The trailer sets the stage for the game, linking the narrative to the previous title, and gives some added context for new players jumping into the title. It serves as a great way to relight the excitement for A Plague Tale: Requiem and also as a catch-up to where our protagonists are before the game launches on October 18, 2022.
Many new reveals transpire in A Plague Tale: Requiem’s gameplay trailer and some of them can be missed if fans were distracted by the ASMR-like quality of Jane Perry’s voice. In an effort to condense the information, here are five major takeaways from the new gameplay overview trailer for A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Note: This article reflects the writer’s opinion.
5 things of note from A Plague Tale: Requiem’s gameplay trailer
1) A Brief Respite
As already revealed, A Plague Tale: Requiem takes place a few months after the previous game. The new trailer reveals that Amicia and Hugo are heading south in search of places that have been spared by the Plague. They are accompanied by their mother, Beatrice, and friend Lucas on their journey.
The trailer shows that they do indeed find such a place and enjoy some time as a normal family. We see Amicia and Hugo having fun at a fair, and it looks like players will be able to freely explore this location while taking part in various activities and competitions.
However, this moment of peace does not last long, as the Plague returns once again. The large hordes of rats are back and looking more realistic than ever. The trailer goes into why this is suddenly happening, despite how A Plague Tale: Innocence ended.
2) The Macula returns
Finally, we get some context as to why the rats are back once again, and the reason is possibly one that audiences had already predicted. Hugo’s sickness from the Macula started to get worse, leading to the Plague appearing in the rats again and seemingly devastating the peaceful town the group found themselves in.
What triggered the recurrence of the illness remains a mystery, although we suspect that it is a key plot device that will only be revealed when A Plague Tale: Requiem releases. Amicia and Lucas were the first to come across the effects of the Plague and soon realize that Hugo’s link to the Macula is very much active and is the reason for the rats getting out of control.
To spare innocent lives, it seems that Amicia will take Hugo away from the population and to a remote island located in the South of France, which Hugo has been dreaming about recently. They hope to find answers there, and more importantly, a cure for Hugo that severs his link to the Macula.
3) New Skills and abilities
The gameplay trailer also showcased many elements that have been added or changed in A Plague Tale: Requiem from the previous game. Amicia and Hugo can now use their new skills and abilities during gameplay, which has significantly upped the ante from A Plague Tale: Innocence.
Amicia has access to several new tools and equipment that give her the freedom to attack enemies herself or choose to use the environment itself as a weapon. Crafting returns from the previous game and allows Amicia to make special ammunition, gadgets, and tools to be used during combat.
Hugo’s powers have also evolved since the first game, and he can now sense enemies using the rats. Another new feature allows him to take direct control of a swarm of rats and direct them toward enemies to devour them. However, using his powers for a long time will seemingly take a toll on him if he uses them too much.
4) The island is just the first step
As the voice-over says, the island is only the first step in their journey, so we expect that getting to this new location will happen early in the game. The siblings will also meet a host of new characters on their journey, which will help the duo out on their quest.
Once our protagonists get to the island, the premise remains unclear. A more significant threat is alluded to in the trailer, but its nature has not yet been revealed. It might be that the Inquisition from the first game will make a return or that some other authoritative figure may have set their eyes on Hugo after the second outbreak of the Plague.
Since A Plague Tale: Innocence is a fairly linear game, we would not expect Requiem to diverge from this tradition. However, if the siblings get to the island towards the beginning of the game, it would be the perfect place for an open-world setting, with explorable locations, optional puzzles, and maybe even collectibles.
5) Even more fantasy
One of the final lines from the trailer says, “… the lines between reality, fantasy, and fate dissolve …” which is probably the most intriguing aspect of the feature. The story in A Plague Tale has mostly been grounded in reality, aside from the supernatural power of the Macula.
While many expected there to be a more mystical or magical explanation for the origins of the Macula, none were given in the first game. This time around, it seems they might get what they asked for, with a fantastical twist, setting the game completely apart from real-world history.
The island’s presence in Hugo’s dreams and the search for a cure there imply that it holds some connection to the Macula, one that will explain why it runs in the DeRune bloodline and maybe even cure Hugo. However, since A Plague Tale: Requiem is only the second game in the series, we can’t help but wonder if it will be the penultimate title of a trilogy.
13 votes
