A Plague Tale: Innocence is a story-driven game, but that does not mean the gameplay is not worth analyzing. On the contrary, the stealth-based combat gives you many tools to use when it comes to either sneaking past or killing the guards hunting Amicia and Hugo.
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If you are having trouble getting past certain chapters, keep the tips below in mind. The combat sequences start off fairly simple, but later chapters become genuinely challenging. The last chapter in particular truly tests your mettle and forces you to use everything you have learned up to that point.
Don't Be Afraid To Kill People
Even though you are encouraged to use stealth and the main character is a 15-year-old girl, that does not mean you cannot slaughter most of the guards that stand in your way. Dedicated players might want to go through the game as pacifistically as possible. However, there are no penalties for killing guards. Don't think you are giving up or playing the game wrong if you decide to simply eliminate guards by throwing rocks in enemies' faces. This is not Metal Gear where you get a special ranking and bonuses by beating the game without killing people.
You Can Crouch Right Behind Guards
A Plague Tale: Innocence is pretty generous when it comes to the sound of your footsteps. A later upgrade makes them even quieter. With this in mind, remember that you can crouch right behind guards without alerting them to your presence.
As long as you don't exit the crouching stance, the guard will not realize you are right behind them. It might not seem realistic, but it helps a lot when quickly sneaking past enemies. If the AI could detect you this easily and behaved like real human beings, the game would not be as fun.
Crouch Behind Soldiers Who Are Using A Torch
Some enemies are using bright torches to walk around without becoming rat food. If you need to find a way to sneak past rats but do not have a light source of your own, sneak right behind these soldiers to get by. First, distract the soldier so he walks towards you.
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Once he is nearby and sees nothing suspicious, he'll turn around and start walking back to his post. When he is walking back, you can crouch behind him to successfully walk through the rats.
Don't Worry About Escorted NPCs As Long As You Don't Leave Them Alone For Too Long
One worry for gamers is how much attention you actually have to pay to NPCs you are escorting. In A Plague Tale: Innocence, you can mostly ignore them if they are by your side.
Occasionally they will be caught by a soldier and you will need to kill the enemy to save them. Other than that, you do not have to worry about them ruining your cover when in stealth. If you have to leave them alone, it is generally for puzzles rather than combat. Guiding NPCs can ruin a game. Thankfully, in A Plague Tale, it is not so troublesome.
Always Craft
Resources are fairly abundant in the game world. In fact, you will probably find yourself leaving resources behind since your inventory fills up pretty quickly. With this in mind, be sure to constantly craft different projectiles for your sling so those resources do not go to waste. There are a couple of projectiles that require a particularly hefty amount of raw materials, but even these won't be hard to craft as long as you are observant and constantly scrounge for supplies.
If Rats Are Hanging In A Cage, They Can Usually Be Dropped
An early chapter teaches you that you can drop most hanging cages by throwing a rock with the sling towards a ring in on the chain. You have to do this a few more times in the story. Remember this for times when you see a cage hanging with rats. You can almost always drop the cage on enemies. A particular room in the final chapter becomes significantly easier once you remember this strategy.
Use Devorantis Liberally
Devorantis is used to make heavily armored soldiers take off their helmets. It heats up the metal until they have no choice but to remove it. Afterward, they are vulnerable for a few seconds; more than enough time to line up a shot with the rock.
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Use this liberally and it will make those soldiers easier to kill. It may seem cruel, but so are the soldiers chasing Hugo and Amicia. They've all already done worse things to the protagonist's family.
Luminosa Is Always Worth It
Luminosa is a step up from Ignifer. Where Ignifer only lights up unlit torches, Luminosa clears rats from any surface. It is only temporary, though, and the projectile takes a lot of resources to make. However, it is always worth it to use when there is a wagon with resources and a workbench. Valuable resources used to permanently upgrade your sling are always inside. These stations are also generally far away from each other, so you'll always have time to craft another Luminosa before the next wagon.
Every Situation Has Multiple Solutions
On a first playthrough, you are still getting used to the gameplay and mechanics. Only upon replays of certain sequences or chapters do you realize how versatile A Plague Tale: Innocence's combat is. If you went through a certain sequence one way, many other players probably did something completely different. Remember this if you are having trouble with a certain sequence. If the way you are trying is too hard, just think about doing it another way and you might find yourself beating it without even breaking a sweat.
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