We’ve played Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy the next Xbox Game Pass bombshell

We had the chance to try the new title of the Asobo saga and we tell you our impressions.

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The A Plague Tale saga managed to conquer the hearts of millions of players who enjoyed two great installments conceived by the dedicated hands of the talents of Asobo. This third installment of the franchise has the challenge of continuing to enchant that solid base of players, but changing the formula in a somewhat drastic way that can alienate some people and attract others.

A Plague Tale: Innocence was based on stealth and action, while Requiem, the second part, expanded those mechanics and took the player to larger scenarios that allowed for greater freedom to make more varied use of different strategies. If that’s exactly what you’re looking for in Resonance, I’m sorry to say that you’ll get an unpleasant surprise, although if you want to be surprised with another type of game within the same universe, you’ll love this journey.

New story, different mechanics

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is set chronologically 15 years before the main saga, and has as its main protagonist Sophia, a smuggler who the most memorable will remember from Requiem, who embarks on a journey to the island of Crete along with her friend Leni to discover the secrets of her past while escaping from her old criminal organization led by Faro, her stepfather, the army, and asserts her connection with Theseus, a warrior from the past who will also guide her to overcome some obstacles.

In this adventure, the origin of the Prima Macula will also be explored, that curse that some families possess and that, when awakened, makes rats begin to appear in the surroundings to spread diseases, the central axis of what the two previous titles of the franchise were.

Generation Xbox had the opportunity to play episodes V and VI of the game in this closed test. The first mission was to make our way through an ancient city by performing tests to obtain a combination that would open a door protected by four seals. Totally away from the proposal of the original titles, Resonance feels like something much closer to titles like Tomb Raider.

Stealth, the possibility of using rat packs for personal benefit, and the constant need to survive were replaced by agile combat, exploration of different points, and almost constant puzzle-solving, a change that didn’t seem bad to me for a spin-off whose idea is to move away from the main saga and create its own identity.

Intelligence as a weapon

Sophia has a notebook that allows her to see clues at all times, such as knowing which combination of platforms to step on in a certain order to avoid being impaled by a group of rusty spears that emerge from the ground without any mercy. At the same time, the protagonist also has a luminescent sphere in her arsenal that projects a light that indicates both safe steps to take without danger and three-color light beams that can (and must) be rotated to point to certain reflectors and open doors or elevate certain platforms.

When talking doesn’t work, you can always use your dagger

Combat feels very good, mainly in the tutorial, but it also seemed extremely fast to finish, even in encounters with several enemies. That said, without a doubt, this is the best combat that the saga has given us, by far. Sophia is armed with a sword and a dagger that she combines at different times to block or attack. She also has a hook that can destabilize enemies on the ground or throw them from high points.

In terms of defense, the smuggler can block some attacks and dodge others; blocking at the right moment will cause the enemy to become stunned for a few seconds, which opens the door to the possibility of delivering a stronger blow. The defense of the larger enemies equipped with shields can be destroyed with a kick that will leave them exposed to the ruthless cuts of the dagger. Each death produced makes Sophia gain a point of life from a bar divided into three parts initially.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy also dares to incorporate some basic RPG elements such as the possibility of incorporating some cosmetic items like earrings and bracelets that grant the protagonist some passive effects such as more resistance, power, or life among the ones I could see in this game.

The menu also has a section for weapons, so it is understood that, when the game finally reaches the market, the player will be able to select their weapon from several options that they will find. On the other hand, resonance points also appear, which allow improving some abilities of the protagonist with what seems to be a worthy tree of options.

Graphically, the game looks very good, and the photo mode that accompanies it has delighted me, and I spent a lot of time with it, seeing the Greek landscapes of 1333. At a sound level, these two episodes have not left a bad taste in my mouth, and although this test was only in English, the game will be localized in 17 languages when it is released, and it has even been confirmed that it will have a Spanish dubbing, although not in its Latin American variant.

The game will arrive on the market on August 27th and is a different proposal from a known universe that can open the door to a very interesting franchise for many or enjoy a variant of something already familiar. If you have a Game Pass subscription, celebrate, because the game will be part of the catalog from the day of its launch.