If you’re familiar with most games, chances are you’ve found one that belongs to an established series that you’re not all that familiar with. That’s a cause for concern for the forthcoming release of A Plague Tale: Requiem on October 18, which expands the series three years after its prequel, innocence, it all started. New and existing players may be wondering how requiem is defined in relation to innocence. Today I am happy to bring some light into the darkness.
Get on!
players can enjoy requiem without having witnessed the events of innocence; We worked hard on that. requiem is in continuity from innocence, which continues the story that existing players are familiar with. But we’re committed to making a game that’s accessible to an audience completely new to the series. requiem is another experience to root in innocence, with many novelties and its next-gen experience. It would be a shame not to welcome new players.
Welcoming a new audience
The idea was to introduce each character and bring them to life in the present, guide players to meet these characters, learn who is who and how they are related. Of course there is no formal introduction of Amicia, Hugo, Lucas or Beatrice. It happens organically. We just make sure the opening sequences contain all the elements needed to understand the dynamics that are there. For example, you only notice that Lucas is Beatrice’s apprentice from their interaction.
Presenting a complex story
The hardest part of introducing it to new audiences was the lore – that’s where the complexity unfolds innocence, with mystical, almost esoteric elements that are not easy to grasp. You can’t just export everything from one game to another. So it was quite a challenge to make sure that new players weren’t completely lost. In particular, the macula (the disease that affects Hugo) and its consequences had to be clarified.
We welcome well-known players back
There was a risk that these adjustments could negatively impact the experience of popular players, and that’s another of the challenges we faced. As I mentioned, we’ve been careful not to get too formal when reintroducing essential elements. This prevents a sense of repetition for familiar players who will relish the opportunity to reconnect with the characters and the world without being thrown in at the deep end again.
Same world, new dynamic
Between these two audiences we have constantly searched for the right balance with the aim of creating something organic and offering a radically new experience. This is our way of engaging familiar players: giving them more of the same universe without having to repeat what they’ve already done.
Take the rats for example, they are still a central element of the game. They return requiem and familiar players will await them. But it still has to be exciting. So they will occur at a specific time and under specific conditions that will not repeat how they are treated innocence and we thought about it for a long time! This was a guiding principle throughout production.
A reboot
In addition to the renewal of existing elements, A Plague Tale: Requiem brings completely new elements. There is a radically different dynamic across the gamut of the game. In the first game, Amicia and Hugo’s adventure took place locally, in the region of their household, and their driving force was escaping the Inquisition. requiem is a journey discovering Provence, a region full of new opportunities, together with the search for a prophesied island. It allows us to introduce new characters with new personalities and create a dynamic that didn’t exist in before innocence.
Amicia and Hugo are no longer known to the local population. You must face his hostility or accept his help. So there’s a setting change that affects the story in a way that both freshens up the Plague Tale experience and makes it friendlier to newcomers to the second game.
Amicia and Hugo’s quest is also an inner journey, a struggle to survive the traumatic events they faced innocence. This makes it a story where past and present come together to form a coherent whole, where the past resonates but doesn’t paralyze – this applies to our heroes and our players alike!
A Plague Tale: Requiem Coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC on October 18 and available with Game Pass on day one. Pre-order now on the Xbox Store to receive in-game bonuses and stay tuned for more exclusive details!
A Plague Tale: Requiem (pre-order)
focus entertainment
$59.99
Pre-order A Plague Tale: Requiem to get the Protector Pack DLC! Get on the right track in the next chapter of Amicia and Hugo’s journey, with an exclusive crossbow skin, additional cosmetics for Amicia, and bonus crafting materials. Far above the sea, an island is calling… Embark on a heartbreaking journey into a brutal, breathtaking world twisted by supernatural forces. After fleeing their devastated homeland, Amicia and Hugo travel far south to new regions and vibrant cities. There they try to start a new life and control Hugo’s curse. But when Hugo’s powers reawaken, death and destruction return in a barrage of devouring rats. Forced to flee again, the siblings pin their hopes on a prophesied island that may hold the key to Hugo’s rescue. Discover the cost of saving your loved ones in a desperate struggle for survival. Strike from the shadows or unleash hell, defeating enemies and challenges with a variety of weapons, tools, and otherworldly powers. ● Sequel to the award-winning adventure A Plague Tale: Innocence ● A spectacular story twisted by supernatural forces ● Use a variety of tools, sneak, fight or unleash hell and rats ● Stunning graphics combined with an immersive score
Table of Contents
