Seamlessly blending history and fiction, Asobo Studio’sA Plague Tale: Innocencereimagines the Black Plague in a story about unshakable familial bonds. Embarking on anunforgettable journey, players must wade through muddy streets, blood-soaked battlefields, and terrifyingly claustrophobic spaces as they navigate through the plague-ridden countryside of 14th century France. Taking control of Amicia, theeldest child of a noble family, players must escape hordes of ravenous rats carrying “the Bite,” and the Inquisition who are relentlessly hunting down her younger brother, Hugo.
Along the way, Amicia will grow more adept and confident in defending herself and Hugo from those that would harm them. But Amicia is still a child, and it’s up to players to upgrade their available equipment and to gather invaluable materials for crafting to give thede Rune siblingsa fighting chance of survival.
Gathering Resources
Players can gather many types of resources throughout the world ofA Plague Tale: Innocence. All of these are used for crafting and upgrading. It is advised that playersspend time exploringareas to collect resources wherever possible. For example, different types of ammunition that later become available to Amicia, as well as upgrades for her sling, rely on using the same materials, or have a higher cost of resources. Because of this, players will need tobe selective when choosing upgrades and skills to unlock.
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In certain places, players will be able to find stashes of resources in the form ofAlchemist Carts hidden throughout the game. Inside these caches, Amicia will have free rein to loot as much as her inventory allows.
Types of Upgrades
Although it is possible to gather materials for crafting in the early stages of the game, crafting and upgrading are not available until the player has progressed to the mid-point of thesecond chapter, “The Strangers.”
Upon meeting Clervie, players will gain access to their first workbench, where Amicia’s sling and equipment can be upgraded. Upgrades includeincreasing Amicia’s ammunition capacity, reducing the time taken to load the sling, and even allowing players to take two shots without pausing.Upgrades not only require gathered materials, but the use of tools. Tools are a rare resource thatcan only be found in select areas.
The second and third Attirail skills allow Amicia to complete upgrades without the need of a workbench, as well as disregarding tool kits when completing upgrades. However, players that diligently scavenge and spend time exploring off the beaten path will be rewarded with an abundance of materials, and should expect to find multiple workbenches along their way. These upgrades, for some players, are more of a convenience than a necessity.
Alchemy
In the fourth chapter, “The Apprentice,” Amicia and Hugo meet Lucas, the titular apprentice to an accomplished doctor and alchemist. Lucas' knowledge and insight of alchemy will prove immediately useful to the player, as he teaches Amicia to usesomething other than rocks as ammunitionfor her sling.
As the player learns more alchemy recipes, Amicia’s ammunition wheel will expand to reflect her new abilities. Players will gain access tofour types of alchemical projectiles and two mixtures that can be used to give an edge in battleand solve puzzles. Each ammunition type comes with different advantages, but they also have their own resource cost that players should be mindful of whenplanning their next steps.
Players must scavenge projectiles such as rocks and pots while exploring, but alchemical ammunition can be crafted. As long as players have the necessary resources, ammunition can be crafted by either visiting a workbench, or while on the go within the weapon wheel.
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A Plague Tale: Innocenceis available now on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
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