A Plague Tale: Requiem

There's little else that can be said about A Plague Tale: Requiem other than it's everything fans could have hoped for. Though it may take a bit to find its footing narratively, the game is a phenomenal improvement over the first entry in the series while also being a fantastic experience in its own right.

A Plague Tale: Requiem deserves your time in every sense of the word and it is a story that will live on in my mind for years to come. The powerful, emotional heartaches that you will no doubt experience by the incredible cast of characters continue to impress after the credits roll.

A masterclass in narrative games design, A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful games you could ever wish to play. Amicia and Hugo's journey is powerful, evocative and downright disturbing and somehow manages to be greater than the original. Asobo Studio has crafted satisfying streamlined rat, light and stealth gameplay that perfectly serves the story it's trying to tell and only adds to the narrative intensity. A Game Of The Year contender for certain.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the most emotionally satisfying games I have ever played. I was stunned by the emotionally charged, beautifully presented, and impeccably acted story which is brought to life by incredible technical feats which showcase the power of the PS5. Time and again I was surprised by the sheer bleakness that the story was brave enough to dive into and the thrill of watching hope attempt - and often fail - to overcome those seemingly insurmountable odds. Requiem is a story which both uplifts and decimates your emotions at the same time; a story told by characters that feel real and that you grow to care and root for. By the end you too will be shouting, “I am Amicia de Rune and I kneel to no one.”

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a fantastic game. The graphics are beautiful, the soundtrack is amazing, the gameplay is very good and the story is immersive and impactful. There are a few minor technical problems - which are far from ruining the experience - and, because it is a linear and plot-focused game, there's not much to do once you've finished the campaign.

A Plague tale Requiem is not far from a masterpiece. The quality of writing, the mastered narration and the density of the characters, this intense relationship between Amicia and Hugo offer the game an incredible emotional dimension at the heart of a journey through a world as hard as it is beautiful. The gameplay is much richer than that of the first installment and all the more effective even if the fights are not the most interesting moments of the adventure, especially when you rub against the body. Nevertheless, the title from Asobo is definitely an experience that I would describe as unforgettable.

A Plague Tale: Requiem doesn't reinvent what made the first game great. Instead, it builds on what worked and makes everything better. From graphics and sound to combat, A Plague Tale: Requiem adds a layer of depth a polish we didn't even realize was missing the first time around. A lot of gamers missed A Plague Tale: Innocence, but everyone should play this altogether amazing sequel.

If you are on a quest to find a video game that could make you cry, may your quest end right here. A continuation of a story that was fine on its own, Requiem delivers one of the most powerful stories ever conceived in a video game. But be wary of the framerate drops on the PlayStation 5 console, which bring their own set of unforeseen despair.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a triumph of a sequel that ticks all the boxes fans will be expecting and then some. Not only does it look and feel great, but it backs up its eye candy and abundant atmosphere with an interesting narrative and a stalwart protagonist who won’t quit. It’s everything a follow-up should be and more from an IP that’s grown precious to players over the years, and a fine adventure that even newcomers will find value in tackling.

A solid stealth-based adventure set in an incredibly dark and hostile world but one that can also be beautiful. A Plague Tale: Requiem is a stunning game.

The developers seem to have learned from the small mistakes of their first opus, especially on the gameplay. While the first title was considered too directional, this one is much less so, offering a much more aggressive approach. As for the scenario, it's a faultless one, the story faithfully follows the past events and transports the player as well in the terrible adventure of Hugo and Amicia. Still in France, the scenery will delight the friends of the little detail and will be able to be transported in the beauty offered by the south of our country. Will Amicia and Hugo finally find the peace they have been looking for? We strongly advise you to play the game to find the answer.

A Plague Tale: Requiem expands and improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way, delivering a meaty, excellently crafted, visually stunning, and thoroughly engaging experience.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the most prominent games this year. Great plot, lots of characters, game systems and some unique ideas is what drives this whole apocalyptic experience.

A Plague Tale Innocence set the beautifully grim tone, and A Plague Tale Requiem goes beyond it and tells a captivating tale of hope and misery that builds on the original’s promise in almost every way. It may struggle to match its ambition in places, but Requiem is nothing short of a remarkable achievement.

Terrific story and performances from its cast, smart progression, a compelling stealth-focused gameplay loop, an expanded palette in its visuals and a soundtrack that underscores the roller-coaster of emotion underpinning all of this. A Plague Tale: Requiem seldom loses its footing — a sequel and indeed a tale that’s both ambitious and compelling to the very end.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is everything that one could want from a sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence. It's more ambitious and action-packed than Innocence, and is quite easily one of the best new game releases of the year. The fact that A Plague Tale: Requiem is a day one Xbox Game Pass game adds significant value to Microsoft's subscription service, and anyone with Game Pass should be sure to play it as soon as they can. Those on other platforms shouldn't miss out either, as A Plague Tale: Requiem is easily worth full price. Simply put, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a must-play game.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is the game of confirmation. That of a sister's faith in her little brother when the world crumbles at the foot of their defeat. Then, that of the great talent of Asobo Studios. Offering richer gameplay without upsetting the formula, this sequel never forgets the essentials in relation to the genre it targets. Amicia's desperate fight is at least as magnificent as the graphics and soundtrack that drive the work. The infiltration mechanics can challenge, and we would have liked a final finishing coat, but none of the defects encountered tarnish our judgment: with Requiem, the Bordeaux studio delivers a great vintage. Dark red as death.

It’s an amazing example of how a game can balance both the light and the dark; the majesty and the horror of the world in this time period. The path that lies ahead for these two children who suffer with the weight of the world on their shoulders should sound like a done deal, but you’re chewing your nails to stubs while worrying over the fate of their few friends and praying that there is a life for them yet. In this game, Hugo and Amicia have become unforgettable characters in the medium, and I hope that everyone has the chance to come on this journey with them.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a visually stunning and emotive fable that pierces through the noise of the most contested of release periods as a captivating triumph.

Asobo Studios have delivered a runaway hit with A Plague Tale: Requiem. This is the very best kind of sequel: one that builds upon everything that came before and pays homage to its predecessor, while still carving its own path. Breathtaking.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the must-play adventure games of 2022. It builds on what was lacking in narrative and gameplay elements of its predecessor and provides players with a heart-racing sprint of an experience. The low points of the pacing are merely used to catch your breath until the next encounter as you see Amicia's own innocence fade. Coincidental set pieces aside, there's a lot to love about this game, and I urge you to find out for yourself. However, this may not be for you if you have an uncontrollable fear of rats.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a fantastic game, expanding its framework in the right places through intricate themes and horror elements, weaving into what worked about the original while maintaining a voice of its own.

A Plague Tale: Requiem gave me the chills. The graphics, sound design and writing are all phenomenal, and the gameplay is fantastic. There are a few issues with sneaking sections feeling samey, the puzzles being a little too easy, but these are forgivable for just how excellent Amicia and Hugo are as characters. If you enjoyed the first game, or you’re just looking for something narratively compelling, Requiem is the game for you.

With stunning visuals, incredible performances and a poignant and grim narrative that hits hard, A Plague Tale: Requiem is a truly compelling journey even if it buckles under its own ambitions along the way.

The rats are coming, again! Requiem is bigger, bolder and more beautiful than its predecessor. The story is both huge and intimate, which is an accomplishment in its own. Requiem builds on what Innocence set out to do, and does everything better.

A Plague Tale: Requiem perfectly shows how a game is supposed to improve on its predecessor: the plot is much more intense, the characters feel much more alive and the gameplay is not only polished but also feels like a perfect evolution. This IP is certainly looking very promising.

A Plague Tale: Requiem brings back everything to love about the first game and builds an even more heartrending tale of the things people will do for love.

Despite its somewhat outdated sneaking and combat systems, A Plague Tale: Requiem is without a doubt one of the storytelling highlights of the year, combining incredible voice acting, visuals and mystery with horror and historical fantasy.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a superb sequel that fixes or improves nearly everything from the original while telling one of the most emotionally harrowing stories of the year.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a reasonably worthy sequel to its predecessor. Its gameplay is quite varied and has fantastic graphics. In the aspect of history, it returns to us a harrowing medieval story that will not allow you to stay away from the game. It is certainly an experience that should be tried by many.

Sequels are difficult to get right, but Asobo Studio has created a wonderful follow up to Amicia and Hugo’s journey. A Plague Tale: Requiem effortlessly expands on the premise of the original by fleshing out a more in-depth gameplay experience to cater to various playstyle while maintaining an engaging narrative filled with colorful yet unpredictable characters. The game is unfortunately only held back by performance issues and icky bugs.

Requiem is a great sequel, bigger and better than the original game in every aspect (storyline, gameplay mechanics and technical aspects). It truly feels like a Triple A game, but it has lost that fresh feeling we had when we first played Innocence.

A Plague Tale: Requiem takes what made the first game good and improves upon that. If you can handle the constant stealth sections, this game is for you.

A Plague Tale Requiem is one of those sequels that are even better than the original entry. It upgrades everything that was already good on A Plague Tale Innocence and also corrects some of the mistakes from the first game. Although it still has some technical difficulties, it's an amazing experience, with great storytelling and fun gameplay.

A Plague Tale: Requiem tells a thrilling and bizarre tale of a plague through bold performances and stunning scenes. But its lack of important gameplay such as combat and puzzle solving, the work has not reached a higher level in my mind.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is just the game we were hopping for. We wished that Asobo Studio took more risks when designing the gameplay, but the overall result is pretty good.

A worthy sequel to the original that excels for its believable and interesting characters. Add impressive set pieces and music, and you have an adventure you will enjoy to the fullest. In addition, the voice-acting is also excellent and the gameplay varied enough that you won't get bored for a second. What is noticeable is that some somewhat classic gameplay elements are used in the game, when they are not necessary, making it feel somewhat out of place. There are also some graphical issues that need to be addressed, but none of this will hinder your enjoyment of the game.

Going from innocence to requiem, A Plague Tale brings a very beautiful conclusion to an adventure that will remain in our memories. This second installment reinforces the eternal bond between Hugo and Amicia, increases the number of rats displayed on the screen tenfold, enriches its combat system, introduces interesting new characters, and moves up a gear.

This long awaited follow up to Asobo Studio's cult hit doesn't come without grievances, but A Plague Tale: Requiem is a rock-solid adventure that's grim and gorgeous in equal measure. Smart iteration on established mechanics and pitch-perfect pacing lead the way to a journey across some breathtaking locales that ups the ante in nearly every way by its shocking conclusion.

A Plague Tail: Requiem portrayed tragic narratives into a game full of immersion. Improved graphics and systems are smoothly combined with the characters' expressions. The story of tragic siblings over the two titles, have successfully concluded.

Slightly better than Innocence in terms of storytelling, gameplay and world building, A Plague Tale: Requiem still needs some tuning on the technical side.

Graphically complex action-adventure with good characters, an atmospheric setting and a strong finale - playful in too many places but pale and despondent.

Graphics and atmosphere are a blast and let us overlook small weaknesses in story and gameplay.

An essential purchase if you enjoyed Innocence, and an imperfect but gripping starting point if you missed it. Hopefully not the end of the tale. [Issue#21, p.80]

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a solid follow-up to Hugo and Amicia’s haunting saga. The expanded scope offers deeper insight into the world and characters, even if some of the main plot beats don’t always hit the mark. Combat and stealth are improved over the original while the swarms of rats are as mesmerizing and threatening as ever. Just remember to stay in the light.

The main issue of A Plague Tale: Requiem is the absence of any real improvement to its already simplistic gameplay. Thankfully, its amazing set pieces, great visuals and -especially- its intense story of Amicia’s and Hugo’s survival make up for these gameplay shortcomings.

Though pandemic fiction may seem like the last thing audiences need right now, the catharsis “Requiem” provides is a valuable salve. It reminds us that others, today and in the past, feel or have felt our same confusion, fear and grief. In this, it makes an argument not for hiding the toll of so much pain away in the shadows, secreting bodies in dark passageways, but of bringing everything out into the light of day so we can try to hear what notes of hope sing through the darkness.

Quotation forthcoming.

Rats are often embodied by their desperation; as creatures that’d wear their own claws away by scratching desperately to survive, or eat through the hot, wet meat of a living person in the blind hope they’ll see freedom once again. Requiem feels like a game that isn’t just built around rats, but based on them. It asks: ‘what would it be like if the rat under the bowl had a conscience’? And its comment on the nature of humanity – and how similar we may or may not be to chattering, mindless vermin – will stay with me for years to come. Asobo should be proud of what it achieved in this game, as depressing and engrossing as it is.

Choosing not to reinvent the wheel in regards to its by-the-numbers stealth gameplay, A Plague Tale: Requiem instead goes above and beyond to present greatness in its overall package, delivering an enthralling story, magnetic characters, tense action setpieces, and stunning visuals that rank among the generations’ finest. It won’t bewitch everyone, but for devoted fans of rats and resilience, A Plague Tale: Requiem absolutely delivers.

Throughout its running-time, Requiem treads a fine line between poignant and absurd, balancing heartbreaking scenes in which Hugo wrestles with burdens no child should ever bear, with action sequences where you must flee from literal tsunamis of rats. But even at its most ridiculous, Requiem is always earnest in its ideas. Ultimately, it’s a game about living with incurable illness, the constant daily struggle, the threat of outside circumstances making it worse, the importance of hope, and the sad truth that, sometimes, there is none to be had.

I was relieved when Requiem’s second set of credits rolled. Not because I didn’t enjoy playing the game, but because the de Runes’ journey in this game is tense and stressful for much of it. At times, it feels too long and oddly sadistic in its focus on inflicting fakeouts, pain, and suffering on the de Runes. Other times, I admired Asobo’s command of this series, its rat-infested stealth mechanics, and its grandiose storytelling. Fortunately, the latter edges out the former, and Requiem feels like much more than just a follow-up. With this journey behind me, I’m excited about where the series might go from here, but if Asobo plans a break for the franchise, rest assured that Requiem goes out with an impressive bang.

At its best, A Plague Tale: Requiem is one of the greatest narrative-focused experiences on PS5 to date. Technical limitations get in the way some of the time, but with improved stealth and combat mechanics, this is a really well-rounded game that excels at nearly everything it does. Innocence demonstrated Asobo Studio's potential in bursts; Requiem has absolutely realised it.

Requiem has refined and improved the formula that made the first game so intriguing. Amicia and Hugo are not the timid children they were at the start of their journey, and while the goal used to be just survival, things have changed: it’s now about making sure that the people they want to be will survive this new hardship.

Both in scale and execution, A Plague Tale Requiem is an ambitious follow-up to Innocence that retools its core puzzle-and-stealth gameplay for a broader and more satisfying historical narrative adventure with fantasy elements. While puzzles are immediately intuitive and its action elements are much more rewarding, they rarely stretch the player’s brain enough to give much pause, making for a breezy, yet memorable adventure.

A Plague Tale: Requiem improves upon the first game in almost every aspect; storytelling, characters, gameplay and content volume. The siblings' trauma is every bit as memorable as Innocence was, if not more.

A Plague Tale: Requiem tells an engaging story set in breathtaking sceneries of 14th-century France where enchanting flowery meadows contrast with battlefields reeking of corpses. For the most part, it’s a safe sequel, but some improvements to the formula gave the game a chance to win over those disappointed by the extreme linearity of its predecessor. Requiem offers open, sometimes very spacious environments with multiple paths and hiding spots, but it’s a shame that mediocre AI can’t keep up with more freedom and possibilities given to the player in terms of dealing with enemies.

A Plague Tale: Requiem finishes the brutal and often forlorn story of the De Rune children in a sequel that feels imperative to fans of the original but adds little to those not convinced by Asobo Studio's first entry into the series.

A Plague Tale: Requiem doesn't drastically alter the foundation set by Innocence, but by iterating on its strengths as a character-driven fable within an oft-ignored historical setting, tells yet another tale to remember.

Although it represents a set of mechanics seen in many other games, A Plague Tale: Requiem as an extra predictable sequel perfects everything that was good in the previous game - with a few small innovations, and a drastically higher dose of rats and depression.

It’s a beautiful game but gameplay-wise, it sometimes struggles. The same applies to the story and especially the characters. Still, the game has its charms and is overall a solid addition to the series.

An action-packed journey through medieval France that alternates between visceral violence and rural beauty, although its puzzles and action sequences occasionally feeling undercooked compared to its well-drawn and believable characters.

A Plague Tale: Requiem outdoes its predecessor in many ways. Its story, for example, manages to be even more engaging and touching, while numerous gameplay enhancements make it a deeper, more varied affair. It's just a shame that its first quarter isn't better paced, relying too much on you manipulating rats with light, and that its combat sections just aren't fun at all. Add in a myriad of performance issues and bugs, and you have a game that somewhat squanders its phenomenal potential, but is still very much worth playing.

Where a little Innocence went a long way, this gloomy, protracted Requiem proves that a lot doesn't always stretch so far. [Issue#378, p.104]

A Plague Tale: Requiem serves up a sprawling adventure across a plague-ravaged, rat-infested France, though the simple tale and mechanics at its core can’t bear this sequel’s bloat.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is relentless in its depiction of misery. It imparts the troubling message that no matter how hard we try, we can’t change the future, and trying to do so only invites more pain and suffering than willingly submitting to our eventual demise. A series about two children losing their innocence and being corrupted by the evils of the world is one I welcome, but not when it teaches us to give up instead of fighting for a future all our own. The world may seem hopeless right now, but if we give in to the despair we’re choosing doom, and I’d rather go down slinging.