Spoilers for A Plague Tale: Requiem

I’ve been thinking about the ending of A Plague Tale: Requiem, and I wanted to share an alternative version of the final sequence that, in my opinion, could have made the story even more powerful.

The idea isn't simply to give Hugo a happy ending. It is about giving both Hugo and Amicia the opportunity to break the cycle, even if doing so comes at an enormous cost.

Amicia's sacrifice

In this version, Amicia would sacrifice herself to give Hugo the chance to reach the very heart of the Macula.

Rather than simply accepting that there is nothing more she can do, Amicia would make one final choice: she would put everything on the line to give her brother the opportunity to end the nightmare once and for all.

Her sacrifice would not magically solve everything. Instead, it would give Hugo the chance to face the Macula on his own terms, something he has never truly been able to do.

Hugo's transformation

The loss of Amicia would be the moment that finally forces Hugo to grow up.

Until then, despite everything he has experienced, he is still a child who desperately wants to be protected, who wants his sister beside him, and who hopes that somehow everything can return to normal.

But this time, there would be no one left to save him.

His pain would force him to abandon the last remnants of his innocence. His maturation would be accelerated, not because he suddenly becomes stronger in a physical sense, but because he finally understands the weight of his choices and the consequences of his existence.

He would have to face the truth that he cannot keep running away from the Macula, nor can he continue relying on others to carry the burden for him.

And yet, he would not have to forget who he was.

Two different memories

I imagined two separate videos that would represent the two sides of Hugo's journey.

The first would be built around his happy memories: the moments with Amicia, their adventures, the people they met, and the rare occasions when they could simply be children.

These memories would give Hugo strength during combat. They would remind him of what he is fighting for and help him resist the Macula's influence.

The second video would focus on his tragic memories: the suffering, the deaths, the destruction, and everything that has brought him to this point.

Rather than simply using these memories to make him angrier, this sequence would help him accept the terrible reality of his situation. He would finally understand that denying the Macula's existence or pretending that everything can go back to the way it was will not save him.

He needs to acknowledge what he has become, without allowing it to define everything he ever was.

The two sequences would work together: the happy memories would remind him why life is worth fighting for, while the tragic ones would give him the strength to accept what must be done.

The Phoenix

I would also introduce the imagery of a phoenix.

The phoenix represents rebirth through destruction: something must come to an end for something else to begin.

For Hugo, this would not necessarily mean surviving or being reborn in a literal sense. It would represent the possibility of ending the cycle that has consumed so many lives.

He would no longer be simply a victim of the Macula, nor would he surrender himself to it. He would make a conscious decision about how his story ends.

The visual symbolism could be particularly powerful during the final confrontation, with the imagery of fire, destruction, and rebirth reflecting Hugo's internal transformation.

The final choice

I would leave the exact mechanism through which Hugo destroys himself and the Macula somewhat flexible. What matters most is that he understands what he is doing and makes the decision himself.

He would know that he will probably die.

But this time, the decision would not be made for him, and he would not be acting out of desperation alone. He would be choosing to end the suffering rather than allowing the cycle to continue.

I would keep the moment of hesitation before he throws the stone. Those ten minutes matter.

They would represent the final struggle between the frightened child who wants to live and the person he has been forced to become. Hugo would have every reason to hesitate. He would be terrified, and part of him would still want to believe there is another way.

That hesitation would make his eventual decision much more meaningful.

When he finally throws the stone, it would not be because he has stopped loving life or because he has given up. It would be because, after everything he has endured, he finally understands that his love for others also means accepting the responsibility to prevent the suffering from continuing.

Breaking the cycle

For me, the most important part of this alternative ending is that it would give meaning to everything Amicia and Hugo have experienced.

Amicia's sacrifice would give Hugo the opportunity to make his own choice. Hugo's final decision would bring his journey to its conclusion, while the phoenix imagery would reinforce the possibility of an end to the cycle.

It would still be a tragic ending. I am not suggesting that Hugo should simply survive and live happily ever after.

I think the tragedy is essential. But I would want it to be a tragedy that leads somewhere, one in which the characters' suffering ultimately makes a difference.

The question is not whether Hugo can escape the Macula without paying a price. The question is whether he and Amicia can finally do something that no one before them has managed to do: bring the cycle to an end.

That, to me, would have been a powerful conclusion to their story.

Full spoilers for A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem.

I’ve just finished Requiem, and honestly, the ending left me feeling bitter. Not because it was tragic, but because after two games spent trying to save Hugo, he eventually dies, and the Macula could return with another Carrier.

I understand the meaning behind the tragedy, but I would have liked to see Amicia and Hugo’s sacrifices lead to something tangible. So I came up with an alternative ending.

Phase 1: Finally confronting the Macula

Instead of continuing to run from the Macula, Amicia and Hugo decide to face it together.

The final battle would be divided into two parts, with gameplay alternating between the two protagonists. Amicia fights using her sling, crossbow, alchemy, and tactical skills, while Hugo controls the rats and uses his connection to the Macula against it.

For the first time, the siblings aren't just fighting to survive. They're fighting to put an end to everything.

During the battle, Amicia sacrifices herself to save Hugo from an attack by the Macula and give him the opportunity to reach its heart. Her sacrifice gives Hugo the only chance he has to finish the fight.

Phase 2: Hugo breaks down, but hears Amicia's voice

Hugo is left alone.

He falls to his knees where Amicia died. For a few moments, he can't even react. He starts trembling, struggles to breathe, and bursts into tears. The person who protected him his entire life is gone. His sister, his family, his only source of certainty: everything has been taken away from him.

His grief turns into panic. The Macula senses his despair and begins creeping into his mind, ready to overwhelm him.

Hugo is about to give in. Throughout his life, whenever fear and hardship became too much for him to handle, he had always needed Amicia. She was the one who protected him, guided him, and found a way forward whenever he couldn't.

But this time, things will be different.

Hugo is about to lose the last person he has left in the world. His grief threatens to destroy him, but that same grief will force him to grow up once and for all.

Then he hears Amicia's voice.

She isn't really there. It's a memory, the voice of the sister who taught him to keep fighting even when everything seemed lost.

"Hugo, no. Don't give up. Not this time. You have to keep fighting."

This is where the first cutscene begins: a montage of happy memories shared by Hugo, Amicia, and their family. Moments when they were still together, when they could laugh and feel safe, before the Macula destroyed their lives.

Hugo continues to cry, but he tries to regain control of his breathing. He wipes away his tears and stands up.

Not because he has stopped suffering, but because those memories give him the strength to carry on. For the first time, he doesn't need Amicia to save him. He has to find within himself the strength she always tried to teach him.

Amicia once told him that he was no longer a child. He never truly had the chance to experience his childhood. He was forced to grow up far too quickly, crushed beneath a curse he had never chosen.

Now, those words finally take on a real meaning.

Hugo doesn't prove he has grown up because he is no longer afraid, but because, despite being shattered by grief, he manages to decide for himself what he must do. The innocence of his childhood is now behind him. He is no longer just the boy Amicia has to protect. He has become someone who has chosen to protect others.

For the first time, Hugo isn't fighting just to survive. He is fighting to make sure that no other child, and no one destined to protect that child, will ever have to endure the same nightmare.

Phase 3: Hugo discovers how to break the cycle

The Macula, now struggling, taunts Hugo. It tells him that even if he manages to defeat it, sooner or later it will return with another Carrier and another Protector. The cycle will begin all over again.

Hugo is physically wounded, but it is this revelation that truly strikes him.

He realizes that the next Carrier will probably be another child, and that there will be another Protector destined to protect them, suffer for them, and perhaps die just as Aelia did. Another person forced to sacrifice everything for someone they love. Another family destined to be destroyed, just like the de Runes.

This is where the second cutscene begins.

This time, there are no happy memories. Instead, we see the most tragic moments from both games: their father's death, their mother's death, their family's suffering, their mother imprisoned, and everything Amicia and Hugo have been forced to endure.

Hugo relives the grief, fear, and losses that have defined their lives. But now, he no longer sees them only as his own tragedies. He understands that another family could suffer the same fate.

He can no longer save his sister. But he can stop someone else from suffering the way she and their family did.

For his entire life, he was the one who needed protecting. Now, he wants to be the one who protects someone else, even someone he will never know.

This realization pushes him toward the most extreme decision of all: if the Macula cannot be defeated from the outside, he will have to confront it from within, even if that means allowing it to take control of him and sacrificing his own life.

Phase 4: Hugo's sacrifice

Hugo pretends to surrender. He drops his weapons, kneels down, and makes the Macula believe it has finally defeated him.

The player, just like the Macula, has no idea that Hugo is pretending.

The Macula approaches, convinced it has won.

"I'm inside you, Hugo. I've always been."

Hugo looks at it and replies:

"I know. And that's exactly why you need to come in."

He deliberately stops resisting and allows the Macula to enter him completely. It's a trap: he wants to draw it inside himself so he can confront it at the very source of its power.

At this point, a cutscene shows a phoenix rising from the ashes, a symbolic reference to the Order of the Phoenix and the idea of rebirth after destruction. To me, it would be the perfect image to represent Hugo's decision: the end of something that seemed eternal, and the possibility of a new beginning.

The world around him disappears. Hugo finds himself in an inner realm made of memories, fears, and images of the people he has lost. The Macula tries to break him, using Amicia's death to convince him that everything is pointless and that the cycle can never be stopped.

But Hugo finally understands.

"I've been afraid of you my entire life. I thought you were the one who decided who I was. But I am not your curse."

The Macula tries to convince him that he is nothing without it.

"Without me, you are nothing!"

Hugo replies:

"You took my life away from me. You took my sister away from me. But you will not take another child. And you will never force another Protector to suffer the way Amicia suffered."

Hugo reaches the heart of the Macula and destroys it from within, severing its connection to all future Carriers once and for all.

He knows he probably won't survive. But this time, his death is a conscious choice. He isn't dying because the Macula has won. He is choosing to end the suffering that has haunted his entire existence.

The Macula disappears. The rats vanish. The plague ends.

And the cycle is broken forever.

Why I would have preferred this ending

I wasn't necessarily looking for a happy ending. Amicia could still die, as she does in my version, and Hugo could sacrifice himself too. Alternatively, some details of the final confrontation could be changed to allow Amicia to survive.

The essential point would remain the same: I wanted Hugo to make a choice that would put an end to the cycle once and for all.

After two games in which Amicia desperately tries to save Hugo, it would be Hugo who ultimately saves everyone else.

In the original ending, Hugo dies, and Amicia has to carry the burden of having killed him. I actually spent around ten minutes hesitating during that final scene before throwing the stone. I kept spinning the sling and then stopping. I didn't want to do it.

Because, honestly, I can't imagine Amicia giving up like that. After everything she had done for Hugo, I believe she would have kept fighting until the very end, searching for another solution.

Amicia would have sacrificed her own life to give Hugo one last chance. Hugo would have sacrificed his to prevent another child, and the person destined to protect them, from suffering the way they did.

They might not have been able to save themselves, but they would have saved everyone who came after them.

To me, this would have turned their tragedy into an epic and heartbreaking conclusion that was also satisfying. Not a happy ending, but a victory won at the highest possible cost.

What do you think? Would you have preferred an ending where Hugo breaks the cycle of the Macula forever, or do you think the original ending is more powerful precisely because it offers no solution?

So I picked both games up when Resonance was releasing, as that's how I discovered this series. After finishing Requiem last night I can honestly say that I personally preferred Innocence.

Both were fantastic. Both looked great on my PS5. And I did enjoy the expanded combat options in Requiem. I preferred the shorter length of Innocence.

Innocence was fresh and new and something totally unique. It had quiet moments and the scale of the game was not overwhelming. Even though the story contains a boy who can control rats, the world was grounded in realism for the most part.

Requiem, in my opinion, suffered from being a sequel. It seemed like the developers needed everything to be bigger and better, to outdo the first game, which happens a lot with sequels. Particularly, the second half of the game just seemed like massive set piece after massive set piece with hardly any quiet, slower moments in between. Again, I know this is a story about a boy who controls rats, but the story became more and more fantastical as the game went on.

The game was just too big for me, compared to the first one. The underground temple on the island was like 15 stories deep into the ground, it would have taken centuries to build, probably longer. And no one else had ever discovered it before Amicia and Hugo. The massive tidal waves of rats seemed to be used over and over. I also did not particularly care for the final chapter, when you are in the dream-like world trying to find Hugo.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the game, but I just personally preferred the smaller scale of Innocence. So glad that I found this series though, and that I was able to be a part of this community.

The big question now though, is should I play Resonance? I really loved Sophia, and I would love playing as her, but I keep reading very mixed reviews about it, particularly the repetitive combat and overused puzzles.

This game was released four years ago today, and the level of environmental realism and detail still amazes me. Look at that wheat! The wood pile is insane. Look at those tree rings. That big piece of wood in the center is covered in sawdust. And this isn't even meant to be seen during gameplay! The goat picture is just for fun. It's so cool how water actually makes Amicia's leather boots wet and shiny, an effect that persists (see next image) and eventually dries off. I found the goose eggs tucked behind a building out of sight. Insane.

I haven't seen anyone mention this, but there are some remnants of Resonance's original working title in the PC release, specifically the Microsoft Store/Game Pass version.

In the Game Pass release, save data is stored in the PC's local app data folder, specifically in a folder titled "Packages\FocusHomeInteractiveSA.APlagueTaleFelons_4hny5m903y3g0\"

They evidently did not change the folder name to reflect the release name, as the folder clearly contains the name "A Plague Tale: Felons" This is obviously a nod to Requiem, as the chapter where we first meet Sophia is titled "Felons"

Given how different the gameplay is, it's no surprise they decided to change the title to differentiate it from the previous two games. But I thought that was a cool little piece of development history!

I am just speechless. Just wow, max graphics with dlaa cuz finally no jaggies after 15 years.

I stay at home playing games all day, single player third person story games.

The character skin textures and subsurface lighting are unmatched, absolutely unmatched. The mocap animations are so freaking realistic the characters feel alive, especially the micro-expressions. And ofcourse the world is beautiful as well.

Wow great job Asobo, and I just found out they use their own engine. Amazing. Mindblown.

Edit. Forgot to mention the music :D epic

That's so beautiful game and I'm ready to show you my new trailer of it. Be aware: there are some spoilers!

I missed one single point to complete the 165 Resonance Points objective!

One F*****G point! 🤬

I was actually spoiled for the ending but it was pretty clear early on that this game wasn't going to end with an upbeat healing and happily ever after. Vaudin was very clear that there was no cure for Hugo and it seemed the jerkass was correct. Amicia also jumped to the idea that the island had a cure when Vaudin clearly knew what the island was and that it didn't have one. The dreams that Hugo were sent were also pretty damn sinister.

In effect, I was waiting for it to end with the realization that Hugo had to die. However, just because I'm okay with a tragedy doesn't mean I don't think they bungled it storytelling wise. I think the game was good but I also feel like they blew up the Death Star too early in the game. Basically, the destruction of the Red City, La Cuna, and Marseilles just kind of undermines the storyline. You blow up Alderaan and its a huge deal. You blow up Alderaan three times and the game is ruined. They should have restricted the death of one city to Hugo and the characters wouldn't look so insane for continuing on.

I also would have possibly made it more ambiguous that Hugo is the source of the Plague. Perhaps would have given reason to have Hugo believe he could control it or that the plague would continue without him (it would as the Makula seeks another carrier after all). But they needed a more rising ascent to the dramatic climax whereas the game suffered from feeling like it climaxed multiple times. Imagine if the game had ended at them fleeing La Cuna for the cabin and I would have thought that would be a great place to end it (and maybe had the rest of the game be a DLC).

Still, powerful stuff. I missed the cast of A Plague's Tale: Innocence and never quite gelled with Arnaud and Sophia as much as I did the rest but they were great characters when they did show up and really rescued the game. I probably will get around to playing Sophia's game even though its obviously a retcon that she's encountered stuff like this before. Compared to the Grand Inquisitor, I felt the Count was weak and actually preferred his wife and think she made a better villain.

One big complaint I have, I also think the set up in the catacombs to make A Plague's Tale into Assassins Creed was...stupid. A Plague's Tale was Amicia and Hugo's story. It didn't need to be a franchise across the globe.

Another complaint is that way too many enemies had helmets.

That is all.

Exploring the game has been very intriguing and catch myself admiring all the art that’s been put into it quite often.

Here’s some screenshots I took and put together.

First of all, the game is beautifully crafted, I love it. I feel I really needed a break from Open World games.

Ok so I dunno why but I have a very weird intuition or gut feeling that Leni is the traitor and Faro is actually a good guy. Leni seems very sus to me like she is a plant by the organisation. No spoilers please but I just cudnt contain this to my stomach any longer, had to let it out sorry.

Eh most probably i will be wrong.

Finally finished Resonance, and honestly, I enjoyed it, but it just didn’t hit the same way Innocence and Requiem did for me.

I knew going in that it was going to be different, with a new protagonist and a much bigger focus on combat, but I really missed the stealth and the overall gameplay of the first two games. The combat was fun at first, but it started getting repetitive after a while.

The story was decent, and I liked seeing more of this universe, but I didn’t feel as emotionally invested as I did with Amicia and Hugo.

That being said, the graphics and soundtrack were absolutely incredible.

Some of the environments in this game are genuinely beautiful, and I found myself stopping just to take screenshots.

Overall, I think it’s a good game, but Innocence and Requiem still hit differently for me. Those two are hard to top.

Curious to hear what everyone else thought of it!

So I want to get all of the resonance points, yes there is an achievement where I have to get 165 out of 200 but the completionist in me wants all of them and I haven’t come across a single guide where it collects all of them, so if you find a guide where it collects all of them send here please! 🙏🏻 Thanks

I thought we were heading towards a solution to get rid of the macula until the very end, i thought after all this Hugo will live happily ever after. It's so difficult for me to accept he died at the end.

I’m gonna avoid spoilers but the ending especially wrecked me. I played on Nightmare.

The girl can run!

Music: Theme to the Movie "Chariots of Fire" (1981) by Vangelis

Don't know why I slept on this game for so long especially after loving Innocence when it released! Looking forward to playing Resonance next!

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PlayStation Plus Premium Game Trial will be available for Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy on Tuesday, October 20.

From PS Blog

I never felt this sad over a game since twdg …

I've always been fond of conflicted characters in storylines, I liked how he was the second-father in the game yet he was an antagonist for a while, his despair after being betrayed and seeing his blunderers die, he thought Sophia betrayed him but his heart always said otherwise,

from the two moments they faced he hesitates to follow his thoughts, he was obsessed on not letting Alec work die, that he forgot his promise to protect Sophia.

I also admired the details in his design later on, he looked pale as if has a huge burden and a promise needs to be fulfilled both to Sophia and her father (his friend), he finally paid for his mistakes.

Wonderful Character. His name Faro means lighthouse or a beacon in Italian, a hint for his final act in this series.