A Plague Tale: Requiem Review: Stealth meets horror in a worthy sequel

Rats swarm through an otherwise peaceful city, pouring through sewers and crashing into walls like an endless expanse of ocean. The citizens scream in terror, swallowed by the insatiable hunger of the plague. Amicia watches in horror, knowing that her little brother is no longer safe from the Macula, the ancestral curse, and is slowly devouring him from the inside. Despite the disease’s temporary absence, there is no escape from the horde.

However, this is not the case A Plague Tale: Requiem begins. It begins on a slow note and shows that Hugo and Amicia have found a temporary but welcome peace after the events of A Plague Story: Innocence. There are many quiet, serene moments: Amicia wandering through the crumbling ruins of an ancient fortress with Hugo in tow as he conjures up imaginary scenarios of how she is a good and kind king; watching her brother speed through beautifully rendered fields of lavender and wildflowers. Developer Asobo Studio did a fantastic job of balancing these opening segments with their overall darker counterparts, balancing hope and helplessness, and allowing the narrative to weave in a way that managed to keep me interested in all of its twists and turns.

After Hugo dreams of healing waters on a remote Mediterranean island, he and his big sister set out on a quest for a possible cure for the disease plaguing him. When they reach the island, the residents welcome the duo with open arms. Once Amicia realizes that they worship the curse growing in Hugo’s body and therefore worship him as a god, requiem veers straight into folk horror. Exploring a closed, corrupt corner of an archaic religion in the game is a welcome change innocence‘s focus on the State Inquisition. The islanders’ belief system was formed when they first encountered ancient frescoes beyond their comprehension, and their society has since evolved into antiquated practices and misguided rituals. requiem also deals with the ideas of reincarnation and fate cycles, which the game briefly touches on at the end of the narrative, but wasn’t necessarily as compelling as the presence of the cult and its culture.

The excellent performances of the actors emphasize the heavier moments in the story, such as when Hugo (Logan Hannan) expresses to Amicia (Charlotte McBurney) that he is aware of his own mortality and that unless a cure is found, the macula will take him. Amicia’s expression is shocked even as she knows the truth herself, and the facial shot illustrates those moments with clarity. It’s the subtleties that make the difference requiem work and make the story stand out – especially when combined with the impressive and melodramatic score composed of beautiful violin work, the storytelling is dark but driving and the sister-brother relationship reveals new levels throughout.

However, I wish Amicia could devote a little more time to getting over and coming to terms with her trauma from the events of the last game; it just comes and goes, and Amicia’s fear is replaced with a searing anger that feels more like narrative justification for the brutal murder of members of the Inquisition than actual emotional retribution.

The game also does a decent job of introducing meaningful mechanics as the narrative progresses. The more the game opens, the more alchemical substances (e.g. the ability to ignite and extinguish fires by acquiring powders and resins) and weapons Amicia gains, the inclusions of which mostly feel well placed and deserved. However, some feel that their intended use is limited to a few areas. Look no further than Odoris, a substance that can be used to temporarily distract swarms of Plague Rats blocking your path. I’ve only used it once or twice in my playthrough, so it feels more like a mechanical non-sequitur than an integral tool.

Hugo’s control over the huge rat clouds also feels a bit inconsequential as it can only be used in an effective way a few times throughout the game. Upgrading Amicia’s abilities and weapons feels unnecessary even on lower difficulties, which is great for those who just want to get into the game for his narrative. But those looking for a challenge will want to jump straight into the higher difficulties, as you’ll need to plan for resources and upgrades to avoid certain death at the hands of the Inquisition.

Besides that, requiem does a fantastic job of introducing supporting characters to temporarily aid Hugo and Amicia in their quest for a cure for the Macula. These fleeting companions feel all the more important the better they’re used in the service of the story: Arnaud can quickly take down any Templar that crosses your path at close range, but he’s also crucial to a big storyline as the game progresses. While Sophia can distract guards by setting tall patches of grass on fire, she is also an integral part as Amicia and Hugo delve deeper into the island’s mysteries. Far from being mere detours on the march requiemIn the finale of these travelers are integral nodes between the plot and the inner workings of the gameplay.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a prime example of what an AA studio can achieve with enough trust and resources. It’s an incisive experience that didn’t waste my time, but it also scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had: a well-crafted stealth title interwoven with folk-horror elements, that I had longed for ever since Siren: Bloodcurse‘s release in 2008. With an emotionally resonant script and adept flow between stealth, horror and exploration, A Plague Tale: Requiem feels like the sequel innocence earned.

A Plague Tale: Requiem will be released on October 18th on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X via Game Pass. The game was verified on PC using a pre-release download code provided by Focus Entertainment. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. you can find For more information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy, click here.