A PLAGUE TALE: INNOCENCE
French medieval epic pits you against an army of rats
Reminding us of Ico and Hellblade, this moody adventure has heart… and rats. A lot of rats.
Rats! Depending on whether you grew up on Pixar’s culinary classic Ratatouille or in the 14th century, outrunning the plague, your opinion of the furry nibblers will vary. Not having survived the Black Death, Asobo Studio’s rodent-infested adventure is the closest we can come to the latter.
While the rats, by their sheer number and impact on every aspect of A Plague Tale, are the stars of this story (and we’ll get to them in a minute), it’s our emotional connection to the events on screen that really impresses as we experience a playthrough of an early portion of the game.
WHO’S RAT GIRL?
Recently orphaned Amicia and her younger brother Hugo are on the run from the Inquisition. As they flee across 14th-century France you’ll meet other orphans to team up with to overcome the challenges ahead. It’s in these friendships that A Plague Tale tugs on the heartstrings. Whether it’s Amicia reaching out her hand to the child she’s guiding through the battlefield, or the subtle way she brings the boy close for a protective hug as the rats swarm, there’s an air of Ico about A Plague Tale.
As Amicia, her young brother and an orphan move cautiously across the battlefield – wading between
“SHE BRINGS THE BOY CLOSE FOR A HUG AS THE RATS SWARM
decaying bodies, legs caked in mud and blood – the outlines of spears and broken war machines protrude out of the mist. A towering viaduct pushes into the distance; this is our compass point. With no UI, these sprawling arches are our only point of reference. There’s a magical tone to the game’s design. It’s almost fantastical, turning historically accurate architecture into enigmatic structures. We could be back in Hellblade.
As we near a horse it begins to flail and shudder. Is this poor creature still alive? Its belly swells. The legs kick frantically. The horse erupts in a sea of blood-soaked rats. It’s our first glimpse of just how far A Plague Tale is prepared to go to sell its rodent threat. We make a mental note: stay clear of ratty.
RAT TRICK
The easiest way to keep the rat swarm at bay is with the light from a fire. It’s mesmerising to watch the horde sway away from an outstretched flame. But makeshift torches only last a few seconds, so crossing the battlefield becomes a test of nerves as Amicia and Hugo scurry between lit pyres.
Once we’ve burnt through our stock of torches we have to get creative. A soldier comes into view carrying a lantern. Using Amicia’s slingshot we knock it from his hand, temporarily drawing the rats to this fresh man-meat, enabling the duo to dash to the safety of a catapult holding a pot of burning embers. This is pushed through the rats and they part as its light is cast around the children.
We’re told Amicia can use her slingshot in a variety of ways, and items scavenged on the hoof can be collected to craft new ammo. At one point in our demo we break a gate’s chain with a precise shot, and the door falls open and casts light across the field, forcing the rodents to flee.
While Amicia can go sling-to-sword with her enemies she’s more effective moving stealthily through the shadows, with a watchful eye on those rats.
Interestingly, if you leave Hugo, or an orphan, they’ll slowly become terrified. There’s no ‘scare-o-meter’ to show their growing anxiety. Instead the animation and dialogue, as well as the character’s movements, which become more irrational, will show their state of mind. We see this in action when Amicia must leave the children alone to guide a guard away from their position. As we move further away Hugo begins to chatter. If he shouts after us, or runs to find us, he’ll give himself away. Hugo’s building anxiety adds tension to any puzzle or stealth sequence.
Any nagging doubts that A Plague Tale’s core game loop of light- and rat-based puzzling and stealth could sink into repetition are put on hold too. It’s revealed to us that later stages of the game will feature more complexity, plus guards who are able to use the rats against Amicia and Hugo.
Our time in medieval France ends with a harrowing catch-22. The children reach the exit at the end of an abandoned siege engine. Ahead of us a scared man is trapped but safe. Every step towards freedom we take, torch in hand, forces the rats towards him. Our freedom demands he dies, smothered in a mass of rats that eat him alive. Amicia cradles Hugo. “Don’t look,” she cries. Fumito Ueda would be proud.
“ITS BELLY SWELLS. THE LEGS KICK FRANTICALLY. THE HORSE ERUPTS IN A SEA OF BLOODY RATS.”