Noticias
A Plague Tale: Innocence hides autumnal charm behind its rodent apocalypse
M
Matt Cabral
You'd never know it from the preceding title screen—which features hundreds of writhing rodents cramped in a dimly lit room—but Asobo Studio's acclaimed 2019 game consistently delivers beautifully artistic and atmospheric environmental scenes that wouldn't look out of place hanging among classical works of art.
This is no more apparent than in its detail-drenched depictions of autumn. As mentioned earlier, the game’s opening is particularly absorbing. It begins with teen protagonist Amicia entering the forest with her father and faithful pup Lion. Fallen leaves completely blanket the ground beneath the group’s feet as warm sunlight gently filters through the tree canopy above. Meanwhile, the color palette reinforces these vibes: The game’s red, orange, brown, and yellow hues envelop the entire scene like the comfiest of flannel shirts.
This incredibly immersive fall scene continues as the trio venture deeper into the woods. Leaves slowly drift down from trees in real time while focused sun rays illuminate picturesque patches on their path. Pausing to pet the dog—or take in the rustic beauty of a stone-arched structure reclaimed by nature—only further lulls you into forgetting you're playing a game where plague rats are as prevalent as this pretty foliage.
By the time Amicia and her dad reach a clearing where a breathtaking apple tree takes center stage, you'll likely find yourself at the complete mercy of the game's photo mode. But it's around this time things take a dark turn, pulling you from your happy place like an Inquisition interrogator yanking you out of a countryside cottage. Over the next several minutes, Lion is pulled underground by those plague-riddled pests, and Amicia's father is unceremoniously executed right before her eyes.
Once Amicia’s mother is seemingly skewered by a sharp length of steel, you might assume the game is done tapping into our collective weakness for cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, and lovingly arranged gourd displays. But even in the face of pursuing Inquisition soldiers and the coming rodent apocalypse, A Plague Tale's portrayal of the pre-Thanksgiving season continues to enchant.
Following the dog's gruesome demise, you rush home, but you’re stopped in your tracks by a particularly tranquil sight. Between an old well and a wooden cart filled with firewood, a man diligently rakes leaves into a large pile. Further on, when Amicia and her younger brother hide from the foes relentlessly hunting them, you can spy a mound of pumpkin seeds atop a nearby table. The tense moment might spike your pulse, but it won’t keep your taste buds from imagining what the fall-favorite snack might taste like once roasted in the nearby wood-fire oven.
As the game grows much darker—both figuratively and literally—its welcoming autumnal environments admittedly morph into spookier and more foreboding settings. But its lantern-lit forests, perfectly posed ravens, and medieval castles bathed in moonlight are as haunting as they are beautiful. These ensure that you make use of photo mode as often as Amicia's skull-splitting sling. Of course, you may want to put the camera down when you reach the rotting, rat-filled horse carcasses—unless you're eager to capture some fresh nightmare fodder for your Halloween photo album.
A Plague Tale: Innocence is now available on the Epic Games Store.