Going into A Plague Story: Requiem, developer Asobo Studio’s follow-up to 2019’s A Plague Story: Innocence, I used to be ready for the same old leap in high quality and scale that the majority sequels embrace. I underestimated simply how vital that leap could be, although. Calling Requiem a typical sequel is a disservice; Asobo has created a Plague Story epic. It feels Odyssean in scope and storytelling prowess. Though a lot of it got here collectively for me by the top of my 20-plus hour journey by means of medieval France, the sport feels strained by its sheer dimension, particularly in its first half. Nonetheless, I’m more impressed by Requiem’s boldness and close to across-the-board enhancements than not.
Requiem begins roughly six months after the occasions of Innocence, and whereas it's potential to piece collectively what’s taking place in the event you’re new to the series, I’d actually suggest taking part in Innocence or a minimum of getting caught up on its story earlier than Requiem. Siblings Amicia and Hugo de Rune are in search of a semblance of an bizarre life, regardless of Hugo’s rat-infested Macula situation. And for a while, the sport demonstrates what that normality is like for Amicia, Hugo, and their mom. Nonetheless, as you would possibly guess, the Macula plague begins to rear its ugly head as soon as more, forcing Amicia again into protector mode. This shift sees Amicia, Hugo, and returning alchemist Lucas journey south to a mysterious island, trying to find solutions and a remedy.
I used to be enthusiastic about this transformation in setting and all of the “new” it brings to the series, nevertheless it takes far too lengthy to succeed in it. Not less than half of this sport is spent escaping your new dwelling to succeed in a ship that sails to the island. Don’t get me flawed, these 10 to 12 hours are good Plague Story enjoyable, however they resemble Innocence a lot that, at instances, it hardly felt just like the contemporary expertise I anticipated from a sequel. It principally dragged on, despite the fact that I used to be assembly characters that will change into a few of my favorites within the sport, like battle-hardened however soft-hearted Arnaud or pirate queen Sophia. It didn’t assist that I skilled varied technical points like distracting (however not game-breaking) framerate drops, visible bugs, and one full arduous crash.
Upon reaching the island, although, my ideas modified solely. The story ramps up in tempo and pleasure, introducing new allies and villains, a cult, intriguing lore, and a brand new thriller to wrap my head round. Even mechanically, the isle represents a miniature open world to discover that’s more sprawling than some other space within the series. The best way the sport’s narrative pulls you here and there on this island is sweet enjoyable, whether or not you’re fixing the thriller of historical underground ruins or preventing off secretive slavers awaiting the Little one of Embers. By the top of my playtime, I felt like I intimately knew its format.
This a part of the sport impressed me probably the most as a result of the whole lot is firing on all cylinders. Ingenious puzzles that allow you to manipulate the rats’ aversion to fireplace to make them stealthily take down enemies all the time glad me – utilizing a particular projectile to extinguish an enemy’s sole flame, permitting the rats to feast on their dwell physique, by no means grew outdated. The story’s twists and turns saved me guessing, as did the island’s central thriller.
Requiem is visually gorgeous, too, as Asobo has crafted an nearly painterly search for the sport with distinctive and playful colour palettes that complement the medieval setting excellently. I recall a second when it appeared like the whole lot across the de Runes was crashing down atop them, and Requiem represented that visually with a singular, nearly grayscale, palette that heightened the enclosing metaphorical darkness. In different moments, I discovered myself stopping to tinker with picture mode to seize the colourful fantastic thing about blooming flowers on the coast of this scenic island. Requiem actually is a deal with for the eyes.
Elsewhere, Crash Bandicoot-like sequences that see Amicia fleeing from huge hordes of rats towards the display, or sprinting in the other way to security, have been particularly welcomed breaks from the sport’s in any other case quieter however demanding stealth moments. These segments converse to the more bombastic nature of Requiem, which at instances goes to locations I may outright spoil here, and I don’t assume you’d consider me anyway. Once more, I need to stress how epic Requiem’s scale and dimension are – it’s greater than Innocence in each means. Even past the story, new additions to Amicia and Hugo’s arsenal, like a one-hit-kill crossbow (don’t depend on it an excessive amount of, although, as a result of arrows are robust to return by) or Hugo’s capability to regulate rats and feast on the enemies round you, up the ante of the moment-to-moment gameplay.
Nonetheless, regardless of what I loved upon reaching the island, I can’t assist however really feel that Asobo may have lower a big portion of this sport. That’s to not say the sections I would like trimmed are dangerous – they’re good on account of A Plague Story’s high quality gameplay and storytelling – however they really feel more like pointless padding that hinders Requiem’s pacing.
I used to be relieved when Requiem’s second set of credit rolled. Not as a result of I didn’t get pleasure from taking part in the sport, however as a result of the de Runes’ journey on this sport is tense and demanding for a lot of it. At instances, it feels too lengthy and oddly sadistic in its focus on inflicting fakeouts, ache, and struggling on the de Runes. Different instances, I admired Asobo’s command of this series, its rat-infested stealth mechanics, and its grandiose storytelling. Fortuitously, the latter edges out the previous, and Requiem appears like rather more than only a follow-up. With this journey behind me, I’m enthusiastic about the place the series would possibly go from here, but when Asobo plans a break for the franchise, relaxation assured that Requiem goes out with a powerful bang.
