A New Chapter In The A Plague Tale Story
The tale of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth is one of the most famous of all Greek myths. King Minos offended the god Poseidon, and in revenge, his wife fell in love with a white bull. A child was born that was half-human and half-bull, with a hunger for human flesh, but Daedalus, the king’s right-hand man, built a prison in the form of a twisting maze to hide the creature away.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy uses this myth as the basis for a new installment in the A Plague Tale series. Instead of following Amicia and Hugo from the first two games (A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem), the focus shifts fifteen years earlier to a different character who appeared in Requiem – Sophia. But does it keep the magic of the previous two games?
It’s always interesting when developers decide to mix things up a bit. However, it can be a dangerous game to play with a fan-favourite franchise, especially when players have become attached to a particular style and set of characters. The first two Plague Tale games were largely stealth adventures with their own unique mechanics built around controlling an army of rats. This time around, the setting moves away from France and heads to Crete, while the gameplay becomes much more of an action-adventure experience. Think Uncharted mixed with Tomb Raider and Hellblade, and you’ll be getting close.
Joining Sophia
The game begins with a young Sophia being held hostage alongside a group of nuns because of the strange dreams she is having; dreams that are of great interest to those holding her. She is eventually rescued by her father and brought up within a Greek community of adventurers and pirates. Years later, the grown-up Sophia finds herself caught up in a heist gone wrong following her father’s disappearance, an event that tears her world apart.
Travelling with her best friend, she heads towards a mysterious island in Crete that has appeared repeatedly in her dreams. It is here that her life becomes intertwined with that of the Greek hero Theseus, leading her into a series of trials that eventually take her towards the heart of the Labyrinth and the monster waiting at its centre.
Like the previous two adventures, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy does a great job of telling an intimate and personal story against an epic backdrop. To be honest, we weren’t entirely sure where the game was going during the opening couple of chapters, but once Sophia reaches the mysterious island, everything starts to settle into place. Her journey is a good one and highly emotional at times, with the story finding its footing as things progress.
The supporting cast is strong too, with some great dialogue and writing helping to give the characters warmth and personality. And there is no doubt that it still fits comfortably within the strange and mystical world of Plague Tale, even without the rats playing a part this time around.
Combat, Exploration And Puzzle-Solving
Now, the gameplay is a good mix of combat, exploration, puzzle-solving, and some epic platforming. Let’s start with the combat.
You will be fighting a lot, so get used to it. Parrying is your saviour here, and it’s something you need to master if you want to progress. You have a normal attack, but enemies will flash yellow during certain attacks, giving you a window in which to parry. If an attack flashes red, however, you need to dodge before striking back. All of this develops as you unlock and upgrade more moves later in the game.
There is also a critical finishing move, along with special attacks that become available once a meter has been filled. Enemies range from standard grunts carrying swords to larger brutes wielding spiky maces. There are also some boss battles that require patience and a willingness to learn attack patterns, although you can always turn down the difficulty if things become too much. Sometimes, particularly towards the end of the game, the combat does begin to outstay its welcome and can become a little tiring.
A World Built For Exploration
Exploration is enjoyable, mostly because the world is a great place to move through, both in terms of its scale and the variety of locations. Early on, you collect an orb that can be used to unlock doors, but it develops and gains new abilities as the journey progresses. The first upgrade introduces an unlocking device that uses different coloured lights, requiring you to rotate and manipulate them to solve puzzles. Later, you also gain the ability to use a beam of light.
This becomes particularly important because you will be stalked and chased by a strange creature, something that reminded me of the smoke monster from the TV series Lost. It can only be stopped by running away or using light. Later in the game, you can shine your light directly at it, temporarily stopping the creature.
Puzzles And Platforming
Puzzle-solving is brilliant here, with a wide range of different conundrums to tackle throughout the journey. Some require a bit of thought, while others are more environmental, involving hazards and avoiding traps. There is plenty of variety, and it never really becomes boring. At its best, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy reminds of some of the strongest puzzle moments from the Tomb Raider games.
Platforming is easy to get to grips with too, while there are several chase sequences and larger set pieces that feel cinematic and exciting to play through. You will probably die a few times along the way, but thankfully, the checkpointing is very forgiving.
A Stunning Journey Through Greek Mythology
As you may expect from an entry in the A Plague Tale series, visually, the game is a masterpiece. The sense of scale can be breathtaking at times, while the use of lighting is a masterclass. Once the game reaches the island and you are greeted by huge statues or a cyclone brewing in the background, there are moments when you simply want to stop and take it all in. The character design, enemy design, and attention to detail are exceptional throughout.
The sound design sits in the same bracket. From the effects during combat to the horror sections and quieter moments, everything feels carefully put together. The score is suitably epic, making great use of choirs and creating some genuine hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck moments. The voice cast is superb too, with special mentions going to Anna Demetriou and Ben Homewood for their performances.
A Spellbinding Adventure
Initially, we were a little unsure about the direction Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy was taking. But once it settles into its story, it becomes a spellbinding adventure that successfully mixes A Plague Tale and its universe with Greek mythology. The combination of action-adventure gameplay, puzzle-solving, and horror works extremely well, even if the combat does outstay its welcome a little at times. It’s another memorable journey in this world, and I can’t wait to see what the developer does next with A Plague Tale.
Important Links
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Heads To Game Pass This August – https://www.thexboxhub.com/resonance-a-plague-tale-legacy-heads-to-game-pass-this-august/
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a New Prequel, Coming Day One to Xbox Game Pass – https://www.thexboxhub.com/resonance-a-plague-tale-legacy-is-a-new-prequel-coming-day-one-to-xbox-game-pass/
Download from the Xbox Store, via Game Pass if you like – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/resonance-a-plague-tale-legacy/9ppbncxp0096
