Best Video Game Stories & Writing of 2019
Winner: A Plague Tale: Innocence
Senior Editor Alex Gibson: A Plague Tale: Innocence surely has to go down as one of 2019’s big surprises. Little known before its release, developer Asobo Studio has since shot into the spotlight after earning critical acclaim on the debut of this fantastic new IP, which centers around a fascinating tale of two siblings struggling to both survive and make sense of a dangerous medieval world.
The extent to which story and writing are at the core of A Plague Tale: Innocence‘s appeal feels like a breath of fresh air amid an industry that often feels as though it’s moving in the opposite direction. This genuinely is the video game equivalent of a page-turner and one that video game equivalent of a book worm simply won’t want to put it down.
A Plague Tale: Innocence marries its captivating setting a mysterious tale that keeps you guessing throughout. This intrigue keeps you pushing forward, ever enthused to see what’s around the corner. I think the game serves as a reminder that storytelling in video games is often at its best incorporated into more linear level design. Asobo never wants you to stray too far, less you lose the pacing and intensity of the story.
Not that A Plague Tale: Innocence doesn’t have its quieter moments, though. The highs and lows are wonderfully paced, with quality writing bringing its characters to life in a way that had me totally invested from start to finish. Combine all this with sublime voice acting and brilliant quality of production and you have the best story-driven video game experience of 2019.
