A PLAGUE TALE INNOCENCE [2019] PS5 REVIEW
🏆 MASTERPIECE 🏆
LOST INNOCENCE
A tale of two French children set during the 14th-century Catholic Church Inquisition and the Hundred Years' War between the kingdoms of England and France. The game focuses on the struggle to survive of a young Amicia de Rune and her little brother Hugo during these dark ages. From hordes of hungry rats that are spreading the black plague, to soldiers from both the Kingdom of England and the French Inquisition thugs, feels like the world is out to get them. The journey across France takes players to a variety of beautifully imagined places, like moonlit cities with stunning middle-ages architecture, or dark battlefields covered with thousands of dead bodies, the visual art does a wonderful job of portraying these dark times with a Dantesque look.
INTENSE DYNAMIC
The relationship between Amicia and Hugo is forged through gameplay and the player experience. The brothers start as two strangers, they get to know each other as the player is doing so. Since Hugo has been sick since he was born with a strange disease, he has rarely seen his sister before, as his mother keeps him isolated while she works on a cure. As the corrupt and decrepit Catholic Church sends thugs to the Rune state to kill everyone and capture Hugo, they manage to escape together kick starting their journey to survive and understand why the Inquisition is so fixed on capturing them. While they are being hunted by many dangerous forces, Hugo is often a source of frustration for Amicia. She is focused on survival, and her little brother is just a kid who often forgets the dire situation they're in. He plays around, touches everything, makes dumb questions, and generally just drives her mad. I loved that dynamic as I was rooting for them to get along from the start, and when they finally show signs of bonding I was really happy for them. It's a crushing journey, you suffer with them and you just want them to be safe and happy.
A FRAGILE HEROINE
Amicia is a young empowered female character. Having the sling as her only weapon is meant for you to feel fragile and vulnerable, and it works great! The enemy soldiers are imposing figures that can easily kill you without mercy if you are detected. The implementation of stealth is masterful, some encounters are the most intense situations I felt in my gaming life. The gameplay mechanics are simple and easy to follow, they are clearly meant for a mixture of survival stealth and terrain puzzles. You lurk behind upended wagons or in patches of vegetation, waiting for the right time to strike or escape unnoticed.
NEXT-GEN PATCH
The next-gen upgrade for PS5 really helps to boost the game with 4K graphics and 60 FPS it feels wonderful. The graphics are supreme, and the only way to play the game is 60FPS as it enhances the overall experience.
Asobo used an "in-house engine" meaning they created their own engine to suit their needs, mainly the rat swarm. Which I found strange and awesome: The mainstream talk about AA games like these with low target pricing, made with a low budget, states that the baseline to achieve them is using 3rd party engines like unreal, avoiding the cost of time, money, and resources involved in engine development. But these guys came out of nowhere and created a killer engine with a low budget and executed a masterfully crafted story with stunning attention to detail. Kudos to Asobo they really achieved something.
CONCLUSION
What a Journey! like many, I found A Plague tale to be a most pleasant surprise. The trailers do not represent the actual experience of playing the game. It's a beautiful rollercoaster-like experience filled with ups and downs that leaves a clear message.
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