A Plague Tale: Innocence Review

-For the Uncensored!

As Catherine of Sienna said, “Until we walk in light, we will walk in darkness.” While this quote has nothing to do with Plague Tale: Innocence, it does help kick off the tone and gravitas of the game itself. 

While a Plague Tale might not have hit everyone’s radar, it was a game that had been showered in praise across the board to those who played it. The Steam rating is 9 out of ten, and the praise from anyone who has played it, but to say what has already been said is not going to be addressed. Nor plot spoilers either. 

Developed by Asobo studios (Bordeaux, France) and published by Focus Home Entertainment (Paris France) in 2019 for the XBOX, Windows, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch (as a cloud service game only, which you need an internet connection to play). Recently A Plague Tale is upgraded for XBOX series X and S, PlayStation 5 as well. Also it’s available through the XBOX Game Pass if you are an Ultimate Subscriber. 

A Plague Tale’s title doesn’t sell the games masterful story, gameplay and technique that the developers weaved a realistic but very fantastic story. The genre, magic realism, comes to mind as I think about the game in retrospect. A Plague Tale could have been a story written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Umberto Eco. 

            The French countryside is as much a character as the De Rune family. The game puts the player in the shoes of Alicia and Hugo, a teenage girl, armed with only a sling, is helping her brother, Hugo, who has a debilitating disease. While many would compare the story telling to Last of Us, it wouldn’t be fair to judge this based off Last of Us, but they do share a common thread of a rampant disease spreading across France. 

            Taking place during the war between France and England, its setting is different than most stories taking place during 1287. Or the late 1300’s. To summarize that meaning, when the time period are referred to as the 1300’s, it’s means it takes place in the 1200’s. It’s what history teachers use when putting the time frame into a category when studying history. Just for the readers sake. 

            Alicia and Hugo have to traverse through plague ridden towns, sometimes running through the level as the townsfolk are struck with pandemonium, wanting to murder them out of sheer moral panic. Through the third person perspective it helps sell the surroundings Hugo and Alicia, as you relate to them as the story progresses. What this game emphasizes is how much Alicia smells the death unfolding. They have to walk over dead bodies, as the player guides Alicia through occupied France. While many of the villains are English soldiers, another enemy Hugo and Alicia have to deal with are rats. 

            Rats are almost a main character in the story, as much of the plague is caused by “The Bite” as if you enter a spot occupied by rats, you will die, and the game will send you back to the last checkpoint. Without rats, A Plague Tale would cease to have an overarching enemy to all the human and NPC characters in the game, which is also a threat and light is the only way to protect Alicia and Hugo from the “the bite.” 

            Alicia has to end up an protector to Hugo as they have to find ways to get around the rats. Using fire or distracting the festooning swarms with alchemic induced stone Alicia combines in her sling. She can start fires, which are used for pushing the rats out of the way. And if you destroy human lanterns on NPC’s (Non Playable Characters) the rats will be distracted and feast on them granting you safe passage. 

Another alchemic stone can create a plague like tree, distracting rats so that you can make your way around them. Also Alicia’s sling has the ability to destroy armor, use sleeping potions against human enemies.

I think much of the fault in the game is that it’s too linear, which does remind me of Last of Us, at times. But the story telling and how the weapon choices force you to adapt can almost feel jarring at times, cause you have to remember what each alchemic stone can do, and it will save your life. What Asobo managed to implement is developing the characters of Alicia and Hugo over more than fifteen hours of gameplay. Each character that helps Alicia and Hugo get a fair share of time, as they help you along the way.

What can be said is that much of A Plague Tale is concerned with is weaving the story along with the gameplay, and that works fine, except that it can feel too linear. At times I could press the wrong button causing me to die a lot of the time, which may be my own fault. It allows you to sneak your way through, and on a higher difficulty, with no stones, you are going to have to stealth your way through the campaign as you play on harder difficulties. Would I still recommend this game, of course, but I would be lying if I didn’t share the personal difficulties that come with A Plague Tale: Innocence. 

What I do find enjoyable is that it’s not trying to kill you immediately out the gate. We can’t all play Dark Souls or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice forever. Unless you want to. But that’s like masturbating without lube. Nobody wants to do that.

Final Analysis: 3.9/5

Note on the text: While I don’t enjoy From Software games, I don’t really get into difficult games that kill you instantly. I do respect the hell out of anybody who has played from Software games and continue to help push difficult games into the future. I have tried and failed miserably at both Dark Souls and Sekiro (getting further in that far more than Dark Souls). So my criticism comes from a place of entertainment, I don’t hold a grudge against people who play difficult games. I just like to warm myself up into it. It’s sort of like how people who write with typewriters vs. computers. One false move, and your page is ruined. That’s how I see it. Not everyone should listen to my perception of From Software games, but I do respect there stance on creating difficult games. As I do with creating difficult stories.

-Louis Bruno is the author of more than 15 books, including, The Michael Project, The Michael Project: Book 2: The Lost Children of Eve, Thy Kingdom Come, The Disintegrating Bloodline, Apocalypse Soldier, Hierarchy of Dwindling Sheep. His books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Lulu. He can be found on Gab, https://gab.com/thereallouistbruno, Minds https://www.minds.com/lbruno8063/. Instagram @lbrruno8063 and @louisbrunoofficialbook. Our Freedom Book https://www.ourfreedombook.com/thereallouistbruno17. He has written for the Intellectual Conservative and Ephemere. Also, he writes on https://louisbruno.substack.com, where you can support him directly, and where he will post one article sporadically (the bulk of his work will appear on substack officially).  His next series, City of Sand is out now: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/louis-bruno/city-of-sand/hardcover/product-rke9jz.html?page=1&pageSize=4. Also, if you can’t subscribe so that you can get members only content, please be sure to share the articles, as well. Every little bit helps. Thanks for reading, as always.