Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, the latest entry in Asobo Studio's action-adventure series, significantly deviates from its predecessors by omitting its signature swarms of rats. Instead, players step into the shoes of Sophia, a character introduced in A Plague Tale: Requiem, as she embarks on a solo adventure to a mysterious island. The game eschews the stealth-focused, plague-ridden environments of earlier titles for a more direct, Uncharted-inspired action-adventure experience.
A New Direction
The narrative begins with Sophia recounting her past in a convent and her subsequent rescue by the pirate smuggler Alec and his associate Faro. When Alec is killed during an expedition to the island, Faro raises Sophia. However, Faro's growing obsession with the island's secrets strains their relationship, leading to Sophia's ostracization from the crew. She then sets out with her companion Leni to explore the island themselves. Unlike previous games that offered a dual-narrative structure focused on protecting a younger character, Resonance places Sophia, a capable pirate, at the forefront. The relationship between Sophia and Leni is implied rather than explicitly detailed, a point noted as a weakness in character development.
Uncharted Echoes on a Familiar Island
Resonance's gameplay borrows heavily from the Uncharted series. Players will find themselves running along rooftops, solving environmental puzzles using Sophia's sketches, and navigating platforming challenges. While the game initially hints at globe-trotting, the adventure quickly becomes confined to the island, which features varied but increasingly grim environments. This lack of varied locales contributes to a sense of monotony, especially in a game that is otherwise visually impressive. Asobo Studio has made a notable leap in graphical fidelity from A Plague Tale: Requiem, with detailed environments and character models that frequently invite the use of photo mode.
Intermittent flashbacks to the island's ancient past, where players control Theseus, offer a narrative counterpoint to Sophia's present-day exploration. These sequences serve to uncover clues and provide Sophia with tools and abilities, notably a light-channeling orb crucial for progression. This push and pull between past and present offers an engaging dynamic, driving the player's curiosity about the island's history.
Shifting Combat Mechanics
The combat system is a significant departure, focusing on fast-paced, deadly swordplay rather than stealth. Sophia engages in direct combat with soldiers searching for treasure, her fighting style drawing comparisons to Rocksteady's Arkham series with its auto-targeting and fluid transitions between enemies. However, Sophia's limited health bar—she can only withstand three hits—makes encounters challenging and requires precise timing for parries. The initial learning curve for combat timing can be steep, potentially proving more demanding than what fans of the more stealth-oriented Plague Tale series might expect.
To help players adapt, the game rewards "Resonance Points" for various achievements, not just combat. These points can be used to unlock new abilities, such as an enhanced dodge, and upgrade Sophia's fighting capabilities. The implementation of new swords also emphasizes unique abilities over stat comparisons, allowing players to easily swap weapons based on their strategic needs in different combat scenarios. This system aims to ease Plague Tale veterans into a new genre.
Narrative and Character Shortcomings
Despite its strong visual presentation and engaging combat mechanics, Resonance's narrative and character development fall short. Sophia, the protagonist, is described as losing some of her initial spark, becoming more plaintive and earnest, reminiscent of a character shift seen in Jurassic Park's Ian Malcolm. The game's pacing leads to underdeveloped character relationships and plot points. Key events, such as Alec's death or the growing animosity between Sophia and Faro, occur rapidly without sufficient build-up, leaving players with little emotional investment. The crucial mystery of who betrayed the crew also feels muted due to this truncated storytelling.
While Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy offers enjoyable elements and a clear step up in visual quality, its departure from the series' core identity—the rats—is not fully compensated by its new focus. The game leaves a lingering feeling that a defining aspect of the franchise has been replaced by something less compelling, despite its satisfying combat and impressive presentation.