A Plague Tale: Requiem PS5 Review – It doesn’t seem too long ago that I read Andi’s review for A Plague Tale Innocence right here. That was three and a half years ago. A lot changes in that time, Andi is now my husband and I have joined the AIR Entertainment team. My love for A Plague Tale Innocence didn’t change though. I platinumed both the PS4 and PS5 versions thanks to discovering the game through his original review. Now I have got my hands on the next release, Andi has been banished from the PS5 whilst I have put some serious time and effort into A Plague Tale: Requiem.
A Plague Tale: Requiem PS5 Review – Starting Out
Set 6 months after Grand Inquisitor Vitalis Bénévent was destroyed, we join Amicia and Hugo in the sequel to award winning first game as we embark on a brutal journey set in a breath-taking world twisted by supernatural forces. Alot of people will let out a groan or laboured sigh when they hear that Hugo is back as a lot of people found him annoying in the first game as did I but luckily in the sequel although he is the main focus once again, Amicia is joined by other people on her quest.
Hugo’s curse is seemingly under control. Escaping their devastated homeland and travelling far south they attempt to start a new life to find a real cure for his affliction. Unfortunately, his powers reawaken and back come the rats causing severe death and destruction. I don’t want to post too many spoilers in this review but in one scene where the rats attack en-mass you have to run away from them and fast. This is easily one of the most stunning scenes I have played for a long time in any game and the sheer volume of rats was unbelievable as you can make out each individual one if you flip to photo mode during.
The whole story is set around Hugo saving him from a supernatural curse that he is under, but rather than having to hold his hand literally throughout the entire game like we did in the first release, he does take a few steps back allowing new characters to come and join Amicia on her journey.
A Plague Tale: Requiem PS5 Review – Issues?
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this review there are some issues with the game and I think I would rather get them out of the way early on so that I concentrate on the rest of the game. I am yet to have a day 1 patch which I am fully expecting for tomorrows release.
The characters that do join you on your journey get in your way a lot of the time and make the game more frustrating than it needs to be.
I bet you expected a long list of issues, didn’t you? Even I was when I was sent the known issues with the game list, but no. That is the only thing I have found wrong with the game. I didn’t even encounter any glitches which is an amazing achievement considering the amount of on-screen action at some points. It doesn’t even affect the framerate which I am very surprised by.
A Plague Tale: Requiem PS5 Review – Is there such a thing as overkill?
I have shared above a quick guide to the tools and alchemy gameplay that I was sent from Asobo the developers behind A Plague Tale: Requiem. Introducing new weapons but also the introduction of Alchemy thanks to extra characters that you meet helping you along your journey. These alchemy potions can also be used by hand, with your sling which you will remember using from the first game and also mixed in pots which can be then thrown for a greater impact.
The best thing about all of the above things is the ease of navigating around the crafting and weapon selection which is all achieved with the use of R1. Stealth still plays a big part of the game as with the first but now Amicia can take down her enemies from the shadows, use various diversionary manoeuvres to sneak past her enemies or use a variety of hiding places to get to her targets.
A Plague Tale: Requiem PS5 Review – Graphics and Score
With a game of this scale, I do feel I need to mention the supporting soundtrack. Many, many musicians have poured their talent into it. A Choir, various string instruments and the right harmonies create the unique atmosphere needed for this game. Coupled with the fantastic graphics and storyline this game is destined for many awards.
They certainly haven’t held anything back on the gore within the graphics either. If you are going to attempt a game like this, then you may as well go all out. As I mentioned above, the rats come across as each individual one being separate from the rest but manage to set them on your enemies and watch them devour human flesh in front of your eyes. Then move in with the aid of a torch to see the remains of a body laid on the ground where he once stood, ripped apart and a skeleton covered in blood.
A Plague Tale: Requiem PS5 Review – In Summary
It is really hard to find fault with this game. Yes, I have been shouting random obscenities at the screen whilst playing but that is mainly due to trial and error whilst playing as there is no direction markers to help guide you to where you need to go and for that reason the game is a learning curve more often than not leading me to my death.
As mentioned within the review extra characters do also tend to get in the way when you are trying to escape a certain death which can be incredibly frustrating, but you do eventually get used to that even though every one of the extras have gone by various expletive names whilst I played.
The game is certainly long enough to keep you entertained for a long time. My first run through the game took well over 24 hours in total. Yes, a lot of that was through death and having to start again from the last save point, but I also tried to explore as much as I could of the environments.
Asobo has created another masterpiece here though. I can safely say that there will be a lot of awards in the pipeline for this release and for me it has the makings of Game of the Year without question.
