We’re always a tad cautious when a franchise sets up great things for its future only to make a pivot in an entirely unexpected direction with the next instalment. That’s what we feel when we think about Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. Amicia and Sophia teaming up at the end of Requiem was a moment that had so many potential ramifications for its narrative, and is a narrative justification for an upcoming game to take the story out of the dark and gloomy gloomy streets of the plague-ravaged setting from the first game to any corner of the globe a child and their guardian might call home.
Asobo could have played that quite safely, setting up a well-polished and refined take on its stealth-forward formula that had already worked so well across two titles. Sophia’s slingshot was a potent weapon, and it would have been so easy to call it a day and give it some increased utility with careful, cautious additions. Of course, turning the clock back by fifteen years to examine an earlier chapter in Sophia’s life, and using that as a platform to turn things back even further and potentially examine the origins of the game’s supernatural elements is a bold gambit.
But there are hints of intelligence that shine through, making us believe that the developers have been clever about cooking up a game that wears its inspirations on its sleeve while setting up the franchise for future success in the process. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s jump right in.
Fascinating Forward Momentum
It makes sense that Sophia is at the heart of this new adventure, given that she was woven into Requiem quite well, while her potential return was set up quite clearly at the end of it. She’s a largely open book at this point, though, and her reluctance to take drastic decisions in Requiem leaves plenty of room to explore what kind of violence she may have experienced, or inflicted, in the past. Taking the story back to her early days is a great narrative choice, cementing her role in whatever comes next while expanding her skill set beyond the previous title’s range of capabilities afforded to her.
The narrative justification and grounding for it is there for all to see, considering that she’s likely to be a protector of sorts to Amicia wherever their adventures take them next. Looking deeper into her violent past, and potentially getting a closer look at the events that shaped her into the woman we know is definitely intriguing, and can lend flavor to the franchise’s overarching narrative.
A prequel is definitely a great way to establish continuity to the events of the first two games, and perhaps help ground Sophia’s role in them. We don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Macula Prime remains largely unexamined beyond the entire child and guardian part of it. Sophia’s past could be the key to helping track other infected children in the future, making her crucial to Amicia’s desire to help them as a means of honoring Hugo.
An opportunity to witness a franchise as riveting as this comes one full circle is definitely enticing, as is the one to take things forward in exciting new directions with more contextualised lead characters than what Requiem managed. But that’s just the story. We’ve still got that swashbuckling brand of combat and tomb-raiding in a brand new areas to talk about.
Keeping Things Fresh
While we aren’t surprised that the developers wanted to leave the dark and gritty tone of the first two games behind, taking us back to Greece wasn’t something we’d have guessed at. The island of Crete, which is where Sophia’s ground for exploration, brings all the color and brightness of that distinct Mediterranean vibe to the table and it’s a very welcome new visual style for the franchise. Footgae from official gameplay and trailers show cliff sides, dark underground levels, water and beaches, and a few mountains, all of which shine through with a clean image and seemingly stable framerates.
Results on the final release may vary, but things are looking quite good on the visual front, and the change is more than superficial. The Plague Tale games have always been lookers so it’s not a surprise that Resonance looks so good. It makes Sophia’s past a very vibrant place, although Asobo has made it clear that the brighter surroundings won’t spare her from the kind of hardship the franchise has become known for. That’s going to be an interesting contrast, and watching it play out could be among the best stories 2026 gives us the pleasure of witnessing.
Sophia is tenacious by nature, and a stable, grounded presence. But she seems more reckless in the past, and perhaps even a tad too confident in her abilities if you look at her in action. The shift from stealth to a head on combat is a big change, but Sophia seems more than capable of winning us over with a set of tools that serve her very well. There’s the grappling hook to close gaps, along with a sword-and-dagger combat system where parries, dodges, and the nimble use of abilities can have you making fights look stylish and easy.
Indeed, everything we’ve seen of the game, and talk from the developers about how Ghost of Tsushima served as a major inspiration among other action titles, points to a combat system that’s designed to keep you flowing from one move to the other while constantly keeping enemies off balance. That’s always our favorite kind of combat loop as measured aggression often makes for the most thrilling fights. Although, when you actually play the game, the combat does enough to make it stand out from Ghost.
The game’s level design improvements in Plague Tale were clearly demonstrated through the platforming sections of a specific chapter, which was featured in the preview build that we had the opportunity to experience firsthand. We’re not going to spoil anything here, but when you factor those in with puzzles (which we will talk about in a bit) and platforming that are sure to remind you of yet another swashbuckling franchise, you might wonder if Resonance ends up feeling a tad derivative. Trust us, it’s not.
Although it’s a valid concern, we’re pointing you towards what is our favorite addition of them all: the way the game has woven in a myth into its narrative and gameplay. Taking Sophia back to her past, examining visions of the location she’s now exploring is a ticket to the very Island’s early days, where you’re going to take control of a character in his fight against the Minotaur. The developers are playing things pretty close to the chest on that front, but it isn’t too hard to predict some connection with the Macula Prime on the cards. It will be interesting to see how things pan out on that front.
Regardless, it’s another justification for the shift from stealth to action, it’s also important to consider the suspicion that choosing Sophia for the experiment felt too convenient. As a blank slate with a role to play in the franchise’s future, is Resonance simply playing it safe, buying time as it figures out what’s next for its story? Is Sophia merely a smokescreen before the franchise returns to Amicia’s sneaky story, or a beacon for better things to come?
A Proving Ground
The only answer we have to those questions at the moment is that the island of Crete is more than just a home for Sophia’s early story and a convenient means to weave the minotaur into the mix. It’s also a stage for Asobo to show us what it can do, on a stage that’s well out of its comfort zone. The island’s excellent design carries the studio’s ambitions, and its lack of experience designing combat systems in the past is a valid concern. The first two Plague games despite being great, their respective combat systems were still pretty simplistic.
With Resonance, however, we think that it’s a great way to bring a fresh new perspective on systems we already know and love, and everything we’ve seen of the combat system in action points to it feeling fast, fluid, and fantastically brutal. What’s more, the developers have since said that it isn’t going to be too much for players unfamiliar with Soulslikes, pointing to an accessible experience that balances innovations and challenge. Pragmata has already shown us how that pans out this year, and Resonance stands to gain a lot from a well-placed experience.
Well, official footage points and our hands on with the game points to that being the case, with a seamless flow between exploration, light platforming, puzzles, and intense fights setting up a rhythm that’s both comfortable yet unpredictable. But we’ve still got a few concerns. Like the animations could be better? I feel they are a tad abrupt. Can the game have enough of a balance between Sophia and Theseus, and have enough of a foundation to support their reportedly distinct combat styles? The entire system and its related animations will need enough readability to ensure a seamless switch between the two. However, given the pedigree of the developer, we have plenty of reasons to remain reassured on that particular front.
Our time with the preview build also shed light on another facet of the experience that might be a tad risky. The intricate and complex design of some puzzles genuinely tested us, especially since the game largely avoids forcing hints or solutions on the player. I mean, we spents several minutes thinking what to do next and we felt stuck during many moments. However, there’s a catch. A helpful companion did offer up entirely optional dialogue prompts, leaving the choice to accept their help up to you in what we think is a clever take on a tried-and-tested system of handholding, with enough player agency to make it stand out.
All in all, Resonance is shaping up to be sailing towards a bright horizon for its ambitious effort at bringing something new to the Plague’s Tale formula. It’s got enough going for it to make it a solid addition to the franchise, and the surprises that we just know are coming could just make it one that stands out among 2026’s best ones.
The stage is set, and the curtain call is now a little over a month away before we find out if this one has what it takes, but it’s looking so darn good we’re almost hoping it succeeds.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
