A Plaque Tale: Requiem is right around the corner, and I can’t wait to continue Amicia and Hugo’s story. When looking at gameplay and trailers, it may be difficult to spot the differences from the original, however, several new details won’t only make the game more accessible to a wider audience, but also polish an already strong gameplay loop. Here are five new details, both in-game and out, we’re excited for.
#5 – It’s Only For The Current Generation
As we transition from one generation to the next, some games may launch on both the old, cobweb-covered consoles and the shiny new ones, resulting in a lowered visual and performance quality. A Plaque Tale: Requiem, on the other hand, won’t let older technology hold it back from its true potential; the game will launch for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series consoles. Even though Asobo Studio is an indie developer, A Plaque Tale: Reqiuem will take full advantage of the new generation hardware, showcasing crisp visuals and wider environments. Specifically, the sequel will accomplish set pieces that were previously impossible with the ability to render 300,000 rats at once. Thanks to the new hardware, the abundance of on-screen rats will be a terrifying experience that adds to the gruesome world.
#4 – It’s coming to Nintendo Switch and Game Pass
With the Nintendo Switch being leagues behind the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in hardware, third-party games rarely make their way to the console. As a workaround, some developers opted to stream their games via the cloud, allowing more graphically intense games to be playable on the Switch. I’m glad more people will have the opportunity to play and have the convenience of taking Amicia’s adventures on the go. Probably more exciting is the game’s day-one availability on Game Pass, making the game easily accessible to several people. There is nothing better than downloading a new game on day one without forking over your hard-earned cash.
#3 – Smarter Stealth
A Plaque Tale is a stealth-centered game where Amicia distracts enemies with a carefully shot rock and sneaks through tall grass. The downfall of the stealth system was that enemies would instantly kill you when spotted. Auto fails in any game are obnoxious, smothering the player’s urgency. A Plaque Tale: Requiem remedies this with the ability to run away when spotted, hide, then sneakily re-enter the combat area. The auto-fail mechanic is almost universally abandoned, and I’m glad A Plaque Tale: Requiem modernized its stealth to give players a more nuanced and experimentative combat experience. Additionally, enemy AI will adapt to Amicia’s tactics. For example, if you’re repeatedly luring enemies close with a thrown rock, they’ll notice the pattern and counter, making the player think on their feet. I don’t know how smart the AI will be in action, but the concept of adaptive AI is a promising improvement that will keep players constantly strategizing and analyzing the battlefield.
#2 – Amicia Isn’t Afraid to Kill
In the previous game, Amicia was a young child entrenched in the morality of her parents. Even though the world was against her and her brother Hugo, she would avoid killing unless absolutely necessary. The gameplay supported this with several opportunities to sneak past enemies and the emotional torment from characters after the act. When you do kill, Hugo responds with a terrifying disgust, and Amicia, herself is visibly disgusted. As the game goes on, Amicia is forced to kill more and more, and now, in Requiem, the once-innocent child is numbed to death. You will have a knife, making stealth kills much easier and more accessible, minimizing the need to sneak past your opponents. Additionally, Amicia will have a crossbow that will ideally be easier and faster than the slingshot from the original. The tools and violent gameplay succeed in giving the player more combat options and staying true to the narrative.
#1 – Hugo’s Abilities
Near the end of the original, Hugo unlocked the ability to control a swarm of rats. From the player’s perspective, you could lead rats to enemies and eat them alive. Requiem will continue the ability, making it a core mechanic for combat. It does have a built-in cooldown, for if Hugo does it for too long, he will suffer consequences. With that being said, the capability to render up to 300,000 rats at once will surely, make Hugo an overpowered trump card on the battlefield. The child also has an echo ability that lets him, and Amicia sees enemies through walls. It’s a classic stealth mechanic that was widely missed in the original, and I’m curious how the addition will augment the stealth sequences.
Above everything else, A Plaque Tale Requiem adds a coat of polish to the established gameplay of the original. Though the gameplay itself doesn’t look too different, I believe it will be much smoother and more accessible. We’ll find out for sure when the game launches on October 18.
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