A Plague Tale: Innocence is a stealth action game set in medieval France during the plague. It is about Amicia, a young woman trying to protect her sick younger brother from being captured by the Inquisition during a plague outbreak. It was well-received critically, praised for its story and atmosphere, and won several awards. 

This action-adventure survival horror stealth game was developed by Asobo Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. It was released for Windows in May 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and in July 2021 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game, alongside a cloud-based edition for the Nintendo Switch and a release on the Amazon Luna game streaming service. It sold over 1 million units by July 2020. 

Play As You Belong to the 14th Century 

This game gives you a feel of the 14th century Aquitaine, France, during the Hundred Years’ war. And it focuses on the troubles of Amicia de Rune and her ill little brother Hugo. They are faced with obstacles, and they must flee from the French Inquisition soldiers and hordes of rats. These hordes of rats seem to be the cause of the black plague. As the player, you assume control of Amicia. You are to use stealth and some tools to hide from, confuse, fight off soldiers, dodge rat hordes, and solve amazing puzzles.

Battling Two Sets of Enemies and a Bunch of Puzzles 

In A Plague Tale: Innocence, the player plays Amicia de Rune from a third-person perspective. It is a stealth action game, so players need to utilize stealth to avoid getting discovered by enemies or bitten by hordes of rats spreading the black plague. The player receives a sling with which they can throw rocks, creating distractions and sometimes even breaking chains.

The game also consists of a series of survival puzzles. In these survival puzzles, the player has to use specific methods to chase away or distract the hordes of rats from gaining new areas or diverting them towards enemy territory. Rats will come close to burning torches and braziers, so the best way to ward off rats is with fire. Amicia is given special ammunition and supplies like the fire-starting sulfur stones, which can be used to ignite braziers, and stink bombs that attract rats. Not only that, she has a tool that extinguishes torches made by the enemies.

No, Hugo Doesn’t Hang Around Useless

Before I began playing, I wondered if Hugo would just sit around. At the same time, Amicia did all the work of protecting him, finding a home and a cure, escaping dangerous situations, and combating enemies. It seemed like so much work for one person, but Hugo proved himself to be more than a dead weight. Hugo can be directed to perform certain tasks and access certain places Amicia can’t.  The player at the start cannot assume the role of Hugo, but subsequently, you can take control of Hugo, and assuming Hugo’s character gives you the ability to sneak through small places.

A Plaque Tale: Innocence is a Stealth Action Game Set in Medieval France

The story follows Amicia, who has been separated from her brother Hugo and must traverse the dangerous catacombs to find him. In 1348, Amicia de Rune, a 15-year-old French girl of noble descent who lived in Aquitaine during the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, was stuck with her 5-year-old brother, Hugo, who had been ill since birth.

Their mother is Beatrice, and she is an alchemist. She has tried to find a cure for Hugo’s illness but to no avail. While hunting with her father, Robert, on a certain day, Amicia comes in contact with a suspicious substance, and the French Inquisition troops, which lord Nicholas led, arrive and invade their home, killing their father and the house servants. Amicia then escapes with her brother Hugo with the help of their mother, Beatrice, who instructs them to find Doctor Laurentis. 

An Unexpected Journey. Fleeing to Safety.

Amicia and Hugo flee to a village nearby, where the two find out that the hordes of rats are spreading the black plague called the Bite. The two, however, are wanted by the French Inquisition and must stay in hiding even as they try to find the man their mother has directed them to. Amicia and Hugo were able to locate Doctor Laurentius. However, they did not find him in good condition; they found him seriously ill from the plague. He instructs Amicia to finish her mother’s work. Amicia and Hugo are able to escape with Lucas and doctor Laurentis’ apprentice before the rats overrun the farm. 

The three now embark on a journey to find the Chateau d’Ombrage, once a property of the de Rune family. Lucas explains to Amicia that Hugo’s blood is infected with a supernatural evil called the Prima Macula. This supernatural evil has been dormant in noble bloodlines since the plague of Justinian. Their mother and doctor Laurentius had been working together to find an elixir to reduce Hugo’s symptoms. At the same time, Hugo’s power is sought to be harnessed by the Grand Inquisitor of France, Vitalis Benevent, who seeks the power to rule France. Later on, Amicia and Hugo get captured by the English, but their story doesn’t end there, they escape with the help of Melie and Arthur, and their journey continues.

It was well-received critically, praised for its story and atmosphere, and won several awards. The game received critical acclaim and was praised for its story and atmosphere. It won several awards, including BAFTA Games Award for Best Storytelling.

Conclusion

Amicia, the key character, is an innocent and loving person who loves her family and friends dearly. She cares about them so much that she will do anything for them, even when it means risking her own life. This attribute can be seen most clearly when she decides to help save their lives, even though she knows that doing so might lead her down the path of sin and damnation (or at least some kind of consequence). She also shows great compassion towards others, such as when they are ill or in danger, and I sure enjoyed being a part of this story and playing Amicia. While the storyline is emotional, its gameplay brings light and fun to the equation.