A Plague Tale Has Caught Itself in a Binding Rat Trap

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A Plague Tale Has Caught Itself in a Binding Rat Trap

Key Takeaways

  • The Plague Tale franchise has only hinted at a potential sequel or spin-off, unlike confirmed sequels for other recent games.
  • A third game in the series would need to choose between a futuristic or primeval setting due to lore restrictions.
  • The absence of protagonist Amicia de Rune in a third game would be a significant loss for the franchise’s storytelling impact.

As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the grim yet captivating world of Asobo Studio’s Plague Tale franchise, I can’t help but feel a twinge of anticipation and trepidation about the potential for a third installment. Having navigated through the dark, rat-infested streets of medieval France with Amicia de Rune in A Plague Tale: Innocence, and later witnessing the heart-wrenching conclusion of her journey in A Plague Tale: Requiem, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve seen the last of this remarkable duo.

Looking at the pattern of game announcements, launches, and delays over the past ten years suggests that Asobo’s Plague Tale series isn’t likely to be finished just yet. The latest title, A Plague Tale: Requiem, is still relatively new compared to games like Ghost of Tsushima or Returnal, which have not had sequels or spin-offs announced as of now.

As a diehard fan, it feels like the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, with all its thrilling samurai action and captivating storytelling, is destined for our gaming screens sooner rather than later. The fact that the original game is being adapted into a live-action movie and will appear in Secret Level certainly fuels this speculation. However, it’s important to note that, as of now, there’s no official confirmation about its existence from the creators themselves.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but speculate about the possibility of another adventure in the world of A Plague Tale. After all, it’s been so long since we last saw Amicia and Hugo, and the tantalizing hint dropped in Requiem’s post-credits scene has left me yearning for more. It seems that Asobo Studio, like me, isn’t ready to let go of this captivating narrative quite yet, or else they wouldn’t have planted such seeds of continuation. However, if a third game does materialize, the developers will find themselves in a tricky situation due to the rich lore they’ve already established. They’ll either need to revisit and revise parts of this foundation, or stick to the rules they’ve set, which could prove challenging either way.

A Plague Tale’s Lore Restricts a Possible Third Game to Being a Futuristic Sequel or a Primeval Prequel

If the sequel continues the theme of “Requiem” centered around the cyclical nature of the Macula, it should either fast-forward 800 years into a bleak, dystopian future or travel back 800 years into an antiquated past.

The former option is the one that would seem most outlandish if not for the modern-sounding medical equipment heard faintly in the post-credits tease, and the latter could be extremely intriguing if it was to follow Basilius as the first Carrier and present a new dynamic duo for players to grow an attachment to. Nonetheless, both settings would need to be wildly different than the one players are familiar with in A Plague Tale’s Innocence and Requiem and could be alarming as a result.

A Plague Tale Threequel without Amicia de Rune Would Be a Tough Pill to Swallow

By allowing some time to pass since the events of “Requiem,” we can ensure that any potential new game remains authentic without resorting to familiar tropes or characters from “A Plague Tale” thus far. However, if a third game focuses on a character other than Amicia de Rune, it could significantly impact the franchise as she has been such an integral part of the storyline. If the narrative were to shift to follow the Macula instead, it would not be feasible for Amicia to appear again due to the resolution she found at the end of “Requiem,” which was both solemn and heartfelt. This suggests that future installments may choose to focus on characters other than Amicia and her beloved rats.

A Third Plague Tale Game Never Being Made Would Make Its Post-Credits Tease Bittersweet

A Plague Tale Has Caught Itself in a Binding Rat Trap

The post-credit scene in Requiem might be hinting at the continuation of Macula’s cycle. However, given the touching and satisfying endings for Hugo and Amicia, it seems unlikely and potentially disappointing to the players if this world is never revisited in any form, especially after such a tease.

It might seem plausible that the Macula would reappear after nearly a thousand years without a clear, brief scene to clearly show this, and regardless, it’s questionable if that brief scene represents any specific time period – maybe intentionally so, to keep speculation alive about when the scene occurs. If they never reveal the answer, whether it’s by Asobo or another studio taking over the franchise, then it will be a mix of genius and tragedy, leaving the meaning and purpose of such a significant cliffhanger open for players’ varied interpretations.

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2024-09-11 20:34