The murky, grimy world of A Plague Tale: Innocence shown off in the new uncut game-play trailer is made all the more dark when you throw swarms of hungry, flesh eating rats into the mix. The piles of rodents, with their red eyes and unsettling sounds, set the scene for an intense, 8 minute stealthy journey in the shoes of Amicia - one of the siblings you’ll be seeing in Asobo Studio’s debut title coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC May 14.
A Plague Tale: Innocence follows the journey of siblings Amicia and Hugo as they try to survive in wartorn, plague-ridden medieval France. Along with orphans they meet along the way, the siblings try to reach safety and find the light of day again in a dark, brutal world.
The trailer gives us our first look at a new level which comes in the shape of a plague-ridden medieval town in France. Heavily armoured inquisition soldiers are on the lookout, and together with the many, many rats in your path, you’ll have to navigate Amicia through the town and make use of items you find on your journey to make it to the University.
Some of the elements of game-play that can be seen include crafting and stealthy take-downs. We also see how making use of rocks and alcohol found behind walls and nestled in corners to craft items can help us through obstacles. One example seen early on is throwing a rock to knock down a corpse, which is bleakly hanging from the rafters of a building. The hungry rats blocking your path are distracted by the rather morbid meal, and you can then make your way through the bloody, bone-filled area. We also discover the rats aren’t fond of fire, so you can use that to your advantage.
While this is just a slice of what we can be expect to experience in A Plague Tale: Innocence, it certainly gives you a good feel for the atmosphere and setting of the game. I felt like I was on high alert throughout the entire trailer thanks to the intermittent thudding sound not unlike a heartbeat, and the itchy uncomfortable noises the piles of rats continuously make. Its tense, unforgiving world, shrouded in death and chaos is enough to grab anyone’s attention.
Intrigued by the bleak setting? Find out how A Plague Tale: Innocence makes you realise how much we’ve become used to death in video games.
