Oh joy, another prequel to add to the ever-growing list of games that I’ll eventually play when I’ve finished every other game I’ve ever bought. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, because apparently we haven’t milked this franchise enough yet, is the latest addition to the A Plague Tale series. This game is a prequel, because who doesn’t love a good prequel, and it stars Sophia, a character who was probably introduced in the previous game, but I’ll be honest, I’ve lost track. She’s a pirate, which is cool, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing.
A Pirate’s Life for Me
Set 15 years before the events of A Plague Tale: Requiem, because who needs a direct sequel when you can do a prequel, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy sheds light on Sophia’s life as a budding pirate and her connection with the Prima Macula, or the sinister plague that awakens within certain bloodlines. I mean, it’s not like we’ve seen this story before, but hey, at least the devs are trying to mix things up. Asobo Studios gave some lucky journalist access to a roughly two-hour demo of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, which consisted of chapters V and VI of the forthcoming game. I’m sure it was a thrilling experience, filled with action, suspense, and probably a few too many cutscenes.
Combat and Puzzles, Because Why Not
Both A Plague Tale: Innocence and Requiem placed the focus more on stealth gameplay, where combat sequences felt more like a last resort. But Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, instead, offers players a robust and fully realised fighting system that can hold its own against other AAA action games. Because, you know, what every game needs is more combat. In fact, starting the demo build for the first time, Asobo has included a special tutorial mode that goes through the combat system of the game, because apparently, we need to be taught how to fight. Sophia also has access to a skill tree, because who doesn’t love a good skill tree, and a hookshot, which can be used to grapple, grab and disarm enemies. Because, you know, that’s exactly what I want to do in a game, grapple with enemies.
Puzzles and Set Pieces, Oh My
The puzzles in Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy are, well, puzzles. They’re not too hard, but not too easy either. Just like Goldilocks, they’re just right. Sophia has access to an ancient curio, a light-emitting sphere that the player can use in various configurations, to either light and burn away patches of the parasitic plague or shine coloured lights towards specific markers within the environment to solve puzzles. Later on, more environment-based puzzles reminiscent of A Plague Tale proper help change things up with more stealth-based sequences that require Sophia to navigate a Plague-wrought environment. And, of course, no game would be complete without over-the-top set pieces, such as a fun chase sequence at the end of the demo, asking the player to perfect their platforming prowess while navigating tight corners and mastering exhilarating jumps, reminiscent of games like Tomb Raider and Uncharted. Because, you know, we haven’t seen that before.
Conclusion, Finally
With only two chapters available to play during the demo, I’m sure the journalist who played it is eager to see what else Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy has on offer when it releases in a few short months. But for now, what can be said is this: Even if you’re not familiar with the series proper, Resonance feels like a perfect jumping-off point, as it seemingly offers a standalone story that can be enjoyed by everyone, while adding to the depth and breadth of the franchise as a whole. Some executive somewhere got a bonus for this, I’m sure. Another day, another roadmap, another opportunity for shareholders to rejoice. The PS2 memory card community is devastated, but that’s a story for another time. Live-service enthusiasts are preparing the candles and summoning circle, but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence. At this point, even the loading screens have lore, so that’s a thing. Nature is healing, I suppose.
