In A Plague Tale – Requiem, six months have elapsed since Amicia and her brother Hugo survived the events of the first game. Initially, a period of relative peace ensues, but soon Hugo exhibits signs of the persistent curse and worsening illness. Amicia must embark on a new and dangerous journey to find a cure. Challenges and casualties mount, and the plague-infested rats are more numerous and pose a greater threat than ever before.
Similar to its predecessor, A Plague Tale – Innocence, the visual presentation of A Plague Tale – Requiem is immediately striking. Leveraging the capabilities of PC and Next Gen consoles, the developers have crafted a visually impressive gaming experience. The level of detail is exceptional; the environments are rendered with such fidelity that the stench of the muddy streets and the warmth of the sun in the countryside feel almost palpable. The animations are also of exceptional quality, leaving little room for visual criticism.
A notable criticism of the first game was the simplistic AI of the enemies. They would often remain oblivious, even when presented with obvious distractions. In A Plague Tale – Requiem, this has been addressed; the enemies exhibit improved awareness and are more responsive to the player’s actions. Furthermore, the game allows for opportunities to evade and re-conceal oneself if detected, providing more leniency than an immediate game over.
The core gameplay mechanics remain consistent with the first game: stealth-based navigation, a companion character, and the acquisition of resources to craft beneficial upgrades. The interplay between light and darkness is a crucial element. Players must utilize fire to ward off the rats, while also having the ability to extinguish enemy light sources, exposing them to the swarms of ravenous rodents.
During my playthrough of A Plague Tale – Requiem on Playstation 5, I occasionally encountered performance dips when the screen was populated with numerous enemies and rats. This is regrettable, considering the PS5’s processing power should be sufficient to handle demanding scenarios. (Requiem is also currently available on Xbox Game Pass).
In conclusion, I offer a strong recommendation for A Plague Tale – Requiem. Despite some occasional performance hiccups, it represents a significant improvement over its predecessor, addressing many of the previous issues. A journey into 14th century France awaits – proceed with caution, and beware of the rats!
Focus Home Interactive provided a review code for the purpose of this evaluation. The provision of materials does not influence the editorial integrity of our reviews.
