Game Narrative Review - A Plague Tale: Innocence

Below was my analysis of Asobo Studio's 2019 release, A Plague Tale: Innocence, submitted to GDC's Game Narrative Review 2023. It highlighted the complex and tense relationships between the characters and the overbearing presence of danger imposed by the antagonist and environment.

While it wasn't selected for an award, it was my first deep dive into viewing game narrative from a highly critical standpoint and how it can potentially influence how the player perceives the game.

It has since then been edited to fix slight errors, but the content remains largely untouched.

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Game Narrative Review

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Your name (one name, please): Alexie Chin

Your school: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Your email: china7@rpi.edu

Month/Year you submitted this review: April 2022

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Game Title: A Plague Tale: Innocence

Platform: PC

Genre: Action-adventure

Release Date: May 14, 2019

Developer: Asobo Studio

Publisher: Focus Home Interactive

Game Writer/Creative Director/Narrative Designer: Sébastien Renard, Kevin Choteau, David Dedeine

Overview

A Plague Tale: Innocence is a third-person action-adventure stealth game set in late 1348 during the height of the plague ravaging the streets of the Kingdom of France. It follows fifteen-year-old Amicia de Rune and her five-year-old brother, Hugo, as she attempts to find a cure for his disease. However, Hugo’s illness, later known as the Prima Macula, is not the only reason they are racing against time. The Grand Inquisitor also seeks to have Hugo in his possession by any means possible, so after the slaughter of the de Rune household, the siblings are on the run as they are pursued by the Inquisition. 

Characters

• Amicia de Rune – The protagonist and major playable character of A Plague Tale: Innocence, Amicia is a strong, independent teenager who aspires to be a knight after her father. It’s Amicia who grows and matures the fastest out of everyone in the story – not because she wants to, but because it’s necessary for her survival. She has a strong moral compass, choosing either to run away or plead with the enemies to leave them alone instead of going on the offensive. The first time someone forces her hand to kill puts her in a state of shock, but Amicia knows that her brother’s safety takes precedence over her feelings and is able to bring herself out of that state. Her attitude towards combat shifts as the narrative continues, and her overprotectiveness towards Hugo and her friends make it so that she has no qualms taking a life if that means theirs could be spared. Despite being raised unused to these extreme situations, she remains relatively calm and rational in combat and when facing the rats. The only times when Amicia expresses truly strong emotions is with Hugo. She is initially short-tempered, snapping at him when he misbehaves, but as they continue to rely on each other, those feelings evolve into concern over his well-being that often puts her in danger to try and keep him out of harm’s way. 

• Hugo de Rune – Amicia’s younger brother and largely unplayable deuteragonist of A Plague Tale: Innocence. He is a kind but slightly naive young boy, who lives in confinement due to his disease. Despite the dangers he faces, Hugo prefers to be able to go outside and explore the world. He is like every other boy when he experiences things that he’s unfamiliar with, and it is these childish joys that provide layers of nuance to the overall tone of the story, which is generally grim. There is a scene when the siblings are given a moment of reprieve after being swarmed by rats, and Hugo immediately gets excited over the frogs jumping along the riverbank. Hugo is the most in tune with his emotions, expressing whatever he feels with utmost honesty, though this oftentimes makes him appear blunt. He gets visibly upset over the assumed death of his mother, even going as far to sulk and chase after any little chance she might be alive, much to the exasperation of his sister. It is Hugo who represents the innocence lost within the story, as he and his sister are forced to grow up in order to take care of each other. In the beginning chapters of the story, he gets distressed when Amicia is forced to kill Conrad in order to protect herself. However, as the story progresses and Hugo assumes control over the Prima Macula and the rat hordes, he quickly understands that he needs to use this power to kill in order to protect his family. 

• Béatrice de Rune – Amicia’s and Hugo’s mother, she is also an accomplished alchemist even after she married into a noble family. Although she doesn’t make much of an appearance in the story besides her cameo in the first chapter, her presence is a large driving force, since it is her wish that spurs the sibling’s arduous journey. She is depicted as a stern yet caring woman, whose neglectful upbringing plays a large part in why Amicia spurned Hugo’s existence, since he’s always under Béatrice’s care due to his poor health. She is intelligent and prioritizes her family above herself; she doesn’t even think once of betraying Hugo even after the Inquisition captured and tortured her for information. Despite her and Amicia’s estranged relationship, Béatrice shows the same level of protectiveness towards her daughter so that Amicia can escape without being captured, even if that means sacrificing herself in the process.

• Mélie – The second character that Amicia recruits to their party; she is a thief with a knack for lock-picking. She is clever and observant, and much like her twin brother, Arthur, she isn’t above looting to survive. Despite her thieving tendencies, she has good intentions and tries to remedy her wrongs. After ratting out the de Runes to avoid being captured by the English knights, Mélie repays her debt by freeing Amicia and helping her escape from the Inquisition with Hugo. Despite saving the de Runes solely because Lucas lied that Mélie would be financially compensated, she sticks around and helps them on their way to the Château d'Ombrage. Her hardened lifestyle makes her appear to be one who’s capable of handling everything on her own, but she manages to form close ties with everyone in the group, even choosing to side with Amicia instead of Arthur. After the death of her brother and Rodric, her inability to cope with their deaths causes her to grow emotionally unstable and volatile. She is never quite the same after the events of the game, and most likely due to trauma and a deeply buried fear of Hugo, Mélie chooses to part with the group. 

• Vitalis Bénévent – The Grand Inquisitor and the main antagonist behind the events of A Plague Tale: Innocence. He is the one who issued the order for Hugo’s capture and will stop at nothing to obtain the power of the Prima Macula. He is selfish and power hungry under his guise of benevolence and desire to stop the plague to become the hero of the people. He is charismatic and manipulative, seeing as he gained a mass of followers while simultaneously hiding his more sinister intentions, like mentally torturing Hugo in order to get the boy to obey the Inquisition’s every command. Vitalis cares little for others and who he hurts in order to get his way, and he is often lost in his own delusions of grandeur. He is self-assured and believes that no one could possibly put a stop to his schemes, which eventually leads to his downfall at the hands of Hugo and Amicia. 

• Lucas – The one and only apprentice of Laurentius. Despite being the second youngest of the group, Lucas is remarkably talented with alchemy and seeks to aid Amicia on her quest despite the stakes. He is usually levelheaded and polite but has a childish streak, seeking to impress those around him. 

• Rodric – The apprentice and son of a blacksmith who died after being tortured by the Inquisition. He’s the gentle giant, who can do all the heavy lifting that the group needs, that’s also ruthless towards members of the Inquisition. Rodric treats Hugo like a little brother, giving the boy encouragement and ultimately sacrificing his life to protect Hugo and Amicia and get them safely to the cathedral. 

Breakdown

The story of A Plague Tale: Innocence is a morbid narrative about the extent one will go for family and the loss of innocence through adversity. It’s told in seventeen chapters, varying in length, with the final chapter acting as a sort of epilogue detailing the aftermath. 

The way the story is written can be split into three major acts, following the stages of Amicia and Hugo’s sibling bond. Act 1 develops and repairs Amicia and Hugo’s estranged relationship, as well as establishes the rest of the characters that will eventually join their group in their opposition against the Inquisition. Act 2 details Amicia and Hugo’s fallout when the young boy disappears, thrusting Amicia into a world of nightmares as Hugo searches the Inquisition headquarters at the Bastion for his mother. Finally, Act 3 is Amicia and Hugo’s reconciliation as they go with their group to put an end to Vitalis for good and rescue their mother, Béatrice. 

A Plague Tale: Innocence begins with Amicia and her father, Robert de Rune, as they walk together through a forest not too far from their estate. She walks along the dirt path after her father as they discuss her desire to take the Knight’s challenge and Robert’s short love story with her mother. It is the first time the player gets a glimpse of the fragmented family relationships within the de Runes – Amicia hardly ever sees her father, and she sees her mother even less because Béatrice is always taking care of Hugo. Her father acknowledges this rift but dismisses Amicia’s point by bringing up their individual responsibilities. There is a hopeful note that things will get better, though that is quickly disproven by the following events. While they are hunting a wild boar, Amicia manages to wound it in the head before it begins to flee, and she has her dog, Lion, chase after it while she follows. Amicia crosses over into a destroyed section of the forest devoid of life – all that remains is the mangled trunks of trees, the mutilated corpse of the boar, and a severely injured Lion before he’s dragged under by an unseen entity. Her father draws his sword, remarking that they should head back and that Amicia should warn her mother. 

The first act officially starts when Amicia attempts to tell her mother the news, only to be brushed off and told that she shouldn’t be in that area of the house because it’s where her mother conducts her research and takes care of Hugo. Suddenly, the sound of hooves alerts Béatrice, and she urges Amicia to hide with her brother and not make a sound. Amicia complies, albeit reluctantly, and goes to find her brother. The first time they meet, she introduces herself awkwardly, speaking in clipped words more than actual sentences, but she isn’t outwardly hostile and reassures the boy that their mother will be back soon. 

The sound of a guard’s voice outside the window alerts Amicia, and she goes over to the window to check it out; she witnesses Lord Nicholas, the Grand Inquisitor’s right-hand man, question her father about her brother’s whereabouts before killing him when he didn’t give an adequate answer. The sound of a quickened heartbeat aligns with Amicia’s labored breathing as she leans back against the wall for support. However, the moment of fear and anxiety doesn’t last long. Amicia snaps out of it before grabbing her brother and sneaking out of the house. Despite not knowing him for well, she tries her best to take care of him by covering his eyes from the bloodshed and comforting him as she guides him along. 

They meet up with Béatrice before cutting through the garden undetected, reaching the back gate before Nicholas approaches. Béatrice urges her daughter to take Hugo and go find Laurentius, Hugo’s doctor and fellow alchemist, before shutting the gate. Amicia hears Béatrice scream before Nicholas’ sword pierces the door, and she is left to believe their mother is dead. She takes Hugo and runs from the Inquisition as the ground rumbles beneath them. She hears the Inquisition being attacked by the unseen entity, before they jump into the river and are swept away downstream.

The two end up at a village where the plague has affected the villagers. Amicia has chosen to keep Béatrice’s death a secret from Hugo, showing the lengths she is willing to go to protect him from the truth. An angry mob, led by Conrad, go after the siblings, accusing them of spreading the plague. Sometime during their chase, they meet a kind old lady, Clervie, who shelters the siblings and gives them a fresh set of clothes; she advises Amicia to repair her sling, making it strong enough to kill. Clervie gives the siblings more information about the plague before Hugo makes a fit about wanting to see Béatrice. In her frustration towards the situation and panic that they may be caught by the mob if Hugo makes too much noise, she snaps at him and reveals that Béatrice is dead. Hugo runs off in anger, thinking she’s lying to him, and her anger dissipates as she chases him, fearing for his safety and apologizing the entire time. Her chase brings her to the church where she ends up killing a villager and Conrad for holding her brother hostage. She is horrified with what she is capable of and says nothing when Hugo remarks that she has killed someone and rushes over to hug her. 

Within the church, Amicia resolves herself to the fact that she most likely has to kill again. Hugo asks Amicia a bunch of innocent, childish questions, such as what a rosary is, as they explore. They meet a monk who aids them in sneaking out of the village through the crypt, but before he can help them further, he is devoured by the second danger they face – the plague rats. Amicia and Hugo traverse the crypt with a torch as their protection, making it safely through since the rats fear the light. As they collapse outside, Amicia and Hugo share a genuine embrace after Hugo mourns the loss of their mother and home. They share a slightly closer bond as they approach Laurentius’ farm in the countryside, avoiding the Inquisition soldiers that are stationed outside. Upon their arrival, Hugo tries to play a game of hide-and-seek but is scolded by Amicia. When the rats arrive again, Hugo is affected by another one of his headaches, and Amicia is forced to carry him. She expresses a fraction of her bitterness towards him for spending all his time with Béatrice but brushes it off when Hugo expresses confusion. 

When they finally reach Laurentius, they meet his apprentice, Lucas, who warns them that his master is infected. The alchemist recognizes Hugo and explains his disease further. Although it’s referred to as an illness, it’s more of a family curse that has laid dormant within the de Rune bloodline that holds the power to change the world; in this case, it’s the ability to take control of the rat hordes causing the plague. It has awakened in Hugo, which is why his mother so desperately sought to create a cure for her son before those who wished to take advantage of him knew of his power. Laurentius tasks Amicia with Hugo’s cure and safety, but the distraught girl lashes out. Hugo tries to comfort her, but is batted away, leaving him sullen. Laurentius, unphased by Amicia’s remark, advises them to head to the Château d'Ombrage, an abandoned castle, to hide from the Inquisition. Lucas offers to guide them. 

They leave Laurentius’ farm and travel down the river to the aqueduct, which is said to lead them in the direction of the castle, but they stumble upon a battlefield strewn with the bodies of French and English soldiers instead. As they avoid the bodies, their enemies are the rats once again and patrolling English soldiers. They make their way through with Hugo suffering another headache. This time, Amicia gently calms him down by reminding him of the frogs along the riverbank, much like their mother would. Reaching the edge of the battlefield, they remain undetected until one of the looters alerts the guards of their group in order to distract him and break free. This results in Amicia and Hugo’s capture after Hugo trips and Amicia goes back to help him. 

Their captors tell Amicia that they’re to be sold for a ransom, which is later revealed to have been the Inquisition. However, she manages to get free with the help of Mélie, one of the looters from before. Aided by Mélie’s brother, Arthur, the two manage to distract and evade the guards long enough to free Hugo and escape before Nicholas gets his hands on them. They continue to evade the Inquisition with the help of Mélie after being reunited with Lucas, and they finally make their way to the Château d'Ombrage. Hugo and Amicia are now close enough to reminisce stories from their mother. 

At the Château d'Ombrage, Amicia and Hugo are given a moment of reprieve and strengthen their bond. Amicia experiences melancholy as she watches Hugo chase after butterflies, and the two hang their family pendants up on a tree as Hugo apologizes to his sister for being sick. Lucas pulls her aside to tell her the full extent of his illness, now known as the Prima Macula. He shares the grave news that Hugo might not survive the first threshold, and the only way to slow the progression is to have the forbidden book – the Sanguinis Itinera. Mélie and Amicia travel to the Bastion, the heart of the Inquisition, for two different reasons; Mélie wants to rescue her brother, while Amicia needs to find the book. 

After the two girls enter the Bastion, they discover that the Inquisition has been ordering the people of the city to leave because the plague has spread. Those who resisted were killed and hung as an example. Amicia discovers that there are empty cages, implying that the rats hadn’t gotten there on their own. She catches wind that Vitalis has arrived before sneaking into the University to retrieve the book. Within the walls of the University, Amicia notices how it is a shell of its former glory. She encounters Vitalis for the first time from a distance, witnessing the man in his weakened state due to the infection and how he is kept alive through blood transfusions. She also watches as the Inquisition soldiers bring in a young blacksmith to open the locked door to reach the Sanguinis Itinera. Realizing that she may have an ally, she follows them and eventually frees him by taking out the soldiers. Grateful, the young man introduces himself as Rodric, the son of the blacksmith who built the door, and offers to help Amicia get the book and take out more soldiers. When the two finally have the book, Vitalis meets Amicia for the first time and reveals that he and the Inquisition have been watching over her family and waiting for Hugo to awaken. To avoid getting caught, the two flee the city without waiting for Mélie. 

Once Rodric and Amicia return to the castle, Hugo rushes over and leaps into Amicia’s arms in joy at her return. As they all settle in, Act 1 comes to a close. Act 2 begins in the winter when snow falls over the castle. Lucas calls Amicia over in a panic because the Prima Macula in Hugo’s blood has worsened to the point where the boy collapses. He tells her that he doesn’t have the proper ingredients for a cure, and they will need to return to the de Rune estate to get access to Béatrice’s lab. Right before they leave, Rodric tells them that Mélie has returned with Arthur, who reveals the shocking news that Béatrice is alive and being tortured by the Inquisition. Amicia insists that Hugo mustn’t know the truth since she believes that will be best for him, but he overhears the whole conversation. 

Lucas and Amicia tour the ruins of the de Rune estate, discovering a multitude of new facts about the rats and the plague. All of the servants’ bodies were untouched, and after finding Béatrice’s lab in the old Roman ruins, the two discover that the Prima Macula has been around for at least 800 years. Lucas successfully creates a cure, and when they return, she immediately gives Hugo the elixir. Hugo asks if they are ever going to see their mother again, and oblivious to the fact that he already knows, Amicia lies. The next day, the group is in good spirits with Mélie waking Amicia up with the news that Rodric beat Arthur at the sling. However, Amicia is more concerned with the fact that Hugo is gone, and he took the pendant he hung on the tree beside hers, which confirms her worst fear that he has run away. Amicia runs out into the forest in search of him, but she hits her head, which transports the player into a strange sequence where they can’t tell if it’s a dream or reality. In the sequence, Amicia finds Hugo, but he accuses her of lying because she was jealous and races off again after hearing their mother’s cries of pain straight into Nicholas. She watches in horror as the man takes Hugo away before waking up again. 

Chapter fourteen is the only chapter where Hugo is the playable character, and the player guides the boy through the Inquisition headquarters in search of his mother. He witnesses Vitalis being injected with his blood, and it’s revealed that it will tie them together so they will both be holders of the Prima Macula. Hugo goes to find his mother in the basement and frees her before she can be tortured again. Béatrice realizes that they won’t make it unless Hugo awakens, so she coaxes him into responding to the Prima Macula which gives him control over the rats. They make their way out of the basement, discovering hairless, white rats that Hugo can’t control. Vitalis reveals that this whole event was a set-up designed to push Hugo over the edge, and Nicholas sends soldiers to kill Béatrice. Hugo fends them all off on his own with the rats until he collapses of mental and physical exhaustion. 

A month passes and Amicia resigns herself to the idea that Hugo may never come back. She and the others prepare for another night of prepping the castle’s defenses for the rat hordes. The worst scenario happens when the pit of rats overflow, and Nicholas shows up with Hugo, who has now been brainwashed to follow the Inquisition’s orders. Nicholas goads Hugo to kill Amicia, and the boy, furious with Amicia for lying to him, sends a swarm of rats in her direction. Instead of running away, Amicia accepts whatever will happen to her and hugs Hugo. Due to his sister’s affection, Hugo calms down and passes the first threshold of the Prima Macula, and Act 2 concludes with the sibling’s bond resolidified. Nicholas kills Arthur, so the siblings work together to kill Nicholas. 

Act 3 begins when the group resolves to take out the Inquisition once and for all with Hugo by their side. They make their way through the rat and solider infested city on their way to the church, and Rodric gets the siblings across and protected from the archers before succumbing to his injuries. Heartbroken and furious, the group continues forth into the church. After they confront Vitalis, he reveals that the white rats from before were ones of his own making, unaffected by the light and nicknamed “angels.” Hugo and Amicia go on the offensive, with Hugo overwhelming Vitalis’ rats with his own and Amicia going in for the killing blow with her slingshot. As Vitalis dies, Hugo stares at him with neither fear nor pity in his expression. 

Not long after they stopped Vitalis, they stopped by a town to grab supplies. Amicia wins Hugo an apple from a slingshot game, but they are not allowed into the village fair because the villagers are wary of the Inquisition. Lucas waits for them at their cart with Béatrice, and she lets Hugo win the race back. As they continue down the road, the group is heard chatting merrily and full of laughter. The game ends on a hopeful note, though there is still uncertainty in regards to their future.

Strongest Element

The exposition of A Plague Tale: Innocence is done brilliantly. There is never an instance where the player is presented with a chunky block of text to read in order to understand the story. All of the facts that the players discover about the characters and the world come from the main dialogue and even the dialogue snippets players can listen to from the NPCs and enemies as they play the game. The player gets a solid understanding of where Amicia stands relationship-wise with the rest of the group. The tone and choice of words used are also brilliant. Players can easily tell how painfully awkward Amicia and Hugo’s initial meeting is in comparison to their relationship in the last chapter, where they are seen laughing freely. Rarely will there be something left ambiguous or unanswered by the time the players complete their playthrough. 

Unsuccessful Element

While the setting and graphics were jaw-droppingly gorgeous and picturesque, that is about as far as they go in terms of the game. There were many missed opportunities for using the surroundings as more than a backdrop for the horrors of the main story. Piles of dead bodies and hordes of rats turning most of the screen black are a common occurrence within the game, emphasizing the devastation that the siblings are fleeing from, but the repetition causes the scene to grow stagnant. In this effect, it does fulfill the extremely basic requirements for environmental storytelling – the scenery clearly depicts medieval Europe from the architecture to the clothing, the dire situation is expressed through the dark undertones and heavy shadows, and the swarms of both Inquisition soldiers and rats displays how seemingly powerless Amicia is against the masses. However, the environment fails to provide any more clues for the player about what they could expect next besides gore and brutality. 

Highlight

The emphasis on Amicia as a flawed protagonist, who is constantly trying to become a better sister for a brother she’s barely met, is the core of the story. No matter how much she snaps or curses at her brother, partially due to frustration and envy, she never abandons him and prioritizes him first above herself. In a way, it demonstrates how self-sacrificial she is for family; even when Laurentius first instructs her to do the impossible, Amicia complains but doesn’t outright reject the request. She tries to have Hugo’s best interests at heart, but they still manage to have disagreements. Hugo also looks after his sister in his own way, trying to comfort her whenever he can and apologizing that Amicia has to take care of him all the time. 

Critical Reception

• IGN – Steven Petite – 7/10 – Steven Petite claims that the best part of A Plague Tale: Innocence is its story and the tone the environment provides to compliment the narrative. Although the exploration and puzzles are rather straightforward, Amicia and Hugo’s developing relationship is the highlight. Hugo is seen as vulnerable and helpless without his sister, and he’ll get distressed when Amicia strays too far after letting go of his hand. However, there is rarely a reason to let go, so the siblings typically act as a unit, which is fitting for the setting and narrative. Petite closes off by writing that the gameplay is rather linear and limits what the players can do, but the story and world establishes the appropriate amount of dread and devastation for its players and the characters.

• PC Gamer – Malindy Hetfeld – 7.2/10 – At PC Gamer, Hetfeld describes A Plague Tale: Innocence as a beautiful game overall, but the tonal inconsistencies make it difficult to truly enjoy the immersion the story provides. The first time the game introduces Amicia and her brother to swarms of rats and piles of dead bodies is gruesome and horrifying, but the number of times that it continues to happen dulls the initial shock into monotony. At only fifteen years old, Amicia is as much of a child as the rest of the cast, so the amount of violence that the game provides as an option to progress makes it hard to believe exactly how haunted she is by her decisions when she can freely use her slingshot to kill. Hetfeld goes on to write that the highlight is Amicia learning to take care of her brother, despite his disobedience and naivety being frustrating. Her ability to grow as a sister in light of their harrowing circumstances shows through when she develops the patience needed to take care of Hugo, while reminding him of the gravity of their situation.

• Push Square – Sammy Barker – 6/10 – Push Square’s review finds neither the story nor gameplay particularly compelling. Barker praises and criticizes the narrative: “The adventure doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. There’s an almost educational aspect to the way the plot unfolds, submerging you into a bleak period of history that doesn’t get a massive amount of screentime. At the same time, it simply can’t resist flirting unnecessarily with the supernatural – almost like the writers couldn’t help themselves.” He finishes off by describing A Plague Tale: Innocence as a game with great presentation, but its lack of polish during the execution is ultimately why the game fails to reach its full potential.

Lessons

• Make use of dialogue when telling a story. This is what A Plague Tale: Innocence does best. None of the dialogue is truly considered useless, and if the player doesn’t pay attention, they can miss key details that tie into the overall story. Lucas provides valuable information about the Prima Macula and its origins through the game, while the Inquisition’s plans are widely discussed among the soldiers that Amicia sneaks by. 

• Each character serves a purpose – not matter how small. Each member of Amicia’s group plays an important role when aiding the siblings. Lucas is the alchemist and largely responsible for the creation of Hugo’s cure. Mélie and Arthur help the siblings escape the English soldiers and Inquisition. Finally, Rodric unlocks the door which gives Amicia access to the one book that can save her brother. They also work together despite their wildly differing personalities, bringing more optimism into the dreary narrative. Each of the NPCs also adds more depth by providing the group with obstacles or the players with more story. 

• Have collectibles be less of a chore and more of a supplement to the story. During the game, the players can find unique objects or flowers that either Amicia or Hugo will comment on. It’s revealed after the first flower is found that Hugo is quite knowledgeable about plants due to his isolation. The gardener admits that he would bring Hugo flowers when being questioned by the Inquisition, which connects these two facts together. It adds more facets to each character, since even Lucas fails to name some of the flowers sometimes. 

Summation

A Plague Tale: Innocence has a wonderful story about siblings battling adversity and learning what it means to be family. The linear storyline is easy to follow, with the gameplay designed to streamline the experience and guide the players towards the end. The narrative, combined with the stunning visuals and vast array of complex characterizations, tells the tale of Amicia and Hugo in a world of chaos devoid of hope. A Plague Tale: Innocence describes the pair of siblings during one of Europe’s darkest times, and the loss of innocence that results during the pursuit of a cure.