A Plague Tale: Requiem has its fair share of heartwarming moments, but they’re often overshadowed by the story’s consistent woes and lows. The innocence of the first game still shines through in some moments, but the horrors of the Macula epidemic tend to steal the spotlight. After all, you’re playing a teenage girl tasked with the enormous responsibility of taking care of her younger brother,as you evade swarms of rats, soldiers, and sickness.
Whether that sadness is found in a character’s death or the solemn attitude the characters have adopted, the plot is filled with absolutely heart-wrenching moments. These are some of the most heartbreaking in A Plague Tale: Requiem.
Warning: This article contains major plot spoilers.
10/10 Beatrice Is Killed In Front Of Amicia
Beatrice is the first main character, if you're excluding Vaudin, to die. She’s unfortunately killed in a cult-like ritual by Emilie, otherwise known as the Priestess or Countess. What’s perhaps more upsetting about this disturbing scene is that it's committed in front of her daughter, Amicia, and witnessed soon after by her youngest child, Hugo.
Both of her children are obviously devastated as they watch their mother die, which triggers Hugo’s Macula infection, killing Emilie and many of the surrounding soldiers. You might be satisfied by Emilie’s bad karma, but the repercussions of this moment are extreme for the children.
9/10 Arnaud Sacrifices Himself For His Friends
The second main character to die is Arnaud, who is killed toward the end of the game. Arnaud is killed by his archnemesis, Count Victor. Seeing Arnaud and Amicia’s relationship transition from enemies to allies is a beautiful shift in the plot. And it’s easy to cry while you watch him sacrifice himself for Amicia in order to take Victor down.
Though his story begins as The Wall, he ends it as a loyal friend to Amicia and Hugo, and his sacrifice for the pair is undoubtedly admirable. It’s a fantastic redemption arc, but a terrible ending to his story.
8/10 Hugo Thinks Amicia Is Dead
Though she survives the attempted murder, Hugo is completely convinced that his sister is dead. The moment is so convincing that you may even believe it yourself, as her survival isn’t revealed until a minute later.
Thankfully, Amicia survives the arrow to her abdomen, but seeing Hugo and the other characters’ reactions is hard to forget — especially considering the consequences of Hugo’s perception.
7/10 Hugo Dies After Succumbing To The Macula
Out of all the deaths you experience in both games combined, Hugo’s is by far the most heartbreaking. Little Hugo is a small light shining in the dark setting of 14th-century France, and the threat of his death looms over the characters as the plot goes on.
Finding Hugo in the wake of the city’s Macula-induced destruction might give you a temporary sliver of hope. But that hope is quickly dashed away once you and Amicia realize what has to be done.
6/10 Amicia Silently Suffers
From start to finish, Amicia has been burdened by having to grow up too fast. In Requiem, her instincts as the Protector begin to kick in, and it’s difficult for her to see beyond the need to protect Hugo.
After she nearly evades death and witnesses her mother's murder, Amicia has experienced unimaginable trauma. Still, you don’t see her break down until you find a hidden room. There, Amicia will cry and pray for guidance.
5/10 Lost Hope After The Red City
With everything they experience, it’s easy to forget that the de Runes and Lucas are children. Hugo, only six years old, still shows his innocence and naivety, but Amicia and Lucas don’t typically take the time to enjoy things as he does.
Once in the Red City, each of the characters briefly lets their guard down, focusing on enjoyment rather than survival. Hugo is the most hopeful here, so it’s a devastating blow once the city falls due to the Macula. The characters can’t enjoy things for too long before they’re ripped out from under them.
4/10 The Macula Evolves
Still focusing on the Red City, Hugo begins the game as seemingly cured to some extent. The characters know that the Macula can reappear, but they all feel that they’re momentarily in the clear.
But when Hugo falls ill again, everything changes. It’s difficult to watch anyone be sick, but watching a child like Hugo suffer is particularly chilling. And of course, this doesn’t only impact Hugo, as his family and friends race against the clock to try to help him.
3/10 Finding The First Carrier
If Hugo's suffering wasn’t bad enough, knowing someone was afflicted with the Macula prior to him makes everything much worse. You learn of this first carrier as you search for answers during the Count and Countess’ ritual.
You’re not really sure of what exactly happened to the child until you get deeper into the building. Eventually, you’ll find the skeleton of the child chained up underground. This suggests the Macula can’t be cured, and that the first carrier received horrible treatment from the people around him.
2/10 Dying Woman Confuses Amicia For Someone Else
The story takes a dark turn once Amicia and Lucas make their way into the guarded coliseum. They quickly realize that the Macula and the rats are already in the Red City and that many of the residents have been afflicted with the disease.
So many people are dead within the walls, but Amicia and Lucas manage to find one person clinging to life. The woman confuses Amicia for someone else, possibly her own daughter, and speaks her last words to her.
1/10 Hugo Stops Speaking
After finding his mother dead, the Macula emerges from Hugo with fury as he kills the soldiers and the Countess. When Amicia, Hugo, and Lucas start to make their way out of the castle they deal with the aftermath of the events they just experienced. Amicia and Lucas push on, but Hugo stays silent.
It takes a considerable amount of time before Hugo speaks again. It’s heartbreaking to see such a young child go through so much loss and emotional pain that he chooses not to speak.
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