A Plague Tale: Requiem Reviews
In 2019, Asobo surprised us all with a game that found a way to utilize AAA tropes in the pursuit of a compelling narrative.
Asobo Studios have delivered a runaway hit with A Plague Tale: Requiem. This is the very best kind of sequel: one that builds upon everything that came before and pays homage to its predecessor, while still carving its own path. Breathtaking.
A Plague Tale: Requiem deserves your time in every sense of the word and it is a story that will live on in my mind for years to come. The powerful, emotional heartaches that you will no doubt experience by the incredible cast of characters continue to impress after the credits roll.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a visually stunning and emotive fable that pierces through the noise of the most contested of release periods as a captivating triumph.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is definitely a game worth playing for fans of the original despite my criticisms. Overall I enjoyed my time, thanks in no small part to a vastly superior second half. I lament the loss of better directed linear stealth in favor of messier open environments, but the core of what makes A Plague Tale great - strong characters, bleak horror, and tons of squicky rats - remains firmly in place.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is an engrossing tale about a pair of siblings trying to survive the horrors of the Inquisition and hordes of hungry plague rats. It boasts a strong linear narrative with engaging characters and challenging stealth puzzles. Strange character animations and limited combat hold it back from being best in class.
And so what? I’m not a huge fan of how bulky the environment feels at times, and the walking sections can become tiresome, but the truth is, Requiem had me engaged from start to finish. Sure, the game has its flaws, and it’s not a very malleable experience, but that doesn’t stop it from being a good time all the same. At its heart, A Plague Tale is a narrative-driven atmospheric experience. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
A bigger, bleaker sequel with hauntingly good art direction, but storytelling holds this biting medieval adventure back.
Though pandemic fiction may seem like the last thing audiences need right now, the catharsis “Requiem” provides is a valuable salve. It reminds us that others, today and in the past, feel or have felt our same confusion, fear and grief.
A Plague Tale: Requiem improves on its predecessor with gorgeous visuals and more varied gameplay, but it struggles to balance its increased action and morally nuanced storytelling.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a triumph of a sequel that ticks all the boxes fans will be expecting and then some. Not only does it look and feel great, but it backs up its eye candy and abundant atmosphere with an interesting narrative and a stalwart protagonist who won’t quit. It’s everything a follow-up should be and more from an IP that’s grown precious to players over the years, and a fine adventure that even newcomers will find value in tackling.
The performances of the two siblings and the story itself are compelling enough to make up for the most glaring flaws, but the padded runtime hurts the pacing. At its worst, the game feels boring. Yet the shining moments of A Plague Tale: Requiem push through its problems, leaving a satisfying sequel, rats and all.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the most emotionally satisfying games I have ever played. I was stunned by the emotionally charged, beautifully presented, and impeccably acted story which is brought to life by incredible technical feats which showcase the power of the PS5. Time and again I was surprised by the sheer bleakness that the story was brave enough to dive into and the thrill of watching hope attempt - and often fail - to overcome those seemingly insurmountable odds. Requiem is a story which both uplifts and decimates your emotions at the same time; a story about characters that feel real and that you grow to care and root for. By the end you too will be shouting, "I am Amicia de Rune and I kneel to no one."
The morbid, danger-laden adventure of siblings Amicia and Hugo continues with A Plague Tale: Requiem, a dark, beautiful sequel resplendent with expanded gameplay and swarms of deadly plague-riddled rats.
Asobo's medieval adventure sequel is bigger, bleaker and more battle-scarred, but suffers from uneven storytelling
A Plague Tale: Requiem is a sometimes compelling adventure weighed down by poor technical performance, and simple, frustrating and repetitive gameplay. While the stealth action can be enjoyable, and the puzzle elements of using the impressive hordes of rats to your advantage can be engaging, it’s a game that introduces compelling ideas but never really capitalizes on any of them. Pair that with some dodgy AI and it’s a game that’s at its best when the characters are simply walking through the world, talking to each other.
Both in scale and execution, A Plague Tale Requiem is an ambitious follow-up to Innocence that retools its core puzzle-and-stealth gameplay for a broader and more satisfying historical narrative adventure with fantasy elements. While puzzles are immediately intuitive and its action elements are much more rewarding, they rarely stretch the player’s brain enough to give much pause, making for a breezy, yet memorable adventure.
Sequels are hard. Team Asobo has managed to make a more compelling world with even more compelling characters and wrapped it in a gorgeous bow. There are issues for sure. The game doesn’t innovate nearly enough and performance on next-gen consoles is disappointing, but this game continues to prove that this team of developers is extremely talented. I hope we continue to see them flourish and create new experiences. A Plague Tale: Requiem is a truly exceptional experience that everyone should check out. It is on Game Pass so the barrier to entry is lighter. Definitely give it a shot.
Slightly better than Innocence in terms of storytelling, gameplay and world building, A Plague Tale: Requiem still needs some tuning on the technical side.
Review in Italian | Read full review