The era of the plague epidemic is one that has fascinated historians and storytellers alike for years. The mass death that occurred and the panic of the people has inspired numerous stories and myths and now with A Plague Tale: Innocence, the world is now explored through video games.
A Plague Tale: Innocence takes an interesting approach by seeing you play as the daughter of a nobleman who must protect her brother from the Inquisition due to having a supernatural disease in his blood. The game builds up the siblings relationship well and does a good job of establishing the world that way. The sister, Amicia, is the player character, with her brother Hugo needing to be protected. At least this is the situation at first, due to Hugo gaining very useful skills as you progress that will help you survive.
When combat is underway, it is smooth and has no real issues, except for some occasional camera hiccups. Amicia will handle combat while Hugo can be given commands that will direct what he does. As you progress in the game, more children will join your party, each with their own unique story. They will also have their own abilities that can be used when Amicia gives them orders.
The thing is, that you do not want to fight often. The game utilizes survival mechanics, and fighting should be done only when you have to as a necessity. When you do fight, you will find some of the most inventive battles ever. This is the era of the plague after all, and things are not pleasant. You will have to fight off hordes of rats, but sometimes you will need to make use of the rats as well. Each fight is a challenge but you will never feel bored with them.
A Plague Tale: Innocence somehow manages to combine RPG mechanics, survival horror elements, action combat, and a deep narrative in a way that feels fresh and innovative. There are also great uses of stealth elements, particularly in combat, which add to the creativity. This is one of the best narrative games I have seen so far and really goes all out to establish the world and its characters. It is visually stunning, with haunting imagery and a soundtrack that is an absolutely perfect fit.
My only real complaint was the camera issue as mentioned, but otherwise, I love this game and fully recommend trying it out. You will not regret it.
A review key was provided