A Plague Tale: Requiem is a 2022 action adventure game with a focus on stealth. Asobo Studio developed the game as a sequel to 2019’s A Plague Tale: Innocence. Like its predecessor, Requiem is published by Focus Home Entertainment. The title earned high marks when it debuted. In fact, it received five nominations at The Game Awards that year. Unfortunately, it didn’t win in any category, facing stiff competition from games like God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring. That said, the event gave A Plague Tale: Requiem a lot of well-earned attention. Its nominations included Game of the Year, Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, Best Performance for Charlotte McBurney as Amicia de Rune, and Best Action/Adventure game.
A Plague Tale: Requiem Premise
A Plague Tale: Requiem picks up six months after the events of the first game. The supernatural evil force residing in Amicia de Rune’s brother Hugo has reawakened. In order to combat it, the de Rune family travels through France seeking aid. Their journey brings them face to face with mercenaries, alchemists, and even a sinister cult. Along the way, there are frequent encounters with the game’s iconic rat swarms. Thanks to the sinister Prima Macula in his system, Hugo has some measure of control over these hordes. As in the first game, they’re averse to light, which plays a major role in navigating rat-infested areas. Amicia can manipulate light to make rats aid in solving puzzles and even defeating enemies.
Amicia herself has received some upgrades over the first game. Her expanded arsenal now includes a knife, a sling, and a crossbow. This affords her more options to strike back against human enemies. The locations are generally larger than they were in the first game, giving Amicia more options for traversal. A skill progression system gives Amicia even more additions to her arsenal throughout the game. There’s even a crafting system, similar to games like Horizon Forbidden West. This expanded arsenal makes sense for the sequel. Amicia has been struggling to survive for six months now, so it stands to reason that her skills have been honed and improved.
A Plague Tale: Requiem Main Characters
The de Rune siblings’ journey through France brings them into contact with a sizable roster of striking new characters. These characters each have their own role to play in uncovering the truth of Hugo de Rune’s mystical affliction. Friends and foes alike dot Amicia’s path to salvation, not just for her brother, but possibly for all the world. Here are some of the most prominent characters in A Plague Tale: Requiem.
- Amicia de Rune: The main protagonist of both Plague Tale games is Amicia de Rune, the eldest child of her noble line. She is also the official protector of her ill brother Hugo. Amicia is determined and ruthless in her quest. The hardships of the past six months have had a serious effect on Amicia, turning her violent and remorseless.
- Hugo de Rune: Amicia’s younger brother is the bearer of the Prima Macula. This primordial and supernatural affliction grants its bearer the ability to commune with disease. Despite the wretched curse that runs in his veins, Hugo is a kind and innocent child. He is determined to see the best in the world even as it turns against him.
- Béatrice de Rune: The siblings’ mother is an accomplished alchemist. She uses her skills and knowledge in an attempt to slow the spread of Hugo’s infection. The game sees her join the Order, a group of alchemists, in order to further this goal.
- Arnaud Malpart: This soldier-turned-mercenary is initially an enemy of Amicia and Hugo. He seeks revenge for an earlier conflict between Amicia and his soldiers. Over time, however, he comes to form an uneasy alliance with the siblings.
- Sophia: This smuggler, a friend of Arnaud’s, aids the de Runes with transport on her boat as the result of a favor Arnaud owes her.
- Victor de Arles: The count and ruler of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur serves as the main antagonist of the game. His worship of a mythological figure known as the Child of Embers drives him to attempt to kidnap Hugo and make the boy his own son.
- Emilie de Arles: Victor’s mad wife is the primary figure in the worship of the Child of Embers and another antagonistic force in the cult’s endeavors to kidnap Hugo.
- Vaudin: Vaudin serves as a representative of the Order when the de Rune family encounters them, and he spearheads the organization’s efforts to treat Hugo’s condition.
A Plague Tale: Requiem: Games in the Series
The Plague Tale series is a relatively recent franchise, without many titles to its name. In addition to the two main video games, there has been a published novel, titled A Plague Tale: Tenebris, which takes place between the games. It was published in 2022. Unfortunately for fans of the franchise, the book was only published in French, and there are no known plans for a translation. Job listings on Asobo Studios’ website also hint at the development of a third Plague Tale game, but this has not yet been confirmed. In the meantime, with such a small list of extant games, it’s easy for new fans to join in. Here’s every Plague Tale game currently on the market.
- A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019)
- A Plague Tale: Requiem (2022)
A Plague Tale: Requiem Cheat Codes
Unfortunately, there is no official cheat code support for A Plague Tale: Requiem. Given the game’s primary focus on narrative and character growth, undercutting the story with the sort of bizarre antics seen in older games like Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag would have been an odd choice. Third party cheat engines are available for download online if you really want to mess with the code of the game. As with all third party software, though, using these codes is not without risk. Unless you trust the source, you could be exposing your computer to malware or phishing attempts.
Luckily there is a way to achieve cheat-like results without downloading risky external software. A Plague Tale: Requiem includes advanced difficulty options you can use to tailor the game’s threat level however you desire. By going into the pause menu, you can toggle on an option that effectively makes Amicia invulnerable to most threats. While the game’s ever-present rat hordes can still kill you, human enemies won’t be able to leave so much as a scratch. If you’re struggling with a certain level or stealth section, this option could be a major boon. You can also use this menu to turn off quick time events. With this mode enabled, Amicia will automatically succeed a test of reflexes that would usually require you to quickly press the correct button. These challenges are very contentious in the gaming community, and many fans may welcome the opportunity to skip them entirely.
A Plague Tale: Requiem Cheat Code FAQ
Does A Plague Tale: Requiem have multiple endings?
In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I will say that while there is a major choice at the very end of A Plague Tale: Requiem, the story plays out largely the same way regardless of your choice. Aside from minor dialogue changes, the only real significance to this decision is the impact you allow it to have on both yourself and Amicia. The emotional consequences should not be taken lightly, but they are the only real consequences you will face.
Is A Plague Tale: Requiem harder than Innocence?
Difficulty can be a rather subjective matter, as some players will struggle more with certain challenges than others. Requiem’s larger levels and increased suite of options for dealing with a threat means that in general it’s asking a lot more from players than Innocence did. In that respect, many fans will likely find the sequel considerably more challenging than its predecessor, at least at the start. Once you’ve become more in tune with the game’s new systems, however, you might find it quite a bit easier than Innocence, as your expanded arsenal gives you more ways to take control over a situation. With a steeper learning curve but a generally more powerful protagonist, it’s hard to say which game will challenge you more.