Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy review

Sophia never thought she’d have to face the horrors of her past again until she met Amicia and Hugo in A Plague Tale: Requiem. She, too, has experience battling a darkness that threatened to consume her, which we were able to explore further in Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, the latest entry in the franchise. This prequel to Innocence and Requiem took me on a thrilling and mysterious journey that engaged my curiosity from start to finish. Resonance builds off the foundations laid in Innocence and Requiem, adding an additional layer that showcases Asobo’s continued commitment to excellent storytelling and gameplay.

The A Plague Tale games have captured the hearts of millions with a unique and touching story about a brother and sister fighting against a curse that has lurked in the darkness for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Sophia’s addition to this story gives us a deeper look at that darkness, potentially shedding light on its origin.Taking place 15 years before the events of Hugo and Amicia’s journey, Resonance starts with a glimpse into Sophia’s troubled childhood where she was experimented on to extract information about a mysterious island that appeared in her visions. She manages to escape from the convent where she’s been held and reunites with her father, joining his group of bandits.

Sophia’s upbringing is enshrouded in violence sparked by tragedy, and when a mission in Venice goes south, she’s forced to flee to the Minotaur’s Island to uncover its mysteries. She won’t be entirely alone however, as she’s joined by her closest friend and companion, Leni. Together the two navigate the treacherous island while also trying to avoid the people - and the creature - that hunts them.

Very early on, I had the misfortune of running into a couple of glitches, including falling through the map after getting stuck in the ground and a door swinging open when Leni went to lockpick it. Later on I also faced a few instances where I got stuck; once while jumping over a rock getting stuck in a falling animation, once when a character didn’t follow me and I froze in place, and another during a combat sequence with someone I needed to fight decided not to fight his opponent in order to progress to the next stage of the sequence. None of these ended up being gamebreaking however, being easily fixed by a quick checkpoint or death reset. Hopefully they’ll be patched out quickly, if they haven’t been already.

The Island is a delight to explore, featuring stunning landscapes full of Minoan Era ruins with colorful and detailed frescoes that depict life during that time. However, the deeper Sophia and Leni go, the darker things get, literally and figuratively. You can hear an ominous breathing from the shadows, filling my heart with dread about the horrors I’m likely to encounter. There's a rumor of a dangerous creature lurking in the many caves and tunnels, a harrowing beast that will literally suck the life out of you if you’re unfortunate enough to be caught out in the open when it starts to prowl.

As Sophia’s story continues to unfold, her connection to the Greek legend Theseus grows deeper and deeper. As she slips between her present day and the visions, she starts putting the pieces together of a much larger puzzle, one that may have implications for centuries to come, potentially tied to the origins of the Prima Macula afflicting Hugo years later.

The ruins and caves hold many secrets. Sophia keeps track of her discoveries in a journal that also contains sketches from her childhood visions. Unlike other games with a journal feature, this journal still allows the player to observe their surroundings while perusing its pages, making it easier to piece together information. You can interact with elements on each page to give Sophia clues on where to go and how to solve puzzles. This was a brilliant way to design this feature; I was able to look down at the pages and then look up at the point of interest in front of me instead of having to repeatedly open a menu that covers the entire screen. This made solving puzzles so much easier and faster because I had everything I needed within view at all times.

The journal helps Sophia keep track of everything, but the Minoan sphere is what truly shines. Literally. The sphere contains a prism with a variety of functions to complete puzzles, illuminate safe pathways, and even fend off things lurking in the dark. It becomes the key to unlocking the many mysteries of the Minotaur’s Island.

While her childhood years were brutal, they prepared her for the tough fight ahead. The fluidity with which she moves, a ferocity that matches her wild aesthetic, and her seamless usage of environmental elements makes combat one of the real highlights of the game, showcasing the continued improvement from title to title. Sophia is quick and aggressive, a stark contrast to Amicia’s capable but still cautious approach. Every fight sequence flows smoothly with a flurry of Sophia’s blades, grapple, and anything she can fling at enemies to knock them on their heels before she deals the final blow.

Sophia can unlock skills using Resonance Points gained through exploration and combat. Each skill has two masteries that can be unlocked which provide a particular boost for each skill. For example, Aegean Deflect doubles stun damage when you time a parry well. Masteries for this skill either give Sophia attack damage bonuses after successive parries or the ability to parry heavy (red) attacks, which are typically unblockable. Sophia can also unleash a powerful attack once the Focus Gauge is full where she swings her grapple around her, dealing damage to any enemies within range.

She gains additional perks from charms she collects while exploring, including beads, arm bands, bracelets, trinkets, seals, and pierced coins. You can collect up to five of each, further increasing the chances of a particular perk activating, like not dying if she takes lethal damage or increasing the parry window. Different swords found in special tombs also grant different bonuses for increased damage and faster Focus Gauge charging.

Resonance is more action-focused than previous entries in the series, but it still balances well with other elements of the game; there’s no single feature that overshadows another. The action perfectly blends with the exploration and storytelling to paint a stunning picture, which is further enhanced by the musical score composed by Olivier Derivière, who also did the soundtracks for Innocence and Requiem. The music behind Resonance is inspired by the game’s Mediterranean setting. Every moment, every pivot, feels perfectly accompanied by a track that captures the emotions and intensity, as well as the ancient mysticism of the island. It was easy to get caught up in it, especially when coupled with the ambient sounds of the environment (unless I was in a dark cave, which I just wanted to be out of as soon as possible).

This game is a must-play for fans of the A Plague Tale games, however it can also stand on its own given the setting. Players who choose to start with Resonance will be able to easily jump in and not feel lost about the setting, instead gaining insights that may help them understand the events of Innocence and Requiem more. Either way you choose to play, this game is a worthy addition to your collection.