A Plague Tale: Innocence Sets Up a Gripping Story of Growth and Loss

A Plague Tale: Innocence is releasing soon, and it's a game you shouldn't be sleeping on. Developed by Asobo Studio and scheduled to release on May 14th, it tells an emotional story of death, loss, and more rats than you can count. If neither the setting of medieval France nor the threat of a rat-driven plague draws you in, you'll want to give this game at shot to get to know its two main characters, Amicia and Hugo.

Without spoiling the opening levels of the new game from publisher Focus Home Interactive, the game wastes no time in aging Amicia and Hugo through some gruesome experiences. The two are quite young and would barely be considered able to take care of themselves, but that's what they're forced to do as they fend off knights, terrified townspeople looking to take their anger out on someone, and the ever present threat of the rats that carry the bubonic plague. Though the rats and the plague have been marketed as the primary adversary, players will quickly find out the humans they encounter are capable of their own levels of horrors.

It's the relationship between Amicia and Hugo that'll catch your attention first. The connection between the two is estranged and frustrating in the best possible ways since Amicia doesn't at first have the know-how or patience to deal with Hugo's questions and fears while processing her own. Playing as Amicia, you have to help Hugo perform numerous actions and command his movements, all while he alternates between panicking and sharing quieter, more timid moments with Amicia. The sibling dynamic between the two manifests itself through these interactions and is executed wonderfully through the dialogue between the two that's spearheaded by some superb voice acting.

As for the gameplay itself, A Plague Tale: Innocence is largely based around stealthy actions and solving puzzles to maneuver your way around humans and swarms of rats. Their size forbids them from tackling foes head-on, so Amicia must be crafty with her sling while searching for upgrades for the weapon and her various equipment. Stealth seems mostly fair throughout the brief demo and favors the player more often than not, and seeing how there didn't appear to be any lasting consequences to being caught by an enemy or swarmed by rats beyond restarting at a checkpoint, you're free to experiment with puzzles and solutions.

Surprisingly, A Plague Tale: Innocence also has boss fights. Only one was in the demo, and while it was a serviceable one, it did feel a bit clunky and somewhat out of place considering everything else the game teaches the player building up to the battle. It's unclear how many of these will be in the full game, so we'll approach them with tentative optimism that they're varied and engaging later on.

A Plague Tale: Innocence is scheduled to release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms on May 14th with purchasing information found here.

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