A Plague Tale: Innocence Review (PS4)

A Plague Tale: Innocence falls somewhere in the category in between Indie and AAA game. It's a little cheaper than your average game and about 10-15 hours of playtime depending on how you play. Visually it doesn't quite have the production value of a modern AAA but that doesn't hurt, since the atmosphere and music is phenomenal.

The game takes place in 14th century France amidst a terrible plague. Millions of bloodthirsty rats and dark forces are involved and they all want to kill you. You play as Amicia de Rune, the daughter of a noble lord and older sister to Hugo de Rune. From the beginning, Amicia is thrown into a dark adventure she wasn't prepared for. She has to keep her brother safe and learn how to survive what ever it takes. 

The story is divided into 16 chapters and the game is actually much longer and larger than I initially thought. This is not simply a walking simulator with puzzles. There is combat, looting, crafting and even boss fights.

I'm mostly impressed with the music score. I played almost the whole game wearing headphones and the music manages to convey mood and tension really well. It also dynamically adapts to whatever is happening in the story. The music, together with the awesome visual atmosphere makes a truly immersive experience.

A Plague Tale is a linear, story driven game with stealth, puzzles and a bit of combat. Similar games that come to mind are The Last of Us and Brothers: A Tale of two Sons. In your arsenal you have a simple sling that can be used to distract, put out fires or even kill. Puzzles are not particularly hard but sometimes I found myself dying a lot solving them. Luckily, the game auto-saves often so it is not such a big deal.

A Plague Tale is a real gem that should not be missed, and it is well worth 20 euros or more. I borrowed the game from the library and I almost feel bad for playing it for free. Hopefully the developers have earned enough on sales and gotten the recognition they deserve to make another equally compelling game.