A Plague Tale - Innocence

About the Game

The protagonists are siblings, Amicia and Hugo. Amicia is the main character, and she has been tasked with saving her ill younger brother Hugo who has some sort of blood condition. However, it transpires that this blood condition is part of the reason they are in trouble: the villain seeks to use Hugo’s blood to seize some of the powers it bestows. Powers that neither Hugo nor Amicia know about.

Amicia must work to save her brother, despite his taking the part of the villain at one point, being confused about who is and is not on his side. Amicia can craft resources into weapons, storage and much more, when she is in the presence of a work-bench, and she must work hard to stay ahead of the Inquisition-style soldiers.

Hugo: More Than Meets the Eye

Hugo is an able companion when he is with Amicia, and can be set doing minor tasks while Amicia is otherwise engaged. However, he cannot craft things – Amicia is the only character who can.

Hugo, who becomes a playable character later in the game, can control rats thanks to the supernatural evil that resides in his blood: the real cause of his illness. He is also small enough to slip into smaller spaces than those that Amicia can fit into. This gives him some advantages and means that playing as him can sometimes be more desirable, even though he is not able to craft resources when necessary.

Once the siblings are reunited, later in the game, all their skills are combined so they can all be used simultaneously to defeat the enemies more expeditiously.

Plagues of Soldiers and Rats

The children initially have to hide from the rampaging soldiers of the Inquisition-style enemy, and wander about, exploring and seeking Hugo’s doctor in the hope that he can help them. As they find work-benches, Amicia can craft materials needed for improving their lives or helping them to survive.

Later, swarms of ravenous rats descend on the unwary, consuming and diseasing them. However, the seemingly unstoppable rats do have one weakness – light. This enables the children to survive some quite tricky scenes as they use this weakness to their considerable advantage.

The medieval time setting stymies any modern gadgetry that might otherwise have allowed for ‘cheats’ to make the children’s journey easier.

Instead, things must be done ‘old school’ with ingenuity, crafting the right tools and thinking strategically to use one’s advantages.

Survive the Tale for a Positive Outcome

The game can be described as a series of survival puzzles, with a compelling and exciting storyline filling in the gaps between moments of high tension as the children fight for survival. The arrival of the rats is gruesome, especially when they are attacking characters, and will raise a thrill of horror in even the most hardened horror fan!

There are many trials and tribulations to play through, and each chapter must be completed satisfactorily, before the final loose ends can be wrapped up. But the good news is that there is a happy ending – or the possibility of one at least – with the return of a much-loved character who had been presumed dead, which makes gameplay very satisfying to work through.

Touchingly, Hugo picks a flower at the successful conclusion of each chapter, fastening it into Amicia’s hair as a symbol of his acknowledgement of the debt owed to her for keeping him alive and as safe as possible.

Characters to look out for include:

• Beatrice – the children’s mum
• Laurentius – Hugo’s doctor
• Lucas – the doctor’s apprentice
• Rodric – a blacksmith and helper
• Melie and Arthur – more siblings