A Plague Tale: Requiem - What We Know So Far
Asobo Studios generated a lot of excitement back in 2019, even before the release of "A Plague Tale: Innocence." The trailers leading up to its launch turned a lot of eyes to a developer that had never made a survival horror title before. The game quickly built acclaim after it came out, receiving a nomination for "Best Narrative" at the 2019 Game Awards and winning the award for "Outstanding Story-Rich Game" at the 2019 Steam Awards. As of July 2020, it had sold over a million copies. Now, it looks like Asobo Studios is aiming for another success story.
It turns out the rumors about a sequel that circulated on ResetEra and Reddit back in June were true, as publisher Focus Home Interactive revealed "A Plague Tale: Requiem" during E3 2021. Amicia and her little brother Hugo will return to plague infested 14th century Europe to continue their struggle for survival. Here is what we know so far.
What is the release date for A Plague Tale: Requiem?
According to the official Asobo Studios website, "A Plague Tale: Requiem" will launch in 2022 for PC, PlayStation, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch via Cloud Gaming. You can already add "Requiem" to your wishlist on Steam. Gamers on PS4 and Xbox one may be out of luck however. The studio hasn't announced any plans to release the title on last-gen consoles.
Xbox sweetened the deal, revealing that Game Pass users will be able to play "Requiem" on day one — no waiting or additional money required. "A Plague Tale: Innocence" is available as part of Game Pass Ultimate for subscribers who wants to uncover the first part of Amicia and Hugo's story while waiting for the next installation in the series to arrive.
Is there a trailer for A Plague Tale: Requiem?
The "A Plague Tale: Requiem" reveal trailer offers several insights into the game's setting. Much of the first half features tall, 14th century stone buildings and loosely cobbled roads similar to some of the scenes in the first game, but one area looks new. You see a startled Hugo standing at the edge of a sunbathed cliff overlooking the ocean with a ship moored off the coast. Not only does this look like a new area, but it could imply that the siblings will travel by sea to a fresh location all together.
The trailer also shows Inquisition soldiers engaging in what looks like a full-scale war with another army. Navigating active battlefields may be an important part of the game. Not only that, Amicia and Hugo look slightly older, suggesting that some time has passed between installments. This could mean Amicia has had the opportunity to hone her alchemy and combat skills while Hugo may have learned more about his curious affinity with the plague rats.
What will the gameplay be like in A Plague Tale: Requiem?
The "Requiem" reveal trailer doesn't show any gameplay footage, but there are a few hints about what you might expect based on elements in the video that were also in "A Plague Tale: Innocence."
Around the thirty-second mark, you see the series' signature flood of plague rats rampaging down an abandoned street. Players of the first game will recognize these rodents as one of the key obstacles they had to overcome to navigate the tight corridors and underground caverns of "Innocence." Stepping into the sea of rats meant being eaten alive in seconds, but you could navigate them with light from torches, braziers, and alchemic reactions. Players will likely see similar mechanics in "Requiem."
The trailer also shows the return of the Inquisition. It only lasts a second, but you can clearly see the heavily armoured knight waving a torch. These ruthless soldiers served as the primary human antagonists of the first game and the source of danger that necessitated most of its stealth-based gameplay. Their leader, Grand Inquisitor Vitalis Bénévent was the final boss of "Innocence," but it seems his death wasn't enough to stop the organization's hunt for Amicia and Hugo. This likely means you will encounter similar stealth and combat mechanics as well.