navigate, while at the same time not
shying away from the realities that
they face. “Killing adults as a child is
not an innocuous subject,” explains
creative director David Dedeine during
the web series’ first episode. “It
gave us the ability to build a strong
identity. Maybe it will not please
everyone, we understand that, but
it does not matter, we don’t want to
dilute our vision.” Asobo Studio does
not disappoint. You’ll be forced into
situations where you must do the
unforgivable and unsavoury, like killing
other people and hiding under dead
bodies, in order to survive.Rattus rattus
The video also gives us a glimpse of
the game’s crafting and customisation
systems. During your journey you’ll
meet many other orphans, one
of which is Lucas, an alchemist’s
apprentice who will teach you new
recipes to use with your sling. One will
allow you to create balls of fire that
you can use to scare away rats.
Rats are possibly the most
fearsome enemy within the game.
Swarms of these plague-infested
rodents often lie between you and
your destination and you must take
advantage of the environment to
circumvent them. Luckily Amicia is
resourceful with her sling. In the
gameplay demo, Amicia, Hugo and
Lucas must traverse a battlefield.
Dead bodies are strewn about all
over the place, which the kids must
clamber over. Along the way they
come across the corpse of a dead
horse whose body appears to be
bubbling and bulging. Suddenly, it
bursts and a sea of rats pours out.
Amicia scavenges materials and crafts
a flammable pellet that she launches
at braziers and stacks of hay. The rats,
fearful of the fire, rush away from the
lit areas, granting the kids passage.
You can take out soldiers, too. The
lanterns that soldiers hold can be
knocked out of their hands, plunging
them into darkness. With their
protection extinguished, it doesn’t
take long for the rats to surge towards
the group and devour them.
The themes of danger, survival and
the loss of innocence are there, but
we’ll have to wait until May to find out
if Asobo Studio has united them in a
compelling way. QSurviving in 14th century France
during the Hundred Years’ War is
tough at the best of times, but when
you’re on the run from the Inquisition
and paranormal swarms of blood-
hungry rats are nipping at your heels,
it can be quite a nightmare. So you’ll
be pleased to know that you’ll be able
to experience this hardship yourself
when Asobo Studio’s dark adventure
releases this May.
A Plague Tale: Innocence follows
two young siblings who are torn from
their life of nobility and thrust into an
emotional journey of survival across
France. You play as Amicia, a young
girl caught up in the midst of war.
Following a family tragedy, you are
left orphaned and the responsibility of
protecting your five-year-old brother,
Hugo, who appears to be suffering
from a mysterious illness, falls to you.
In this harsh and unforgiving world you
must do whatever it takes to survive.
The announcement for the game’s
release date was accompanied by
the launch of a behind-the-scenes
web series. The first episode of
which, titled ‘Roots Of Innocence’,
takes a look at the characters and
themes that can be found within the
game. The developers are aiming to
explore the juxtaposition of childhood
innocence and the harsh, brutal
world in which these children mustThere’s little evidence to suggest that rats, or rats’ fleas, were really responsible for the Black Death
A Plague Tale:
Innocence
Asobo Studio offers a glimpse
inside its dark adventure
Adam Bryant
PUBLISHER FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE
DEVELOPER ASOBO STUDIO
ETA 14 MAYDARK AGES
The second episode
of a behind-the-
scenes development
web series focuses
on the efforts of the
team in ensuring that
the world, from the
environments to the
mood, accurately
portrays their chosen
setting of the Middle
Ages. Research into
the types of buildings
that genuinely existed
during that time, as
well as how to
emulate natural
lighting, was
essential to that goal.
“You’ll be forced into
situations where you must
do the unforgivable”
032 THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE
PREVIEW