A Plague Tale: Requiem utilizes new-gen tech for "hundreds of thousands of rats"
What more could you want?
A Plague Tale: Requiem's director has revealed how it's taking advantage of new-gen tech through leaving last-gen consoles behind.
Speaking to Edge Magazine in its latest issue, A Plague Tale: Requiem director Kevin Choteau pulls back the curtain on some new technical details for the sequel. The sequel is a new-gen console exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and Choteau reveals this has really helped overhaul character models and have their finer details stand out.
"In Innocence, some parts could look a bit like a theatre set due to technical limitations," Choteau adds. Requiem's new-gen platforms have let developer Asobo "push the horizon much further", says Choteau, adding that "all of those advancements are made to serve the narrative."
That narrative would be Hugo, and the thousands of rats dominating Requiem's landscapes. Innocence featured vast quantities of the vermin years ago, but Requiem has let Asobo "consider sequences that were previously impossible," according to Choteau, including "chases with hundreds of thousands of rats." Lovely stuff.
"The rats evolve following Hugo's illness," Choteau reveals. Hugo de Rune fell ill in the original Plague Tale, and it looks as though that illness has reared its head once again in Requiem, once again linking poor protagonist Amicia de Rune's brother to thousands of rats.
"They are now able to climb and are much more efficient at catching their prey by taking advantage of the environment," Choteau continues. The director also reveals the hordes of rats can even overwhelm light sources in some cases, a newfound ability which is probably enough to drive terror into the heart of anyone who played A Plague Tale: Innocence.
A Plague Tale: Requiem's release date was revealed last month as October 18, and it'll be available on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S at launch, including via Xbox Game Pass on day one for the latter two systems. Check out our extended A Plague Tale: Requiem preview from last month at Tribeca Festival to see what we made of Asobo's sequel so far.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.