The videogame medium has always been seen as an excellent tool for narrating more or less engaging stories, where the close bond with the characters often becomes deep and exciting. A Plague Tale: Innocence immerses us in a horrible world, ravaged by the plague and with deaths on every corner, but which still presents a small glimmer of light which in this case resides in the two brothers Amicia and Hugo, who have to rely on each other to survive in this anything but welcoming setting.
We had the opportunity to preview the title developed by Asobo Studio, playing the first three chapters for about two hours of gameplay. Considering the nature of the game, which has a strong imprint linked to the plot, we decided to tell as little as possible about it, avoiding spoilers but at the same time providing you with important information on the gameplay and on our first impressions.
Beginning the adventure with Amicia, the main character, we receive the first tips to take the first steps in the game during a training session with our father Robert, when suddenly something upsets the balance of the game, transforming the colorful forest we had just visited in a decidedly scary and disreputable place. The succession of some events led Amicia and her little brother Hugo to flee the family estate in search of someone who could help them.
From now on our with Hugo will become more and more intense, both from the point of view of gameplay and feelings, which will often push him to carry out even dangerous actions to help us escape from enemies. Hugo's role is therefore central: for example, we can ask him to enter a small window to open a door or unlock passages by moving environmental objects such as crates to allow us to reach a higher area.
The gameplay very often features some small environmental puzzles, which can be solved by dropping objects with our slingshot, moving trolleys to reach higher points or unlocking passages with the help of Hugo. During the three chapters we were also able to savor the various gameplay mechanics behind the title, which range between phases stealth, combat and escape. In the stealth phases we have not found much new compared to other titles, in fact we will have the possibility to hide in the grass to avoid being seen and we will be able to distract enemies throwing stones at metal objects or throwing vases, so as to be able to move with Hugo without being seen.
The phases of escape instead they are very well done and take on a cinematographic-like connotation. For example, there will be moments in which we will have to escape from enemies who try to capture or kill us, so we will be forced to run avoiding objects, climbing over obstacles and always taking the streets free from the antagonists. The combat system instead is completely based on the use of the sling, weapon that Amicia received from her father Robert and that from now on she will use to face often very strong enemies (this is the case, for example, of a Boss Fight present towards the end of the second chapter). This boss allowed us to understand the real potential of the combat system, based on dodging and using the slingshot which at first allowed us to damage the enemy's armor and then defeat him permanently, all seasoned with a sauce that vaguely reminded us of David's battle against Goliath.
In these first chapters we are also introduced to the crafting, thanks to which we can upgrade our slingshot (strings and case) and ours equipment (pocket, ammo bag and equipment) at the workbench, using materials available in the game world and ranging from leather to alcohol and sulfur. In the demo, the Hugo's Herbarium and Gifts sections were also presented very quickly, allowing us to see all the collectibles that we will collect in the game world.
Chapter III of A Plague Tale: Innocence is the first time we come into contact with the famous rats, covered several times in the trailers and gameplay presented by the developers. Seeing this scene with your own eyes is truly exciting, both from a technical and videogame point of view there are thousands of rats on the screen, which convey a decidedly important sense of anguish. The only way to escape this mass of topastri is use light and therefore of fire, thanks to which we will be able to make our way by solving the classic environmental puzzles, often with the help of Hugo, who will increasingly prove to be a very important resource.
Speaking instead of the purely technical aspect of the title, we have noticed how the PC version is extremely detailed, both from the point of view of the textures and the lighting system, very convincing and engaging. The characterization of the characters is also excellent, all with top-level facial animations that help immerse the player in this world where the plague decides who survives and who dies. A little less convincing are artificial intelligence (which seemed to us, at least for the moment, not perfect) and the variety of enemies, which in some cases tend to repeat themselves with the same 3D models. Overall, the audio / video sector is therefore excellent, even if there are some flaws in terms of optimization and bugs, which we hope will be solved with the launch of the game on May 14th.
This first contact with A Plague Tale: Innocence allowed us to savor some gameplay, which however needs to be deepened to better understand its potential and then the plot, which in these first chapters seemed really strong and profound, so much so. that we can't wait to get our hands on the full game to continue our adventure with Hugo and Amicia. The technical sector seems excellent for now, we hope for a maintenance of this quality also on consoles and we trust that in the complete game there are other surprises in terms of gameplay, even if what we have seen so far has certainly convinced us.
► A Plague Tale: Innocence is an Adventure-type game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 14/05/2019
A Plague Tale: Innocence is a beautiful game that cannot be missing from your collection: we have decided to evaluate it with a 85%, if you are interested in learning more you can read the Review of A Plague Tale: Innocence
