Asobo Studios’ 14th-century game with many rats, A Plague Tale: Innocence, was a surprise hit for many in 2019 when it was released. The time period and the focus on a strong family bond made it a game many grew attached too. Over the years, talk of a sequel swirled until it was eventually announced, and now A Plague Tale: Requiem is here to continue the story of Amicia, Hugo de Rune.
Rats are still big, many and disgusting, according to all the reviews for A Plague Tale: Requiem. That’s not anything new, but by all accounts, the narrative has only taken a step forward since the first game. It’s darker than ever, and a few comparisons to The Last of Us have been made — which is high praise. Beware, however, as the game appears to run poorly on consoles.
Here’s what Australian outlets are writing about A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Checkpoint Gaming – 8.5/10 (Pedro Cooray)
“The size of these early levels make it very easy to get lost, and unfortunately provide a poor first impression of the game’s mechanics. But once the early chapters clear out and the game hones in on Amicia and Hugo again, the game becomes more engaging, narratively and mechanically. The later chapters justify their size in impressive and beautiful ways, while giving you more to do.”
Games Hub – 4/5 (Edmond Tran)
“In the end, A Plague Tale: Requiem has a strong identity, with a good degree of agency to allow for player creativity and expression. Moving through its stunning world and spending time with its characters is gratifying – even if many of its setpieces are terrifying or grim, even if its inhabitants are a bit too chatty, and even if there are far, far too many rats. The hope you find on the other side is usually worth the struggle.”
MKAU Gaming – 8.5/10 (MrVibeAU)
“A Plague Tale: Requiem is a brilliant sequel. I enjoyed every moment of it from its sneaking around, dark and sad moments, to the happy times the characters have in between with the twists along the way, all throughout until its conclusion. This is a definite recommendation for anyone who enjoyed or even didn’t mind the previous title, ‘A Plague Tale: Innocence’. I am really looking forward to what Absodo Studio has to offer down the line and in the future.”
Player2 – A (Dylan Burns)
“This is a world of disease and decay and darkness. Yet Asobo Studio has managed to capture a penumbra of beauty to outline such putrescence. It is a truly beautiful world, in terms of art design, architecture and in the way it manages, through illusion, to make what are essentially guided corridors feel like more open parts of a whole.”
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Press Start – 8.5/10 (Kieron Verbrugge)
“A Plague Tale: Requiem is, in totality, a grim and grisly affair that pushes the familial bonds and moral compasses of its characters in a frankly fucked up dark fantasy world and wraps it up in a compelling action adventure game that only slightly stumbles on its ambitions.”
Stevivor – 8/10 (Matt Gosper)
“While I certainly enjoyed A Plague Tale Innocence back in 2019, Requiem has refined and improved the formula that made the first game so intriguing. Amicia and Hugo are not the timid children they were at the start of their journey, and while the goal used to be just survival, things have changed: it’s now about making sure that the people they want to be will survive this new hardship.”
WellPlayed – 9/10 (Zach Jackson)
“Despite its technical issues, A Plague Tale: Requiem delivers a visually-stunning must-play title for fans of emotive story-driven experiences. Asobo has clearly pulled inspiration from Naughty Dog and its storytelling blueprint with Requiem’s dark, bleak and poignant narrative. If Naughty Dog is the king of single-player storytelling, then Asobo Studio has earned the title of the Dauphin with Requiem.”
