A Plague Tale: Innocence

A Plague Tale: Innocence tells the story of the siblings Amicia and Hugo in 14th-century France. They flee from armed pursuers and a plague of rats that threatens entire regions.

The single-player adventure combines a linear story with stealth, environmental puzzles and tools that Amicia uses over the course of the journey.

A Plague Tale: Innocence was released on May 14, 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Native versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series followed on July 6, 2021. On the same day, a cloud version was released for Nintendo Switch, where the game is streamed.

The game is available natively for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series. The PS5 and Xbox Series versions offer technical improvements over the original console generation.

A cloud version exists on Nintendo Switch. It requires an internet connection to stream the actual game and is not a native Switch version. The Switch version should therefore not be treated as equal to the other platform versions.

Amicia is usually no match for enemies in open combat. She sneaks past guards, uses cover and distracts enemies with noises or objects.

The slingshot is used both for defence and for solving puzzles. Later, further tools are added that link to the dangers of each environment.

Coats of Arms is a small cosmetic addition for Amicia. It changes her appearance but adds no extra story or new campaign.

The main story of Innocence is fully included in the base game. The sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, continues the journey of Amicia and Hugo.

A Plague Tale: Innocence is a single-player adventure. The gameplay is built around Amicia guiding Hugo and has no regular multiplayer co-op.

The PC version came out in 2019. Improved versions are available on current consoles, while the Switch release relies on streaming.

Large swarms of rats make dark paths dangerous. Fire, torches and other light sources keep them at a distance and affect which paths open up.

Some puzzles require you to deliberately guide the movement of the animals. This makes light more than just scenery, as it is a recurring part of getting around.

The bond between the siblings is at the heart of the story. While Amicia wants to protect her younger brother, both learn more about Hugo's special situation and the reasons for his pursuit.

The story takes you through villages, abandoned facilities and other places marked by war. New companions support the two of them on individual sections of their journey.

Amicia can fire stones precisely and add various alchemical aids to her equipment. With them she distracts enemies, affects light sources or creates a safe path through dangerous areas.

Items do not work like an extensive role-playing weapon system. Their significance comes mainly from how you combine them in a specific situation.

The adventure follows a continuous story with consecutive locations. The paths offer smaller areas to explore, but they are not designed as a freely accessible open world.

Puzzles, escape sequences and conversations alternate. New tools expand what you can do without giving up the focus on the story.

Alongside the siblings, soldiers of the Inquisition and allies on the run shape the story. Encounters with other characters hint at the political and personal backgrounds of their journey.

The game combines its fictional story with the atmosphere of the Hundred Years' War and the time of the plague.

According to Focus Entertainment, the console versions released in 2021 support up to 4K UHD resolution, 60 frames per second, improved audio playback and shorter loading times.

The improvements apply to the native versions for PS5 and Xbox Series. Simply playing the older PS4 or Xbox One version through backward compatibility is not the same thing.

On Nintendo Switch, A Plague Tale: Innocence is delivered via cloud streaming. The story and gameplay are preserved, but the game does not run entirely on the console.

A sufficiently stable internet connection is required for streaming. The file size of the Switch download therefore does not describe the full scope of the game.