Nobody expects the Inquisition…
A Plague Tale: Innocence offers an adventure supported by an original scenario, with gameplay that blends action, adventure and stealth phases. Follow our protagonists Amicia and her little brother Hugo, both orphans and on the run from the terrifying Inquisition. Our young heroes will also need to survive against an even greater danger: supernatural swarms of rats that appeared with the great plague infecting across cities and countryside.
A Plague Tale: Innocence is a game that caught me off-guard, it looks absolutely stunning, runs like a dream and has a gripping story. The only thing that kinda holds it back is the stealth aspect as it is fairly simplistic and repetitive, but other than that…this is one of the sleeper hits on 2019.
The opening prologue begins where Amicia is exploring the woods with her father and her dog, only for the dog to get killed by an unknown force. The father and daughter then return home only to find the Inquisition there looking for Amicia’s brother, Hugo. Then the game goes all Game of Thrones with the instant death of their father and most of the people in the castle and surrounding areas, even their mother sacrifices herself for the brother and sister to escape and even then, their journey is full of either Inquisition soldiers tracking you down or supernatural swarms of rats.
The game handles intuitively and is easy to get to grips with, you’ll need to keep close to young Hugo as he won’t go anywhere without his big sister who is keeping the truth from him about their parents’ fate. Hugo is also infected with the plague, hence the Inquisition trying to hunt him down and their journey is to find a certain doctor to help him, but as the plague spreads across cities and countrysides, it’s harder to find not just people willing to help, but also just people who are still alive.
Visually, A Plague Tale: Innocence is a stunning game with amazing character models, great animation, incredible detailed locations and runs at a steady framerate. The voice-acting is also highly impressive and believable, while the soundtrack is also impressive.
The Verdict
A Plague Tale: Innocence is a sleeper hit for 2019 with it’s superb story, incredible visuals and impressive voice-acting. The stealth itself is a bit hit and miss, but that aside…this is a game that needs to be played.