A Plague Tale: Innocence overview trailer is feeling ratty

Chucklesome romp exhibits gameplay features

It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen a video game that looks quite as grim and bleak as Asobo Studios’ upcoming stealth adventure A Plague Tale: Innocence. Set in France, under The Inquisition and during a plague, players take control of young siblings Amica and Hugo, as they attempt to flee the city and its totalitarian oppressors.

A new trailer from publisher Focus Interactive shows off various aspects of the adventure. We get to see Amica’s slingshot skills, as well as her sharp wits and adaptive eye, all of which will be necessary to bypass a platoon of soldiers and an endless army of plague-ridden rodents. Being only children, Amica and Hugo must rely on their smarts, along with help provided by people they encounter, to pick their way through this 14th-century nightmare.

There are elements of A Plague Tale that really intrigue me: the setting, the protagonists, and the skin-crawling rat army. But there are also elements that really turn me off, particularly the already tired crafting and alchemy aspects. I’m hoping the former can outdo the latter, as A Plague Tale looks to be a genuinely unique title with regards to character and story, and hopefully will prove a sound mid-tier game, ala Focus’ own Vampyr.

A Plague Tale: Innocence launches May 14 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.