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‘A Plague Tale: Innocence’ Pits You Against Hordes of Rats, Black Death and the Inquisition

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Plague

Focus Home Interactive has been on a roll as of late. Titles like Vampyr, Call of Cthulhu and The Surge have all been games that think outside the box of the norm and completely do their own thing. Well, their latest offering, A Plague Tale: Innocence displays more of that school of thought and gives us a game unlike anything I have seen before.

You play as Amicia during the time of the history altering, and turbulent events of The Hundered Years’ War. Following a blood soaked visit from the Inquisition, Amicia is left to fend for her ailing brother, Hugo. Not an easy task when you factor in the hordes of rats, the Black Death and blood thirsty soldiers.

Now I just want you all to know that its going to take everything I have in me to not mention Monty Python when mentioning the Inquisition but, I press on.

The beautifully rendered game is gorgeous even at its most dower, and trust me this game has some bleak moments. Seeing thousands of rats festering is a graphical achievement. The game looks great rather it’s during broad day light while strolling through the forest or at midnight while walking across the rotting bodies of thousands of fallen soldiers. The lighting effects work on a new level and really push the graphical prowess of the Xbox One X’s capabilities.

The whole thing takes place in the real world, but verges on the magic of story books. The addition of alchemy, plague and the fanciful goings on in the world feel like they are perfectly riding the rail of reality and fantasy. This lends to the feeling of being read a bed time story. Not that anything here would put you to sleep.

Make sure you are holding on to your heartstrings cause this game takes you places. In the tradition of Game of Thrones type world, deaths and shocks, A Plague Tale: Innocence, doesn’t pull any punches and doesn’t care if your feelings get annihilated.

Plague

The brunt of the game is heavily built around stealth elements requiring Amicia and Hugo to sneak about avoiding guards. In some cases, when absolutely necessary, Amicia is capable of stealthily killing and/or putting enemies to sleep. However, in no way is Amicia a pushover either. Armed with a sling, she can be downright deadly. But only when necessary. The game does a great job putting actual empathetic guilt behind killing. Factors like Amicia never having killed before and her child brother, Hugo watching her action lends to that emotion quite a bit.

One of the coolest parts of the game comes from the alchemy at play in the world. Along the journey, Amicia becomes skilled in crafting items using select recipes. This gives you an edge with sleeping powders, acid, fire and more. Each comes with their respective cool sorcery and helps in the battle against rats and man. Certain combos of Alchemy can be tied together to satisfying results. For example, enemies wearing helmets can be dealt with using acid to melt a helmet, followed by a rock to the temple to seal the deal.

Outside of the stealth elements, A Plague Tale also brings in several bits of puzzle based gameplay. These consist of working in conjunction with Hugo, or other allies, in order to get past a certain area. The ability to give small commands to Hugo is vital in accomplishing these parts of the game. They also add a nice change up from the game stealth tactic structure. The stealth and puzzle portions of the game are never quite enough in the long run though. With a world filled with as much dread, it very rarely is reflected in the challenges that you are given. A bit more difficulty would have worked in favor of the world that was established.

Now let’s talk Rats. The bread and butter of this game. Well far more disgusting than bread and butter but still. Rats are the games center. These peksy dudes are the harbingers of the Black Death. Acting very much like the aliens from Pitch Black, the hordes of rats stay out of the light. This adds the terrifying mechanic of using a torch in order to keep them away… but these torches have a tendency to go out. Without light the rat horde swoops in to eat you alive. It’s a terrible way to go, and one that you can use to your advantage when steering the rats towards enemy soldiers. This can be done by using your sling to shoot out enemy lanterns. Once the lights go out the rats get their lunch and luckily it wasn’t you. The rats are a creepy constant, and one that puts this game into its own satisfying category.

Plague

The character driven narrative comes warts and all and I couldn’t help but be reminded of a WWII film called Come and See. Much like this the nightmarish aspects of war and mass death feels disconnected from reality in some way. It’s a harsh world padded in storybook sensibilities.

A Plague Tale: Innocence, is entirely mesmerizing. Its storybook sensibilities are dripping with allegory, substance and great gameplay. It carefully sets up a very human game, with an endearing protagonist. It’s a lean game that doesn’t have any unnecessary filler. From start to finish I was enthralled and completely on board with Amicia and Hugo on their journey and hope that the Focus Home Interactive revisits this world in some capacity in the very near future.

A Plague Tale: Innocence is out now on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

A code was provided for review on Xbox One.

 

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The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

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The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

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Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors. 

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie. 

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time. 

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.

Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Footwear for Wednesday Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams Skullector doll
Morticia Addams doll shoes
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1994’s ‘The Crow’ Coming Back to Theaters for A New Special Engagement

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The Crow

Cinemark recently announced that they will be bringing The Crow back from the dead once again. This announcement comes just in time for the film’s 30th anniversary. Cinemark will be playing The Crow in select theaters on May 29th and 30th.

For those unaware, The Crow is a fantastic film based on the gritty graphic novel by James O’Barr. Widely considered one of the best films of the 90s, The Crow’s lifespan was cut short when Brandon Lee died of an accidental on set shooting.

The official synapsis of the film is as follows. “The modern-gothic original that entranced audiences and critics alike, The Crow tells the tale of a young musician brutally murdered alongside his beloved fiancée, only to be risen from the grave by a mysterious crow. Seeking revenge, he battles a criminal underground that must answer for its crimes. Adapted from the comic book saga of the same name, this action-packed thriller from director Alex Proyas (Dark City) features hypnotic style, dazzling visuals, and a soulful performance by the late Brandon Lee.”

The Crow

The timing of this release couldn’t be better. As a new generation of fans eagerly awaits the release of The Crow remake, they can now see the classic film in all of its glory. As much as we love Bill Skarsgard (IT), there is something timeless in Brandon Lee’s performance in the film.

This theatrical release is part of the Scream Greats series. This is a collaboration between Paramount Scares and Fangoria to bring audiences some of the best classic horror films. So far, they are doing a fantastic job.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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