I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss seeing rats. No, not in real life, but in the upcoming Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. The series had distinguished itself from other games by focusing on the Black Death era, while using diseases as thematic and gameplay markers. 

Instead of using the cover of darkness to get a jump on enemies and devouring them with my supernatural control over rats, I’m jumping right in broad daylight with a sword and knife to cut open their throats. There’s a noticeable shift in setting and tone as Resonance seems to be a sunnier adventure. I played two hours of the game, and I’m interested to see how it’ll connect to the first two games.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy follows a younger version of the smuggling pirate Sophia, whom our prior protagonists, Amicia and Hugo, met in A Plague Tale: Requiem. Set 15 years earlier, Sophia has been cursed with terrifying visions, and after escaping from her home, she reaches the island of Crete, which may have the key to ending her curse.

Resonance thankfully still has some horror-tinged aspects, namely through Sophia’s visions. Often seeped in red, these visions are sudden and ominous, showing her what looks like some sort of connection to the Macula, a supernatural curse prominently featured in the series that allows users to control rats.

During my time with the preview, I played chapters 5 and 6, where Sophia is accompanied by her friend Leni. While I’m unsure of her origins or when she joined, I’m curious as to how she’ll develop as the game progresses. Resonance is much more focused on combat, and Sophia’s repertoire of moves includes slashes, blocks, dodges, and parries. It’s nothing revolutionary, but the action feels smooth, almost like Batman: Arkham. Sophia even has a few finishers that add cinematic flourish.

One thing you’ll have to look out for is her HP bar. I was only able to sustain about three hits before dying, and in order to replenish any HP, you’ll need to kill an enemy. So you can’t go in there all reckless. You have to properly read enemy attacks if you want to survive. Leni can’t be controlled directly, but she’ll often be helpful and keep at least one enemy busy as she fights on her own.

Additionally, Resonance emphasizes Greek culture this time around, giving its setting a different identity from the other Plague Tale games. Sophia also has visions revolving around the Greek legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, allowing her to peer into the past. I even played as Theseus at certain points with a similar moveset to Sophia, as he also cuts down other gladiators. There’s a bit of a dual timeline mechanic here, as seeing things through Theseus’s eyes during cutscenes gives her insight on how to progress through the dilapidated dungeons on Crete.

Puzzles are also a big focus of Resonance. During my preview, Sophia had a mysterious device that would emit three different colored lights, and I’d have to line them up properly on switches in order to open up doors to get further in. You’re rewarded for some light exploration as well. I took a side detour to another light-focused puzzle, and when I solved it, I found a chest containing the Sica, a sword for Sophia. This one contained the Focus Rush skill, where killing an enemy further increases her Focus Gauge.

Eventually, Sophia and Leni get separated, and the former is forced to navigate the temple’s underground alone. However, a giant tubular monster hides in the depths, waiting to attack. This is where the game’s stealth elements come into play. Similar to the first two games, light is a safe haven. Whenever Sophia runs, she emits a trail of blue aura, and the monster is attracted to that. So you’re basically trying to rush from one light source to the next. Additionally, Sophia can use her grappling hook to swing across large gaps, giving the traversal a sort of Uncharted-like feel to it.

After successfully getting out from underground, Sophia lets out a sigh of relief, but now realizes that she has to find Leni before it’s too late. My demo cuts there.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a prequel to the first two games, but manages to separate itself by focusing on action and the shift to Greek culture rather than a stealthy adventure through France. The gameplay and puzzle-solving aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but all of its mechanics feel incredibly polished.

I’m absolutely enamored with the A Plague Tale’s world. I’m excited to see how Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy expands its lore and fleshes out Sophia’s character since her introduction in the previous game. This might be the perfect swashbuckling adventure to close out the summer when it launches on August 27 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.