A Plague Tale: Innocence was one of the most harrowing games I’d played in a long time. It was a little known title from a AA studio that might have sailed beneath most people’s noses except for those in the business. I, for one, had been intrigued by the trailers and you can read my impressions on it if you search far enough down on my Tumblr blog. 

Though it took players on a journey across war ravaged France when pestilence and disease reigned in the early half of the 14th century, at its heart, the game was about a brother and a sister and the bond between them. Forged from familial ties and strengthened by the challenges they faced – whether that be deadly rats ready to tear the flesh off your bones or the Inquisition, Along the way, they were aided by strangers and friends. And though they suffered loss, the ending to A Plague Tale: Innocence was an uplifting message.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is not so kind.

Following on six months from the end of the first game, A Plague Tale: Requiem starts off peaceful enough. Hugo, Amicia, their mother Beatrice and Lucas are headed towards a city where a known Order member resides. There, they hope to find a cure for Hugo’s ailment: the Macula.

Along the way, they enjoy the fresh air and countryside, with Amicia and Hugo taking the opportunity to play at a local creek and explore what initially appears to be an abandoned tower. But after they climb inside to look around, disaster strikes. They two siblings are mistaken for thieves and Amicia must once again do the unthinkable to protect her brother and herself. The skirmish triggers the disease in Hugo’s blood and when they make it to Provence, they find that the rats have followed them.

Over the course of those opening hours, however, Hugo talks about an island that he has seen in his dreams. One he hopes that will provide the cure he so desperately needs. When Provence is overrun and they attempt to flee, so begins Amicia and Hugo’s journey to unlock the secrets of the Macula.

Watching a few of the trailers, I initially feared that something terrible would beset Amicia. I was convinced that she would have to sacrifice her life in a desperate bid to keep Hugo safe. But as the game went on, it became clear that my fears were unwarranted. True, Amicia does suffer a terrible head wound and is shot and stabbed, but as the main character, she managed to pull through – her love for her brother and the bond that they share allowing her to stand back up after every setback.

Along the way, she and Hugo discover what happened to the first known carrier of the Carrier and the origins of the Justinian plague that was hinted at in the first game. Just like Hugo and Amicia, it is implied that Basilius and his protector Aelia were family.

What I loved about A Plague Tale: Requiem was the impact that the first game had on our protagonists. During those first few hours, it was clear that Amicia was still struggling with a lot of trauma. And in the sequel, some of that trauma manifests as anger. Scared and terrified, she no longer wants to be the victim – instead turning the tables on the guards that she faces as she goes on a murderous rampage. One that culminates when their mother, Beatrice, is killed in a ritual sacrifice.

Hugo, too, has seen his own share of death across both titles. Despite Amicia’s attempts to shield him from reality, Hugo is wiser beyond his years. And yet in those early moments of the game, he still retains a lot of his childlike wonder. Being out on the sea, enjoying the games and festivals in Provence…

These moments are short and precious and give players something worth fighting for. It’s easy to understand why Amicia wants the best for her brother. He didn’t ask to be the Carrier of the Macula. He’s just a young boy that is curious about the world around him. And just like Amicia, I couldn’t help but want the best for him – even though I didn’t always agree with Amicia’s methods – especially when she became deadset to find out what happened to Basilius and Aelia. Like, couldn’t they have waited a day or two to explore the shrine atop the mountain? It wasn’t as if going into the fort with slavers a week or two after more preparations had been made would have made too much of a difference. And perhaps then, as well, Emilie and Victor wouldn’t have realised that Hugo was special.

But then, of course, we might not have had the game that we had. Sometimes events need be contrived. Like how Hugo befriended Arnaud.

In all honesty, that moment caught me off guard. For the first several chapters, Arnaud served as an antagonist to our erstwhile heroes. But then suddenly, his helm was off and he had become a reluctant ally. At first, I didn’t know who he was – as he’d been dressed in plate armour and his face hidden. The sudden 180 degree turn was jarring and probably could have been tackled slightly better.

Still, story-wise, I was utterly devastated by the ending. Even when I felt that the bond between Amicia and Hugo had become somewhat twisted and was a little too co-dependent, having to kill the young brother that had grown from an annoying liability to something precious and dear to my heart was almost too much. But kill him, I did.

And the way those last few moments played out – with the slowing of the animation as Amicia took out her sling…it was the perfect demonstration of how difficult the entire situation was.

From a gameplay standpoint, A Plague Tale: Requiem builds on what came before. Amicia now has plenty more tools in her belt when it comes to enemies although I did find it best to play it stealthy as much as possible. Or, at the very least, be a little more creative. For, just like the first game, Amicia isn’t built for combat. She doesn’t die immediately with one hit but she’s still no stalwart warrior.

There was one part in Chapter 10 that was so thoroughly infuriating because no matter what I did, I would always be detected. The guards, too, were far too alert for the slightest noise and it was a struggle to use my crossbow, pull open the door and dash through the opening without wasting too many resources.

So, while much of the gameplay had improved, there were still frustrations because of the limitations presented by the game itself.

Beyond that, the puzzles were much more enjoyable this time round. As was trying to find and locate every collectible. I didn’t quite manage to get them all, but most of them were placed just far enough down path not followed that they weren’t too hard to find.

As for the graphics, they were mighty impressive. The rat swarms, especially. I can’t really attest to the 300,000 rats that were in the advertisements, but the waves of rats that I encountered near the end of the game were terrifying. The way that they would pop up from the ground, the wave of them rushing towards Amicia and Lucas…

I cannot say if A Plague Tale: Requiem will have a sequel. While it did bring closure, I didn’t want my time with Amicia to end. Truth be told, a part of me wanted her to find happiness. Whether that be with Sophia or in the pursuit of a noble goal in aiding the future Carrier. The stinger at the end did imply a Carrier in modern times and I would be curious to see how that might play out given the years of COVID that had us all locked up in our homes.

Just like its predecessor, A Plague Tale: Requiem isn’t quite the perfect polished game that AAA game studios will pump out. But perhaps because of that, it was able to reach my cold dead heart. The story is rich and the characters were a joy even if the ending brought with it a difficult decision to make. Amicia and Hugo have left a profound mark on me and their story is something I would like others to experience.

Its nomination for Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2022 is a recognition that it’s most definitely a game worth playing. Will it win? Probably not. I’m sure Elden Ring or God of War Ragnarok will take that lofty title, but I’m satisfied that it, along with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 might finally enter the popular zeitgeist. For too long, big titles like Halo and Call of Duty have dominated the charts. It’s time for more introspective games to take the helm and show off, once and for all, that games can be art and great vehicles for narrative.