A Plague Tale: Innocence

Swarms of rats in the studio's home region

In November 1348, Aquitaine is caught in the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and the Black Death is spreading. Asobo Studio is based in Bordeaux, and its lead designer, Kevin Choteau, told Variety that the team began by looking at the history of its own region, where the war, the arrival of the plague and the Inquisition came together in the 14th century.

When pitching the game, the team tried other supernatural threats such as smoke, but Choteau said that none was as grounded or as fleshy as the rats. In a PlayStation Blog post, Asobo explained that more than 5,000 rats can be displayed at once, drawn in four levels of detail. The farthest rats form a still background mesh, while those closest to the player are fully animated.

The Story

Amicia de Rune, a 15-year-old noble, flees with her five-year-old brother Hugo, ill since birth, when Inquisition soldiers attack the family estate in search of him. Their mother Beatrice, an alchemist, sends them to a doctor named Laurentius, while the local village and monastery are overrun by rats carrying the plague. The rats fear only fire, so torches and braziers open a path through the swarm.

You control Amicia in the third person, and stealth is the rule for most of the game, because any enemy who catches her kills her instantly. Her sling throws stones to break chains, create distractions or knock out guards, and she crafts supplies such as stink bombs that attract the rats. Later in the game, you also take control of Hugo, who can command the rats and slip through small spaces.

The Ideal Audience

This single-player game is rated 18 by PEGI and the BBFC, and M by the ESRB for blood and gore, strong language and violence. Full voice acting is offered in English, French and German, and in English the actors, including Charlotte McBurney as Amicia, speak with French accents. At the first Pégases, the French video game awards, it won six prizes in 2020, including best game.