A Plague Tale Innocence Review Xbox One

Reviews praise the 2019 game A Plague Tale: Innocence for its captivating story, immersive atmosphere, and striking visuals, but note that its stealth and puzzle mechanics are simple and can become repetitive. The game was developed by Asobo Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. 

Synopsis

In this story-driven, single-player action-adventure game, you play as Amicia in a grim 14th-century France ravaged by the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death. 

• The plot Amicia is on the run with her younger, sickly brother Hugo after the Inquisition attacks their home. Hunted by soldiers and pursued by unstoppable, supernatural swarms of rats, the siblings must learn to rely on one another to survive in a brutal world.
• The journey As you guide Amicia and Hugo through a variety of lush and grim locations—from dark forests to rat-infested city streets—you’ll uncover the secrets behind Hugo’s illness and the rat plague.
• The characters The developing bond between Amicia and Hugo is the emotional core of the story, with many reviewers praising the voice acting and nuanced sibling dynamic. 

Gameplay mechanics

Most of your time in A Plague Tale: Innocence is spent navigating through stealth and environmental puzzles. 

• Stealth and distraction Your main tactic is to use your surroundings to your advantage. Amicia’s primary weapon is a sling, which you can use to distract or stun guards. While not equipped for direct combat, you can find and craft different types of ammunition with alchemical properties, such as Ignifer to light fires.
• The rats The massive swarms of plague-carrying rats are a central feature of the gameplay. The rats fear light, which you must use strategically to keep them at bay while using them as a weapon against your enemies by plunging soldiers into darkness.
• Puzzles Much of the gameplay revolves around solving simple, light-based puzzles to progress through environments filled with rats and guards. 

Xbox One performance

Reviewers found the game to be a visually impressive experience on the Xbox One, with smooth performance, though next-gen upgrades later introduced higher frame rates. 

• Graphics The game received high praise for its stunning art direction, detailed environments, and realistic visuals that create a thick, immersive atmosphere.
• Performance While the game was well-optimized for the Xbox One, the later Xbox Series X/S version offered improved visuals and a higher frame rate. Reviews at the time highlighted that it ran smoothly on the Xbox One and Xbox One X. 

What reviewers liked

• Engaging narrative: The strong, emotional story and compelling characters are consistently highlighted as the game’s greatest strength.
• Atmosphere: The combination of a detailed 14th-century setting, excellent visuals, and a haunting soundtrack effectively creates a tense and emotional mood.
• Pacing: The game’s length is generally viewed positively, with many reviewers finding that its 10–15 hour story doesn’t overstay its welcome. 

What reviewers didn’t like

• Repetitive gameplay: Some found the core stealth and puzzle mechanics to be a bit simplistic and repetitive, with limited variety in how to deal with enemies.
• Limited replayability: The linear, narrative-focused nature of the game offers little incentive for a second playthrough outside of finding collectibles.
• Difficulty spikes: A few reviewers pointed out that some stealth sections feature frustrating “trial and error” gameplay due to instant-fail states.

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