Name: AA game that beats AAA titles
Item: A Plague Tale: Requiem
Rating: 10
Author: Maruf Hassan

I got a bit nostalgic this year. For last year, to be specific. Last year around this time I spontaneously picked up and played through Plague Tale: Innocence. I promised to eventually go for the then brand new sequel, but as the first game had some frustrating sections, issues with the controls and a stressful story with some roadblock boss battles, I have been delaying that for a while. Luckily the holidays got to me and I figured given my health state not being the best it would be time for a game completion vacation.

Requiem jumps back into the plot, where the story left the De Rune children Amicia (a slingshot killer and alchemy apprentice) and Hugo (little ratboy, with the gift and curse of controling rats) in the previous game. Reunited with their mother and the alchemic boy Lucas and on their way to a safe haven town, where they can connect with the local alchemist to figure out what's the matter with Hugo, only to find bigger rat piles, the stench of death, more soldiers and another powerful overlord on their trace.

Well to start off with the best, Requiem is a beautiful game. Especially some of the environments feel flat out like colourful vacation locations you'd dish out a small fortune to visit.

Story  overall ends on a high note and finally gives a lot of the answers the first game set questions for. I guess it does have a bit of "annoying children thinking they know better" vibe and at times the kids will dig into dangerous places to provide forced gameplay, when the obvious solution could be to just - idk, say they'll come back later or say it's not possible at the moment - but you need your dose of gameplay, right? And their rashness always somehow ends up propelling the plot forward. Full dislosure: I don't hate the characters, I'm just a 31-year old looking at kids making what I feel are dumb decisions and those sometimes being justified by convenience isn't exactly brightening my concerned old asses' day.

But onwards with more positives: I suppose the developers have listened to some player feedback and fixed a lot of the inconveniences of the first game. Aiming with the slingshot works flawlessly now. You no longer have to stock up on pebbles. Wanted cutscene skipping? You got it! No more watching a minute long intro to a guy pushing a cart in front of you only for you to get slaughtered by 8 soldiers around the corner, over and over again! (...now you just die over and over again) Even autosaving is way more frequent and convenient now.

I guess not everybody will agree with it, but they also got rid of insta-kills, meaning human enemies are no longer one-shot lethal (unless they kept that on higher difficulties, but I found commentary online suggesting the opposite). Rats will still mercilessly kill you though. Those shts know no mercy. But when they are not inconveniencing you, I was pleased to find out you can sometimes just try outmaneuvering and outrunning human enemies now to see if you make it to the next checkpoint before they can stop you - which makes them disappear like **☆☆☆**magic**☆☆☆**!

No boss battles: Not gonna lie, I was a bit relived about it on my first playthrough. Mostly because I still remember the breather I took upon reaching the final boss in the previous game after failing to defeat him on day #1. But in retrospect it is a bit dissapointing they got rid of them altogether, especially with new action mechanics. Not to say the game lacks spectacle and there are multi-enemy wave sections that replace the concept decently enough, but I would appreciate another Rat Pope boss battle. Instead we just got some warlord count with a big round head probably intentionally exposed for most of the game to taunt you into wanting to plant a pebble into it. But don't be too mean to Vicky, he's actually a well-written character all things considered. He's just not Papa Nihil from the rock band Ghost.

Crossbow newly added to the arsenal: Several chapters into the story Amicia acquires a crossbow, as a more certain way of killing oponnents. I noticed they got rid of the alchemy trick that makes helmeted soldiers drop their headwear to rebalance various of Amicia's abilities. Crossbows will kill everything but the really heavy armor, which you have to dismantle with alchemy and a sling shot to uncover a weak point. The crossbow is great, but the arrows are a bit scarce and you can't craft them. It was not uncommon for me to find myself without any means of killing oponnents with helmets, having to resort to alternative methods of progression than killing.

Overall the game is a beautiful sequel to the first game, but it's not that massive of a game changer in terms of new gameplay additions. It's still a combination of puzzle stealthing and survival action and it's not one of those games that starts you off with a full set of abilities from the previous game, adding new abilities as it goes along, but will during it's early stages actively re-introduce you to the same tricks you were familiar with already. I guess it rebalanced those a bit, the crossbow and use of tar are new, but I wouldn't say I was too blown away by anything gameplay-wise

But hey, I'd still fully recommend it to give it a shot on PS5. It should be currently free on Playstation Plus, but I f**ked up when I bought it physically just hours before the January announcement for PS Plus went out. Oh, well.

A Plague Tale: Requiem

To tell you guys honestly, I'm one of those few people who expected this game to be that awesome the moment it was announced. I'm not wrong with that. What I am surprised about is the fact that this game really had me in tears. Amicia and Hugo's epic journey brought me back to those chilling moments I experienced from the previous game. This time around, with more thrilling and an amazing story to look at. I love this game. Even though it is somewhat underrated. The fact that this game was nominated as the game of the year really made me happy.  
  
I rarely cry over some video game characters. This time, it really hits different. Kudos to the voice acting this game had. It is such a superb performance from all characters. The story is really emotional and heartbreaking. Upto this point, I still have the Post-End Credits Syndrome.

Let's talk about some important aspects of the game, first is the graphics. Hell yeah! This is next-generation graphics gaming guys! By far this has the most impressive graphics I've experienced in a video game. From start to finish, I was at awe and can't stop taking pictures of the scenery. By the way, the photo mode is like a gift from the developers giving us the freedom to appreciate the beauty of this game even more.  
  
Next is the overall mechanics. I've seen a lot of innovation this time around. Comparing to the previous title, this game really surprised me how they were able to integrate some unique mechanics with a bit of puzzle solving in the environment. I loved it.  
  
Who can't ignore the amazing audio presentation this game has given to us? This has the best music for this year's line up. Not to mention the performance of Amicia's voice actress. Everytime Amicia is in pain. I can definitely feel the chill running through my spine. I never felt this before. Speaking of which, the game's horror elements really made my heart beats so fast. Rat sequences are so damn good and thrilling.  
  
Lastly, the story. Who would've thought that this game actually gave us the ending that is too heavy to execute at first place. When I was at the final sequence, I stood there holding my controller. Contemplating wether I'll kill Hugo. But this game doesn't give me choice. WHich is so heartbreaking on my part.  
  
The side characters were also given time to shine on their own. Arnaud's redemption arc is one of those characters I hated and liked at the same time. Lucas, as the character who stood by Amicia's side throughout the game really gave me that kind of comfort. Sophia's mysterious, yet caring personality makes me want to know her more.  
  
  
Overall, I give this game a perfect score. A perfect candidate for game of the year.

**VISUALS**

_Artistry: 12/12_

_Technical Merit: 8/8_

**SOUND DESIGN**

_Music: 12/12_

_Sound Effects & Vocals: 8/8_

**INTERACTION**

_Control & Interface: 8/8_

_Player Agency: 8/8_

_Accessibility: 4/4_

**MECHANICS**

_Feedback & Fun: 10/10_

_Depth: 5/5_

_Variety: 5/5_

**CHARACTER**

_Narrative: 8/8_

_Heart: 6/6_

_Originality: 6/6_

To tell you guys honestly, I'm one of those few people who expected this game to be that awesome the moment it was announced. I'm not wrong with that. What I am surprised about is the fact that this game really had me in tears. Amicia and Hugo's epic journey brought me back to those chilling moments I experienced from the previous game. This time around, with more thrilling and an amazing story to look at. I love this game. Even though it is somewhat underrated. The fact that this game was nominated as the game of the year really made me happy. I rarely cry over some video game characters. This time, it really hits different. Kudos to the voice acting this game had. It is such a superb performance from all characters. The story is really emotional and heartbreaking. Upto this point, I still have the Post-End Credits Syndrome. Let's talk about some important aspects of the game, first is the graphics. Hell yeah! This is next-generation graphics gaming guys! By far this has the most impressive graphics I've experienced in a video game. From start to finish, I was at awe and can't stop taking pictures of the scenery. By the way, the photo mode is like a gift from the developers giving us the freedom to appreciate the beauty of this game even more. Next is the overall mechanics. I've seen a lot of innovation this time around. Comparing to the previous title, this game really surprised me how they were able to integrate some unique mechanics with a bit of puzzle solving in the environment. I loved it. Who can't ignore the amazing audio presentation this game has given to us? This has the best music for this year's line up. Not to mention the performance of Amicia's voice actress. Everytime Amicia is in pain. I can definitely feel the chill running through my spine. I never felt this before. Speaking of which, the game's horror elements really made my heart beats so fast. Rat sequences are so damn good and thrilling. Lastly, the story. Who would've thought that this game actually gave us the ending that is too heavy to execute at first place. When I was at the final sequence, I stood there holding my controller. Contemplating wether I'll kill Hugo. But this game doesn't give me choice. WHich is so heartbreaking on my part. The side characters were also given time to shine on their own. Arnaud's redemption arc is one of those characters I hated and liked at the same time. Lucas, as the character who stood by Amicia's side throughout the game really gave me that kind of comfort. Sophia's mysterious, yet caring personality makes me want to know her more. Overall, I give this game a perfect score. A perfect candidate for game of the year.VISUALSArtistry: 12/12Technical Merit: 8/8SOUND DESIGNMusic: 12/12Sound Effects &amp; Vocals: 8/8INTERACTIONControl &amp; Interface: 8/8Player Agency: 8/8Accessibility: 4/4MECHANICSFeedback &amp; Fun: 10/10Depth: 5/5Variety: 5/5CHARACTERNarrative: 8/8Heart: 6/6Originality: 6/6

A heartbreaking,  Emotional, yet unforgettable experience

Loved the first one so much and glad that this dropped on GamePass Day One. This is an absolutely amazing game. The attention to details and environment of the world are mind boggling. The game picks up a year later after the events of the first game. Amicia is a better fighter and goes through hell and back for his brother. The development of the sibling relationship as they make friends and enemies throughout their journey is so well written. The music and gameplay is so well done that I have nothing bad to say about this game. In my book this game is GOTY 2022 and anyone who played the first game, should not miss this one.

Loved the first one so much and glad that this dropped on GamePass Day One. This is an absolutely amazing game. The attention to details and environment of the world are mind boggling. The game picks up a year later after the events of the first game. Amicia is a better fighter and goes through hell and back for his brother. The development of the sibling relationship as they make friends and enemies throughout their journey is so well written. The music and gameplay is so well done that I have nothing bad to say about this game. In my book this game is GOTY 2022 and anyone who played the first game, should not miss this one.