037PREVIEW
Labelled ‘that rats’ game by
many, the more we see of Asobo
Studio’s historical adventure the
greater we appreciate A Plague
Tale is much more than a pile of
writhing, hungry rodents. There’s
an emotional story to tell, and the visual design to
match the narrative aspirations.To recap, A Plague Tale: Innocence casts you in the
14th-century shoes of Amicia, a 14-year-old girl on
the run with her five-year-old brother. At the start
of the game the pair barely know each other, but are
thrust together as tragedy strikes their family and
the Inquisition hunts for them. It’s a simple setup
that raises many questions, which are answered as
the story unravels over the course of the siblings’
trek across the French countryside, ravaged
by war, disease, and superstition.
“They’ve entered a situation in which
they seem to have nothing left but each
other,” explains game director Kevin
Choteau. “As in classic folktales like
Hansel And Gretel or Tom Thumb, they
must learn more about each other, stand
shoulder-to-shoulder and do what it takes
to preserve their fragile bond in such a
hostile and brutal world.”BRIE-ZZY NARRATIVE
In terms of storytelling the dev confirms
there’s a simple beginning and end. There’ll
be no alternative endings or choices that
could wrench you away from the meaning
of what you’re experiencing. That’s not to say you
can’t affect situations, or the characters’ bond. At
times you can make moral choices or solve puzzles
in a way that can kill or harm others. Doing so will
affect the emotional stability of the characters, in
particular Hugo, who as an impressionable child will
react to his sister differently depending on how you
choose to solve a situation.
Choteau explains: “The friction between the
innocence of children and such a brutal world was
a key driver. How would children react to facing
adversity alone? How will they feel? What would
they do to preserve their family?”The realistic Middle Ages setting
serves to heighten the tension and
connection between the pair. While
people at this moment in history
had different habits and customs,
their core fears were the same as
ours today. Playing in this world feels
simultaneously fantastical and real, as
if observing our universal anxieties
through the prism of medieval beliefs.ROQUEFORT-ABLY REAL
“Immersion is key [...] The setting
of the game has to be relatively
grounded, which helps a lot: the
world must provide players with all
the information and tips they need
to move ahead, though they must
watch and be clever. Observing the
environment to progress does make
up part of the puzzle aspects of our
game,” reveals Choteau.
The puzzles we try involve guiding
Amicia and Hugo past Inquisition
soldiers, often using packs of rats as
makeshift traps. Knocking out lamps
with Amicia’s slingshot encourages
rats to run to the dark areas, nibbling
and killing whoever’s standing there.
If you leave Hugo alone for too long
(which you need to do on occasion to
solve a puzzle) he’ll become scared and
make noise, drawing rats and soldiers
to him. Leaving him unchaperoned
provokes genuine anxiety. In these
moments, as the pair clasp hands and
you guide your innocent brother from
danger, A Plague Tale hints at Ico-like
levels of dramatic poignancy.
“[The rats] are definitely a constant
threat, particularly in dark areas”
says Choteau, adding cryptically, and
teasing a broader story: “That said,
our young siblings will also face other
great dangers throughout their journey,
even in bright locations where rats
can’t flood the area.”FORMATPS4/ETA 2019 /PUB FOCUSHOME INTERACTIVE/DEV ASOBOSTUDIOFACTRICK
There’s a wider conspiracy
to uncover, which will explain
why there are so many killer
rats everywhere.
- RAT PACK
All the game’s levels are
being created together; to
date it’s taken two years to
make the levels.- PUZZLE PARTY
The rats are considered
a ‘character’ by the design
team, and shape the
identity of the game.- LITTLE NIBBLERS
A PLAGUE TALE:
INNOCENCE
You won’t camembert-lieve how good it is