I’m really stunned after playing this game, it’s hard to believe that it was made by a somewhat indie development studio (Asobo).
The last time I finished something and felt this emotionally exhausted was when I watched Apocalypse Now for the first time. This game really captures the brutality and despair of the middle ages in a way that more fantasy-oriented games do not.
Of course, this game does have some fantasy elements, but for the most part it takes you on a journey with two children who have to make their way through a ruthless and uncaring world, constantly having their childhood ripped away and their faith in adults and humanity shattered.
At the same time, this game is absolutely beautiful. I would put the visuals up against any game, period. You feel like you’re there in medieval France.
I need to go play some happy Mario games after this one.
If you are an adult who handles depressing and dark things okay, and you have even a passing interest in the middle ages, I can’t recommend this game enough (play the first one first though–Plague Tale Innocence). The core gameplay is a stealth game, but whether or not you like that style, the game is worth it and transcends the genre IMO.
What wouldn’t have been obvious to me is just how much raw action and inventive mechanics there are, even among all the horrific stuff. There’s certainly grimdark “everything is horrible” games like Frostpunk and Pathologic, but there’s at least an “excitement” and inventive spectacle to PT:R even if it’s all based around terrible events.
It’s framed as a stealth game, but a lot of times I was playing with a lot of constant motion, using all of the environmental effects to kill most enemies.