lead your enemies into traps, and it can be decently satisfying when you circle 3 enemies into a corner and torch them with tar and fire. In another comparison to Uncharted, Requiem has some pretty sizable set pieces too, and while they aren’t quite Naughty Dog level, they are pretty damn good, and definitely offer some good variety from the rest of the gameplay.
I still have a lot of thoughts running through my head, but for now I don't feel like trying to write more, so Im just gonna end it here - I can safely say that if you were a fan of the original, you will be a fan of this, and likely even more so. The current state of PC performance is not ideal for many people, and it does have some rough edges, as well as some bugs that made me restart a checkpoint or two, but it’s such a compelling Journey that those hiccups are more than worth enduring in my opinion. Simply put, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a triumphant sequel, and one hell of a Journey that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
8.5/10
Set 6 months after the events of Innocence, A Plague Tale: Requiem follows Amicia and Hugo as they desperately search for a cure to Hugo’s condition. Like a certain other great sequel to a stealth action game starring a female protagonist, Requiem directly deals with obsession, and the cost of your actions (and occasionally, your inaction). It’s a harsh and unforgiving world, but sometimes being just as harsh and unforgiving in return isn’t always the best course of action. Hugo is undoubtedly a lovable little shit, but he is cursed with horrible, world altering abilities, and it cannot be overstated just how devastating any slip up may be. It’s quite an extensive journey, as you travel from one end of the world to the next, following an ancient breadcrumb trail in the hopes of finally finding something tangible to help him. In that regard it's actually quite similar to Uncharted, with lots of different sights, sounds and side-stories along the way. And there are some truly gorgeous sights to behold, as Requiem does a fantastic job of constantly taking you through new environments, each one more compelling than the last, even offering a semi-open world area on a beautiful island. It really does feel a lot like an uncharted game, only this time it just so happens to be SIGNIFICANTLY fucking darker. And for as dark as Innocence was, this definitely takes it a step further. But thankfully it’s done with a grace and nuance only found in the best narrative games, and it all feels natural to the story Asobo wants to tell. It doesn’t quite hit all the notes it aspires to reach but it's still damn good and certainly my favorite narrative of the year (Not counting TLOU Part 1). It also helps that the cutscenes and visuals have seen a sizable bump in quality from the original, with great voice acting from the entire cast of characters, even the side characters (which were a bit iffy in the first game IMO). The lighting has also seen a significant bump in quality and I really liked a lot of the lighting choices and framing during cutscenes. When gamers inevitably say this game is very “Cinematic” I will still cringe, but significantly less so than I would for 90% of other games, which is pretty big praise in my book.
The facial animations however still leave a bit to be desired, but thankfully that really doesn’t matter because Olivier Derivere is the composer for this game, and his score ABSOLUTELY CARRIES some of these scenes. He has always been one of my favorites, but his work here is just astounding. It’s unbelievably good, and not only is it by far my favorite score this year, it could very well be in my top 5 favorites all time. It perfectly remixes old themes from the previous game, while adding in a ton of new pieces to send your heart to the moon and then bring it back to earth to stomp on it. A good composer is vital to games that want to tell these serious stories, and I am forever thankful that Asobo managed to snag Olivier for this franchise. Because while Amicia and Hugo are the heart of it, Olivier is the soul.
Gameplay wise, Requiem doesn’t stray too far from the first game, with the same blend of stealth, action, exploration, and puzzle solving. It has been expanded upon however, offering several new tools and abilities to give you a wider range of ways to approach some of the more open sections. It’s still very gamey, with several moments of classic video game logic, but I think they did a better job grounding it so that there aren’t quite as many “I can’t carry a torch up a 3 foot ledge” type of moments in this one, which I appreciated. Most of it is pretty simple overall, and while I think the complexity of some of the encounters could stand to be ramped up a bit, I definitely did enjoy it. I also liked how they really leaned heavy into some of the crazy, supernatural aspects that were apparent towards the end of the first game. I know that might not sit well with everyone, but I thought it was executed very well and led to some insanely cool late game moments.
When it comes to the direct combat, it's actually seen a solid upgrade and I think it’s pretty well utilized this time around. There are now several sizable full-on combat encounters/boss fights that can be fairly challenging, as dying will bring you back to the start of the encounter. The spear guys that can occasionally spawn to your side and 1 shot you are not the most ideal, but aside from that, I actually quite liked the combat. It’s heavily cover based, as you will mostly pop a shot, hide, then move to the next bit of cover. But I think it works well in context with both the rest of the gameplay, and the story Asobo is telling. The new tools and items also offer some ways to lead your enemies into traps, and it can be decently satisfying when you circle 3 enemies into a corner and torch them with tar and fire. In another comparison to Uncharted, Requiem has some pretty sizable set pieces too, and while they aren’t quite Naughty Dog level, they are pretty damn good, and definitely offer some good variety from the rest of the gameplay.
I still have a lot of thoughts running through my head, but for now I don't feel like trying to write more, so Im just gonna end it here - I can safely say that if you were a fan of the original, you will be a fan of this, and likely even more so. The current state of PC performance is not ideal for many people, and it does have some rough edges, as well as some bugs that made me restart a checkpoint or two, but it’s such a compelling Journey that those hiccups are more than worth enduring in my opinion. Simply put, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a triumphant sequel, and one hell of a Journey that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
8.5/10