Asobo Studios once got its name from its knack for developing adaptations of Disney Pixar games. Three years ago, the small French development team evolved and soared to new heights with his hit release, his A Plague Tale: Innocence.
After winning over a passionate community of fans with this cinematic action-adventure experience, Asobo Studio is looking to evolve its breakout series with a sequel. A Plague Tale: Requiem aims to overcome and exceed the limits of the original. The key behind this evolution is allowing Requiem to be played the way you want it.
In anticipation of the sequel’s release on PS5 on October 18th, we spoke with director Kevin Choteau about the title’s direction, development, new gameplay philosophies, and more.
PlayStation Blog: What did you and the other members of Asobo hope to achieve in the sequel to the original Plague Tale?
Kevin Choteau: all, be honest. The first thing that comes to mind is working on the first game. I had no experience with games of this genre. We are not known for this kind of cinematic experience. So we started with the Innocence action-adventure and did so as newbies who didn’t know what they were doing.
The idea when I started Requiem was to take all the things that went wrong and failed and work on them. We 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 very narrow and there is only one way to approach a situation, so we wanted to address that. We created a larger open area for you to play however you like. It was the key by the laws of level design. Now you can play Plague His Tale any way you like.
How do you give your players a streamlined journey that keeps their options open while keeping them aware of their objectives, assets, and everything else?
I have two things about that. The first is perspective. When we get to a situation, we often go beyond it or with a clearer perspective so that we can understand how the situation has shaped and where it can go. Which tasks you can choose, do you want to go this way, do you want to go here, do you want to pass behind this cart, etc.
The second is a systematic approach to gameplay. I have set some rules and those rules always apply. So once you learn it, you can use it in any situation. For example, as in the first game, if a metal object appears, it can be used to distract the enemy. Requiem also has greenish tars that you can use against your enemies. This makes this broader approach work.
What has been done with current generation technology to enhance the gameplay experience in Plague Tale: Requiem?
Of course it pushes everything further graphically. But rats are pushed to extreme limits. On PS4 there were about 5,000 rats, now on PS5 he has 300,000. It’s incredible because it’s a new tool that enables this giant tsunami of rats that are currently ravaging cities. The previous technology couldn’t do that. So you can take this a step further and create hyper-detailed graphics with dozens of NPCs and rats swarming the city.
Rats have also evolved, becoming smarter and more agile than before. How did you increase your presence as an enemy?
Rats can avoid obstacles and reach you, and are more agile and aggressive. It’s no longer safe in high places because you can also climb and ride on cloth. It’s both useful against enemies and dangerous to you. Because we focused on keeping them present in the world and unblocked by the environment, they are a very impressive threat and will always make you nervous.
Amicia is a character that touched a lot of people because of how real she and her trauma felt. How did you go about developing and breaking down her character? Especially killing and fighting What if her love-hate relationship with
The game is just that. In Innocence, Amicia chose to become a warrior in order to survive. But in Requiem, you’ll find it affects her. [Killing to survive takes an emotional toll], and it will greatly affect the evolution of her thinking and what she becomes, and her relationships with others. OK, do you want to be a warrior? I would do anything to protect my family, but is it going well? is that fair? is that what you should do?
Amicia’s adolescence greatly affects how she reacts and handles her surroundings. How does this shape what players experience with her in Plague Tale compared to other games with more mature protagonists?
She’s not a warrior, she’s no longer a young lady. she is between the two. As such, she is not very efficient in combat. She’s vulnerable, she can’t use a sword, she can die easily, Amicia is exactly in between these two worlds of hers and what we love about her is her is that her age can lead her in all directions. Depending on the situation, she can be very mature or childish. We play around with it and how it defines her as a character.
Even though the two games are only six months apart, Hugo is growing too. How have you changed how his powers are used to show a deeper understanding between him and his growing abilities?
For Hugo, ideas and inspiration are children who are going through difficult things in life and are forced to grow up too quickly. Sometimes I do. I wanted to highlight that with Hugo.
He better understands what happened to him and can begin to feel the rat within himself. He’s much more efficient and easier to kill than his sister, and has dangerously unlimited power, and for Hugo, it’s all about keeping the balance. Although he has this power, he and Amicia are reluctant to use it. It’s a horribly ugly ability that can also hurt him. They both have learned to play with fire, sometimes leading to dangerous consequences.
Requiem feels like a traumatic culmination that shared not only the trauma between Amicia, Hugo, and their situation, but the world of plague, rats, and human-inflicted abuse. What made you want to watch it? How does this theme translate into the characters and emotions of the world of Plague Tale?
The story of the game is about our character. There are no big villains like the first. The world is itself, and you, as Amicia, try to live in this world that does not match her and Hugo’s past or future. Therefore, they are always exiled. It’s a heavy burden and it’s always on them.
Players can see more worlds than ever before in Requiem. How did you study 1300s architecture, clothing, and belief systems (alchemy, etc.) and authenticate them on such a large scale?
The game originated in southeastern France, so it’s not too far from us. Some of our team are from the region, so it’s been easier for them to bring their memories into the game and build on that. , shaped the authenticity of the world, finding settings, environments, architectural details and even small anecdotes that helped build a believable medieval France.
What have you personally learned from working on this sequel?
I haven’t finished it yet, so I’m not thinking about it. But this game is really personal. We brought a lot to the game. good and bad. Stressful things, happy memories, and a combination of them to build this game. It was like therapy for me, because sometimes it’s good to share something that’s hard on you, like a past trauma. You can build on that and that’s what I’ve learned we see in our stories.
I’d like to avoid spoilers, but with the release of Requiem, do you think this is the book’s closure, or just another chapter in the plague story universe completed?
I think it’s over for now. However, the door is never closed and the player’s reception is displayed. I want to see their reaction before I make a decision. They’re driving our production, and if they don’t like what we’ve been doing, we need to do something else.
How do you and the studio plan to mark the game’s release?
I think the team will have a big party. Monday night, when the embargo is lifted, we’ll be in the big room at the playground waiting for reviews and feedback. , can’t wait to celebrate it with the team.
Any final thoughts on Plague Tale: Requiem’s journey?
I am proud of my small team of 70 people. This he is happy and proud of what they have achieved in three years. And I pray that the rest of the players rest in peace. I hope we don’t let them down and give them the sequel they want and deserve.
