A Plague Tale: Innocence had a nuanced and, at times, both dark and uplifting narrative that helped to center the stealth action; a trend the sequel will no doubt continue. A Plague Tale: Requiem has had a teaser trailer and a gameplay trailer released so far, so players have been able to see a little of what the upcoming game will offer. However, it’s the screenshots that were released at the end of last year that has really given a strong indication of how the game will look and the variety of environments that players will encounter. It seems that Asobo Studio is determined to up the ante when it comes to aesthetics in the sequel.
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Requiem Screenshots Revealed So Far
While the first game had lighter moments of sunlit woods and cobbled streets in quaint medieval French towns, the majority of the game was a dark and foreboding experience with mass graves, plague-stricken regions, and abandoned chateaus. This isn’t to say that A Plague Tale: Innocence doesn’t have its own beauty, but this beauty is often accompanied by a fair bit of grime, buried under piles of bodies or swallowed by a tide of flesh-eating rats. One of A Plague Tale: Innocence’s defining features is its bleak aesthetic, but thanks to the design of the environments and the detailed character models, it is still a world that players want to get lost in.
From what players have seen of A Plague Tale: Requiem so far, it seems the sequel may be striving for a slightly brighter atmosphere. The story has moved further south, as Amicia de Rune and her brother “embark on a heart-rending journey into a brutal, breathtaking world twisted by supernatural forces.”
The screenshots released for A Plague Tale: Requiem show off some “new regions and vibrant cities” that Amicia and Hugo will travel to in order to start a new life and find a cure for his curse. However, they also set the tone for the sequel. Where the first game had some breathtaking moments, it was still mostly filled with darkness and despair. A Plague Tale: Requiem shows no signs of crafting a happier story, but the visuals indicate a much more beautiful visual experience.
What This Says About A Plague Tale: Requiem
With the action moving to new regions, A Plague Tale: Requiem will give players the chance to explore warmer climes and stunning vistas. It looks like there will be new allies to encounter, new powers to contend with, and new challenges to face. The screenshots and trailers released so far certainly show off some gorgeous environments, but it’s clear there is still darkness simmering below the surface, as well as moments of hardship and horror. Amicia speaks of her unraveling inner world in the gameplay trailer, showing how even though their surroundings may have improved, their situation has only worsened.
A Plague Tale: Requiem could be setting up a poetic juxtaposition between the beautiful outer world and the characters’ inner turmoil; continuing with the first game’s impressive visuals, but with an added layer of nuance. Even though Amicia and her allies have fled to a more peaceful area to start afresh, Hugo’s newly awoken powers will bring “death and destruction” once again “in a flood of devouring rats,” destroying the beatific idyll they had found themselves in. Players will no doubt be excited to explore these new regions, as well as the twists and turns in Hugo and Amicia’s heartbreaking tale once A Plague Tale: Requiem is released.
A Plague Tale: Requiem will release on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X/S in 2022.
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