The developers of Requiem are developing the story and gameplay of the sequel, which launches October 18 – PlayStation.
Asobo Studio used to be famous for its knack for developing games adapted from Disney Pixar. Three years ago, this small French development team grew and rose to greater heights with its hit release, A Plague Tale: Innocence.
After amassing an avid fanbase with this cinematic action-adventure experience, Asobo Studio is venturing ahead with its groundbreaking series with a sequel. A Plague Tale: Requiem aims to overcome and overcome the limitations of the original. The key behind this evolution is the push to be able to play Requiem however you choose.
In anticipation of the PS5 sequel releasing on October 18, we spoke with its director, Kevin Choteau, about the direction of the title, its development, the new gameplay philosophy, and more and more.
PlayStation Blog: What do you and the rest of Asobo want to achieve with the original Plague Story sequel?
Kevin Choteau: Everything, to be honest. The first thing that came to our mind was our work on the first game. We have no experience in this genre of games. We are not known for these types of cinematic experiences. So we started with the action adventure in Innocence and did so, not knowing what we were doing.
When we started Requiem, the idea was to take all the things we failed or did wrong the first time and try to solve them. We’ve read all the feedback from players and critics and tried to do something about it. So the first and biggest thing is the gameplay. Innocence is rather narrow, there is only one way to approach a situation and we want to solve that problem. We’ve created more open areas where you can play as you please. That’s the key according to the law of level design. You can now play Plague Tale any way you choose.
How do you ensure that players still have a logical journey where they can realize goals, content and everything else while keeping their options open?
There are two things to me regarding that. The first is the point of view. When you come to a situation, you usually rise above the situation or with a clear perspective so you can understand what they look like and where you can go. The jobs you can choose, if you want to go this way or this way, or go through the back of this cart, etc.
The second is the systematic approach of the gameplay. We set up some rules, and those rules always hold true. So once you learn that, you can use it in any situation. For example, as in the first game, if you see a metal object, you can use it to distract the enemy. In Requiem, there is also a green plastic that you can use against enemies. Those things and opportunities draw players in and say, “You can use that, so if you go this way, you have this right to play with.” It makes this broader approach work.
What has current generation technology done to enhance Plague Tale: Requiem’s gaming experience?
Of course, we push things further graphically. But the rats were pushed to the extreme. We had about 5,000 mice on PS4 and now we have 300,000 on PS5. It’s unbelievable because it’s a new tool that allows us to take on the massive rat tsunami that is now destroying cities. We couldn’t do that with previous technology. So we can push it even further and have this super detailed graphics with lots of NPCs and rats flooding the cities.
The rats are also evolving, becoming smarter and more agile than before. How did you upgrade their presence as an enemy?
The rats are more likely to avoid obstacles to reach you and are more agile and aggressive. When you’re around fires trying to stay away from them, they’ll come back, trying to find the best way to reach you and kill you. They can also climb on and on fabric, so you’re no longer safe in high places. It is both useful against the enemy and dangerous for you. We’re focused on making them more present in the world and less stymied by the environment, so they’re super impressive threats and always keep you competitive.
Amicia is a character that has touched many people’s hearts because of how she really feels and her trauma. How did you approach her character development and structure, especially given her growing love/hate relationship with killing and fighting?
The game is all about that. In Innocence, Amicia became a warrior in order to survive. But you will find out in Requiem that it will affect her. [Killing to survive takes an emotional toll], and it will have a great influence on her thinking and development of what she can become and her relationships with others. The big question is, “Does the end justify the means?” Okay, so you want to be a warrior? You want to do whatever it takes to protect your family, but is it working? Is it fair? Is it something that you should do?
Amicia’s adolescence largely affects how she reacts and handles situations around her. How does this shape what players experience with her in Plague Tale compared to other games with more mature protagonists?
She is not a warrior, and she is no longer a young girl. She is in between the two. So she’s not super effective in combat. She is vulnerable, cannot use swords and can die easily. Amicia is truly in between those two worlds, and what we love about her is that her age can take her in any direction. Depending on the situation, she can be very mature or childish at times. We play around with that and how it defines her as a character.
Hugo is also growing despite only 6 months of time zone difference between the two matches. How did you go about changing the way he uses his powers to show a deeper understanding between him and his growing abilities?
For Hugo, ideas or inspirations are children who go through a difficult time in life and are forced to grow up very quickly. Sometimes they are more mature and aware of the world than we are as adults because of what trauma they’ve been through. We want to emphasize that with Hugo.
He had a better understanding of what had happened to him and was able to begin to sense the rats inside of him. But again, power is not free to him. He can kill easily, is much more efficient than his sister, and has a dangerous limitless power. So for Hugo, it’s all about balancing. He has this power, but he and Amicia don’t want to use it. It was a horrible and ugly ability that could also hurt him. But sometimes it works in their favor. Both are learning to play with fire, which sometimes leads to dangerous results.
Requiem feels like a culmination of shared pain, not only between Amicia, Hugo, and their plight, but also the world’s pain over plague, rats, and human-caused abuse. What made you want to go in this direction with the story? How does this theme reflect on the characters and emotions in the world of Plague Tale?
The story for the game is really about our characters. We don’t have a big villain like the first one. The world is what it is, and as Amicia, you try to live in a world that doesn’t fit her and Hugo’s past or future. They are struggling to find their place in a place that always rejects them, so they are always outcasts. It was a considerable burden, always weighing on them.
Players see more worlds in Requiem than ever before. How did you study the architecture, clothing, and belief systems of the 1300s (Alchemy, etc.) to make it authentic on such a larger scale?
The game starts in Southeastern France, so it’s not too far from us. We have a portion of the team from this region, which makes it easy for them to bring memories into the game and build on that. But we also worked with a historian, who helped us shape the authenticity of the world and figure out the setting, the environment, the architectural details, and even the little anecdotes to tell. build a trustworthy medieval France.
What have you personally learned while making this sequel?
I haven’t thought about it yet because it’s not over for me yet. But this game is really personal. We put a lot of ourselves into the game. Good and bad things. Tense things, some fun memories, and we’ve put those things together to build this game. For me, it’s like therapy because sometimes it’s good to share with people the things that are difficult for you, such as past hurts. You can build on that, and that’s what I’ve learned we see in our stories. You should always try to stay out of every best situation.
If you don’t want to get lost in the perverts, with the release of Requiem, do you consider this a closed book or just another completed chapter in the world of A Plague Tale?
I think, now, it’s over. But the door never closes, and we will see player reception. We want to see their reaction before deciding anything. They’re driving our production and if they don’t like what we’ve done, we need to do something else.
How do you and the studio plan to mark the game’s launch?
I think we’ll have a big party with the whole team. Monday night, when the embargo is lifted, we will all wait in our large room in Asobo, just waiting for reviews and feedback. We are very excited and exhausted, but if we have a good reception, I can’t wait to celebrate it with the whole team.
Any thoughts on your journey with Plague Tale: Requiem?
I’m proud of my little team of 70 people because they always push things further. I am very happy and proud of what they have achieved in the past three years. And I wish the players the best. I hope we won’t let them down and give them the sequel they want and deserve.
