A Plague Tale: Requiem

[Strafe]

I got half way through chapter 2 and wasn’t enjoying it so binned it. I get very annoyed at games taking away your agency by insisting on having walking sections (and I don’t think it’s a loading thing because a) it’s next gen only and b) you suddenly stop and have to walk around an area you were previously able to run around in just so you can listen to whatever irritating sidekick you have at the time. But I could be wrong. Either way, it winds me up).

 

I don’t think the voice acting is bad but the writing, contextually at least, is pretty poor. It’s non stop narration and things being spelt out for you to the point of being patronising.

 

I felt very protective of the princess in Ico and Ellie in The last of us but Hugo I just want to drop into a deep, dry well. The other kid you pair up with needs booting off a cliff too.

 

I don’t mind stealth but - and I understand it’s kind of the point - the stealth in this isn’t very empowering (or at least it isn’t up to where I got to). If I were able to go around slotting people rather than having to hide or didn’t lose a knife every time I stuck it in someone then I’d have a bit more fun.

 

Still, visually it’s a nice showcase.

[CrichStand]

Is this some kind of Beadle’s About or Edmond’s Gotcha style joke or what?
 

Put a couple hours into this and it appears to be one of the worst games I’ve ever played, up there with the first game. Most of the 2 hrs has literally been spent just holding up on the stick, whilst my character walks down a narrow corridor that’s totally disconnected from the surrounding environment. The rest of the time I’ve just been holding up on the stick running down a corridor in a barely interactive “chase scene” or even worse, just holding up on the stick whilst being forced to walk along listening to dialogue or plot points. The game even keeps telling you what to do constantly, as if you’ve any fucking choice! 🤣 “Maybe if I go through this gate”. What, you mean the one in front of me that’s the only place I can go, because I’m in a fucking corridor! “Maybe, I should climb over this obstacle”......that’s blocking the end of this corridor. “Maybe, I should crawl through this gap........climb up this ledge” at the end of this corridor etc etc. How fucking stupid do developers think gamers actually are these days? It never used to be like this.

 

The sub par PSone stealth sections are an abomination too - throw a pot to distract an enemy, then walk past enemy even though enemy can clearly see me and my character is stood at the side of him fucking talking! Lol. Cue enemy spouting quality dialogue such as “oh, I must have been hallucinating” before the appalling A.I goes back to walking between 2 points over and over like a malfunctioning robot. Game is as dumb as a rock.
 

Why are there chests with metal shit in them left everywhere, even in the middle of remote fields in the middle of nowhere 🤣 just so that you can throw stuff at them to make a noise to distract enemies? Absolutely appalling game design! It all feels horribly scripted too. For some reason you don’t seem to be able to sneak up and stealth kill enemies, but you can kill them by hand if you’re spotted. What??? Again, seems to be appalling game design. There are even totally pointless QTE sections like it’s still 2001. Plus totally unfair and frustrating Insta-fail sections where the A.I suddenly becomes omnipotent and instantly every enemy in the level/corridor know exactly where you are! It all genuinely feels like I’m playing a sub par budget GameCube game from back in the day. 

 

Some of the graphics are nice but you’re walking down a non interactive corridor, with appalling A.I.......in 30fps. So, er yeah, it’s not a patch on stuff like Flight Sim or most PS5 games graphically. Horizon is light years ahead of this running at 60fps. In fact I think AC Origins which runs 60fps looks more impressive (HDR on it is awesome) and has infinitely better stealth based gameplay and combat in a huge open world and freeform setting. This sort of reminds me of an even more dumbed down Shadow of the Tomb Raider......which is not good at all.

[Stanley]

A couple of points.

 

You can sneak up and kill enemies by strangling them when they are in a non-alert phase, this makes noise though so you need to do it away from other enemies.
 

If you have been spotted and they are in alert mode you will only counter them (giving you the chance to run and hide) not kill them, unless you have a knife in which case you can stab and kill them, but it’s a one use deal, at least at first. Countering is best used if the enemy gets the jump on you, and not as a stealth tactic, therefore.

 

Even after you have been spotted, provided there is some distance between you and the enemy you have the chance to throw a rock to distract them.
 

You can kill enemies too from a distance with your rock and sling, but only if they are not wearing a helmet. 
 

The options for dispatching enemies really opens up once you get a bit further in the game, by using alchemical materials to create fire or put it out. This allows you to manipulate the behaviour of the rats and it’s really the games USP and what separates it from other stealth games.

 

My reading of the war chests full of metal is that it’s weapons, armour, trinkets etc. they’ve salvaged during battle and by purging the towns and cities. Obviously they act as a distraction mechanic but it doesn’t seem that disconnected to me, in a land ravaged by the great plague. 
 

The lighting is what makes this game, and I think it’s way ahead of the other games you mentioned, but obviously that’s just my opinion. I think it looks incredible, 

 

I’m not sure about PS5 but on Series X at least if your console is set to 120hz, and you have a compatible telly, then it t runs at 40FPS and it’s really quite a lot smoother IMO.

[Hitcher]

6 hours ago, Strafe said:

I get very annoyed at games taking away your agency by insisting on having walking sections

 

6 hours ago, Strafe said:

The last of us

Guess you binned this as well then.

[Strafe]

No. I finished Guardians of the Galaxy too. 
 

I guess I didn’t mind the make you walk bits in last of us because I was interested in what they were saying. I can’t remember where they were though.

[Uncle Nasty]

Agree with the criticism. 
 

8/10 visuals, 5/10 game. The constant chatter is intolerable. Dumb, patronising, annoying. 
 

Deleted. 

[rgraves]

8 hours ago, CrichStand said:

Put a couple hours into this and it appears to be one of the worst games I’ve ever played, up there with the first game.

 

If you didn't like the first game, no it's not going to convince you. Not sure even why you'd really hate the first one but download and play this on day 1 to be honest. But if you did like the first, and many people did, then it's more of the same and I'm genuinely looking forward to that as I loved the style and atmosphere of the first one. Not perfect by any measure, I'm looking at you cart section, but fun and an experience.

 

I get you don't like it, and that's fine, but it's nonsense hyperbole to call it "one of the worst games" you've ever played unless you've been a very lucky and very selective gamer for your whole life.

[shirubagan]

Well, I enjoyed the first chapter. Not for everyone, but then what is?

[Majora]

I do quite like the game but it has no faith in the player whatsoever. There's a 'puzzle' involving planets in chapter 2 in which your companion instantly explains, in excruciating detail, every single thing you need to do in order to complete every single step of the puzzle. The puzzle may as well not exist, it simply serves to slow your progress down for a minute. And this is with hints turned down in the options.

 

It just feels like every second of the game you're being told what the characters can see, where you need to go next, what you need to do next and what you need to interact with along with reams of periodic exposition. They just never. shut. up.

[BadgerFarmer]

I find the chatter adds to rather than detracts from the experience. Because Amicia is working with another character, sometimes a young child, it makes sense that they communicate to warn each other and plan their objectives. It would be strange if they didn't. And the further you get into the game, the less they point out the more obvious stuff.

 

There is an option to dial down the frequency of larger hints and solutions, by the way, although I don't think that affects the general rolling conversation.

[Stanley]

The chatter from Amecia actually starts to make much more sense as you become to realise she is losing it, and it’s closely tied to the plot. Give it time people, it’s a good game 

[Lorfarius]

Gave it a go last night in the hopes of finding an easy achievement. That opening section with the hide and seek was terrible.

[Strafe]

1 hour ago, Stanley said:

The chatter from Amecia actually starts to make much more sense as you become to realise she is losing it, and it’s closely tied to the plot. 

I got that impression very early.

[rgraves]

1 hour ago, BadgerFarmer said:

I find the chatter adds to rather than detracts from the experience. Because Amicia is working with another character, sometimes a young child, it makes sense that they communicate to warn each other and plan their objectives.

 

This is a great point - it would be a bit strange for Amecia to be silent and just expect Hugo to deal with everything - he's a kid, so constantly reminding, encouraging, helping him is natural. You would say "over here, through this gap" rather than just nothing and expect the child to be Indiana Jones.

[Ry]

3 hours ago, Uncle Nasty said:

Agree with the criticism. 
 

8/10 visuals, 5/10 game. The constant chatter is intolerable. Dumb, patronising, annoying. 
 

Deleted. 

 

This. It's very annoying but I'm putting up with it. 

 

I enjoy the gameplay and the linear nature of it all. I loved the first game too. 

[Ry]

2 hours ago, BadgerFarmer said:

I find the chatter adds to rather than detracts from the experience. Because Amicia is working with another character, sometimes a young child, it makes sense that they communicate to warn each other and plan their objectives. It would be strange if they didn't. And the further you get into the game, the less they point out the more obvious stuff.

 

There is an option to dial down the frequency of larger hints and solutions, by the way, although I don't think that affects the general rolling conversation.

 

Having a conversation when hiding 2 feet from a bad guy seems very stupid to me. 

 

To be fair though, this ain't no AAA game even though it has AAA graphics. I'm willing to give the relatively small team a pass on some aspects. 

[Strafe]

7 minutes ago, rgraves said:

 

This is a great point - it would be a bit strange for Amecia to be silent and just expect Hugo to deal with everything - he's a kid, so constantly reminding, encouraging, helping him is natural. You would say "over here, through this gap" rather than just nothing and expect the child to be Indiana Jones.

I agree in principle but the writing and delivery just sounds forced and unnatural and  - in context - out of place.

[Stanley]

43 minutes ago, Strafe said:

I got that impression very early.

Yeah, it gets a bit weird, in a good way I think. 

[Strafe]

Without going into spoilers, a couple of the characters spend a fair bit of time crawling through plague infested corpses as well as in the immediate vicinity of a lot of, presumably, plague-infected rats.

I think the plague was mostly spread by flea bites, carried by rats and jumping onto humans. You’d think there were plenty of fleas around those corpses and rats.

 

So are they immune or just lucky?

[CrichStand]

6 hours ago, rgraves said:

 

If you didn't like the first game, no it's not going to convince you. Not sure even why you'd really hate the first one but download and play this on day 1 to be honest. But if you did like the first, and many people did, then it's more of the same and I'm genuinely looking forward to that as I loved the style and atmosphere of the first one. Not perfect by any measure, I'm looking at you cart section, but fun and an experience.

 

I get you don't like it, and that's fine, but it's nonsense hyperbole to call it "one of the worst games" you've ever played unless you've been a very lucky and very selective gamer for your whole life.

Well I thought the original AC was terrible but I played AC2 and thought it was great. I thought the original Uncharted was crap, but played Uncharted 2 and absolutely loved it. Currently playing Horizon FW which is really good fun and graphically outstanding but I didn’t rate Horizon ZD and thought it was bang average. 

 

For me personally, what I’ve played of this, it’s genuinely one of the worst games I’ve ever played. I can’t stand games that treat the player like an idiot, games that dumb everything down to a ridiculous level, games with really poor logic/design, trial and error gameplay etc. This has pretty much everything that rubs me up the wrong way about modern “dumb as a brick” games, all combined together, in the most irritating way possible. Last game that did that was Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which also makes my “worst game ever list”.  Man, what they did to Tomb Raider, doesn’t bear thinking about.

[Stanley]

1 hour ago, CrichStand said:

For me personally, what I’ve played of this, it’s genuinely one of the worst games I’ve ever played. I can’t stand games that treat the player like an idiot, games that dumb everything down to a ridiculous level, games with really poor logic/design, trial and error gameplay etc.

I haven’t come across anything egregious with the logic, could you expand on what you mean a bit more? Same with trial and error gameplay, it can be pretty prescribed at times, especially during the introduction/prologue, but where did you think it acted unfairly through use of forced errors? 

[CrichStand]

26 minutes ago, Stanley said:

I haven’t come across anything egregious with the logic, could you expand on what you mean a bit more? Same with trial and error gameplay, it can be pretty prescribed at times, especially during the introduction/prologue, but where did you think it acted unfairly through use of forced errors? 

Where to begin! Lol.

 

There are giant chests full of metal that you throw rocks at to distract enemies. They just happen to be placed right through the game,  at the side of enemies, so that when you throw a rock at them they make a loud “clang”, the enemy walks over to them, stands staring at them, for just enough time for you to sneak past, before the distracted enemy states “oh, I must be hallucinating”, “I should get more sleep”, “must have imagined it” etc. These chests are even placed in remote fields, in the middle of nowhere, one after the other directly at the side of enemies. The logic to all this is moronic. Basically, there is a very ropey stealth gameplay mechanic, that has been shoehorned into stuff, even when it makes no logical sense at all. Some people will probably look past that, however it stands out like a sore thumb to me.
 

As a player.......ok I’ll sneak up behind that guy, cover his mouth and slit his throat silently. You can’t. Oh, ok, I’ll go in and kick the fuck out of them then! You can’t. Oh right. What can I do then? Throw rocks at those chests full of metal in order to distract the enemy and then walk past them, whilst they’re stood staring at a chest of metal that, has for some reason made a loud clanging noise, that they decide they must have imagined, before repeating the same routine over and over. Lol.

 

Another example.......I’m supposed to be silently stealthing past highly dangerous enemies, yet the main characters are having a bit of a chat, discussing what they had for lunch etc whilst I’m doing so, which is clearly audible to the enemies I’m stood directly at the side of, who don’t react to it at all. Okaaaaay!

 

I want to kill someone silently. I can do that! No you can’t. The main character shouts “Arrrrrrrgh” whilst doing so, for no reason at all, and suddenly enemies on the other side of the level know exactly where you are and are attracted to you like a magnet.

 

How about standing directly in front of an enemy who proclaims “what’s that”? He climbs down from a wall. I don’t move. Whilst looking directly at me from a few steps away - “It’s nothing”. Climbs back up wall. It then happens in a loop over and over. Yet 2 mins later an enemy sees me from miles away and every enemy in that section, suddenly knows exactly where I am and......Insta-death and retry. Don’t even get how you’re supposed to know the line of sight of all the enemies. Shit floating around the edges of the screen is useless, at least playing on hard.

 

Or.......one of my favs........you can’t carry a lit torch over a small wall. You what mate? I clearly can. There are even two characters that can pass it to one another anyway, if they’re that cack handed. Makes no logical sense.at all.
 

The list goes on and on and on. There’s no logic or sensible design to any of it. It’s as dumb as a brick. Even been a couple of bits where it says “we need to explore around for something so we can get up this wall”. By “explore” they mean - walk 10 steps down a corridor, which is the only way you can go, as the whole game is one long corridor/Ghost House ride and pull that giant and obviously movable block to the wall, so you can climb up. Absolute genius! There have been into the screen sub Crash Bandicoot chase bits too. Hold down on stick for 30secs.......well at least it makes a change from just holding up on the stick for minutes at a time, whilst absolutely nothing happens.
 

Basically, the gameplay is horribly restrictive and clunky, with badly dated design and poor logic. As a stealth game its light years behind stuff like Splinter Cell on the original Xbox, or MGS on PSOne. I’ve recently been playing AC Origins on Series S. Despite it being 5 years old, and pretty simple itself, it feels cutting edge, futuristic and really high brow compared to this.
 

The more I’ve played of this, the more it reminds me of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. I’d swear it was made by the same people. It pretty much sums up everything that’s wrong with many modern games imo. Obviously, mileage will vary. If the first game was your cup of tea, then this probably will be too, as it’s more of the same. I’ve persevered with it but it’s not for me though. 

 

 

[CrichStand]

First people agreeing with my take on Scorn. Now people agreeing with my take on this. Strange times indeed. The end is nigh!!! 😂

[Stanley]

I feel that I had addressed at least some of those points when you first made them @CrichStand so I won’t go over them again. 

 

At it’s heart A Plague Tale isn’t trying to be Splinter Cell or Assassin’s Creed, it’s narratively driven historical fiction about a girl & her younger sibling who are gradually going crazy due to the horrors they are living through having previously lead very privileged lives. Amicia isn’t a trained killer like Solid Snake or Sam Fisher. Lucas often confronts her if she resorts to unnecessary violence and she’ll often question her own morality and starts to lose it when she gives in to wrath. There are repercussions, blame, regret and I feel those are the themes the game tries to explore. 
 

I’m only up to chapter 4 so I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve finished it, but so far it feels like a progression from the first game in terms of mechanics and combat etc. But yeah if you go into it wanting Dishonored or The Last Of Us you’ll be disappointed, it’s really not that kind of game.

[Stanley]

Got to chapter V, and the end of Chapter 4 was pretty awesome, also the set piece before that was very impressive technically. 
 

Have quite a few toys to play with now, and a brand new location. 

[Stanley]

Managed to break a puzzle which caused a bug and meant I couldn’t continue, it was near the beginning of chapter 5 so it wasn’t too bad, but due to the way the game autosaves you have no option other than to abandon the checkpoint it keeps reloading and start the chapter over. Very easy to break the puzzle too. 
 

Spoiler

Crossing the construction site if you go too far the game freaks out and you can’t throw a stick baxk

to Lucas in order to continue. 

I was stuck in a loop for hours trying to work it out, and it was only when I watched a YouTube video that I realised it was a bug 

[CurryKitten]

On 19/10/2022 at 07:13, Stanley said:

A couple of points.

 

You can sneak up and kill enemies by strangling them when they are in a non-alert phase, this makes noise though so you need to do it away from other enemies.
 

If you have been spotted and they are in alert mode you will only counter them (giving you the chance to run and hide) not kill them, unless you have a knife in which case you can stab and kill them, but it’s a one use deal, at least at first. Countering is best used if the enemy gets the jump on you, and not as a stealth tactic, therefore.

 

 

Well that explains it, I played through chapter 2 last night, and I got a bit stuck with 1 guard left with a helmet on in the last part of having to move to the castle (when the rats come out)  I was thinking - why am I not getting the option to strangle him - could have been he was in alert mode (does he have to have the little shield above his head for this) as it seemed once I got spotted once by one of them, this guys was constantly moving around on the hunt.  Got past it in the end, but was annoyed I couldn't kill him.  I like turning Amecia into a mass murderer whenever I get the chance 😉

[Stanley]

Yeah the stealth kills aren’t available in alert mode but I know what you mean. Sometimes it isn’t made clear. 

[Majora]

I saw a comment on Resetera which I think sums the game up nicely. It feels like the type of game you would traditionally get as a console launch title. Great visuals that keep you playing as you feel like they justify your shiny new console purchase. But deep down you get the gnawing feeling that everything else is pretty ho-hum and old hat. Basically the nuts and bolts of the game are just about good enough to keep me playing to see the next vista.

 

I'm not sure this sequel really needed to exist though. I mean, sure, there are some new mechanics. But at its core this feels too fundamentally similar to the first game to take excite me.

 

They've really dropped the ball with the storytelling too. The narrative in the first game got too silly for my blood towards the end but it was competent before that. This feels like a meandering wild goose chase so far.

 

And yet I'll probably still see it through because next-gen only showcases have been few and far between these past two years.

[Quest]

I had to back out and restart a chapter because I ran out of a required material and it checkpointed me in a room with none available. Can't remember the last time that happened in a game like this.