Resonance: A Plague Story Legacy – A New Chapter with Motion and… a Minotaur? | Official XBOX Podcast

About this video

On this episode of the Official XBOX Podcast, we’re sitting down with the group behind the upcoming Resonance: A Plague Story Legacy to debate the setting, the story, the fight, and the way the group was capable of design a sport that matches splendidly into the Plague Story sequence however is introduced in an entire new method.

TRANSCRIPT

SPEAKER 1: Video games on this podcast vary from E to M. [ XBOX sound ]

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Good day, and welcome to the official XBOX podcast, the one podcast coming to you from inside XBOX. I’m Jeff with an replace on a sport that’s been on my radar since its shock reveal at XBOX Video games Showcase 2025. Speaking about Resonance, a Plague Story legacy. It’s a sport that reinvents the franchise by taking it again in time from earlier Plague Story titles. Much less sneaking round, much more motion, and no less than from the components that I’ve performed thus far, not a rodent in sight. It’s coming to XBOX Collection X and S, XBOX on PC and Sport Cross actually quickly, August twenty seventh. So at this time we’re going to be displaying a ton of gameplay from the opening hour or so of the sport. I need to keep away from some spoilers. And I captured this myself as actual footage. Sure, I can parry, you recognize, more often than not. So to inform us much more about what to anticipate from the remainder of the sport, I’m happy to welcome Eric Chort, the lead producer from Asobo Studio in Bordeaux, France. Bienvenue, Eric.

ERIC CHORT: Thanks. Thanks a lot.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: All proper. Thanks a lot for becoming a member of us right here on the finish of your day. Let’s get proper into this as a result of there’s a ton to cowl. In a Plague Story: Requiem again in 2022, we encounter Sophia as a supporting character. She helps Amicia and Hugo sail to an island that he had been dreaming about. Lots of loopy stuff occurs over there. She manages to outlive the occasions of that sport, which is, you recognize, no small feat. When do you know that the subsequent step for the group was to inform extra of her story?

ERIC CHORT: So once we completed The Requiem, we had been like, I might say just about exhausted as a result of it was a fairly a journey for us, not just for the gamers with all of the feelings that there’s within the sport, but in addition for us as a group. It was like seven or eight years that we’re engaged on a sport with Hugo, with Amicia. And all this story was actually arduous to place in a sport. It was actually, actually emotional for us. And so on the finish, we had been like, okay, it’s a chapter that’s closed for us, however we nonetheless like Plague. So how can we proceed to make a Plague sport with out Hugo and Amicia? After which the opposite half was what we need to problem us as a studio. What could be our subsequent sport by way of gameplay? And we needed to be extra dynamic. We needed additionally to have fight. So we’re like, okay, do we have now a personality already current, or do we have to create a brand new one? And as quickly as we take into consideration not Hugo and Amicia once more, however nonetheless Plague and extra dynamic and fight, Sophia was a no brainer for us. It was fairly logical with all our background that we already wrote for Requiem. And all we needed to do, Sophia was actually, yeah, it was an proof for us. So it was fairly at the start of the mission once we stopped Requiem and take into consideration the subsequent step. Yeah, it was very straightforward and fast to decide on Sophia.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: So let’s return to the reveal of the sport. I preserve enthusiastic about it from XBOX Sport Showcase 2025. There have been a few issues by way of imagery that basically stood out in then and within the trailers that you simply’ve launched since that point. So there’s a minotaur. There’s a maze. The maze is true there within the brand of the sport, a glowing rope. So for these not tremendous up on Greek mythology, there was the well-known minotaur lived within the heart of the labyrinth. Sacrifices had been despatched into there. Ultimately, Theseus slew it. And he had lots of assist with Ariadne and her golden thread. So, to begin with, nice timing tapping into Greek mythology. Unsure if you recognize, there’s a film that’s acquired lots of people — you’ll have heard of it. I don’t know. It’s acquired folks very a lot into that. And one thing I personally discover very interesting about these mythologies is like these locations are actual, like I can go to Crete proper now. I imply, it may be like actually costly. So possibly not proper now, however it exists. You possibly can go. And I believe folks are inclined to marvel which a part of the parable was actual? And is that one thing you’re enjoying with right here? As a result of clearly the occasions of this of Resonance happen in, I need to say, within the 1300s, a very long time after the parable of the minotaur supposedly befell.

ERIC CHORT: So to begin with, we didn’t take into consideration the film or the factor about that. I imply, we have now the identical attraction for the Greek mythology as different those that have now due to the film. However I imply, due to God of Battle or these sort of issues, we already had this attraction within the group. So what we did is simply, you recognize, for Plague, we use the darkish plague that already occurred in France within the fifteenth century. So it’s a base for us. After which we twist it with our personal legislation. So what we did there’s use the Greek mythology, which is extra unbelievable as a result of we nonetheless have some historic websites, as you stated, in Greece that exist and you could go to. However all the opposite issues, the characters, et cetera, they’re extra a delusion, a narrative. We don’t know if it’s actual or not. So we use that as a base. After which we twist it with our legislation. And we attempt to discover methods to have one thing that feels actual utilizing all of the issues that exist already in Greece with the Roman, additionally the Egyptian — all of the issues that from this era can nonetheless be visited and seen at this time, all of the historic issues that we all know. So have an actual base as a lot as we will after which construct on this to create our personal universe and reinterpret the parable and the Greek mythology for our personal story.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: All proper. So had been there concepts that the group, as you had been growing, such as you stated, you had been working for eight years with Amici and Hugo on Plague Story, in a way, and Requiem. Had been there concepts that the group had and so they needed to do, however it didn’t make sense for the kind of sport you had been creating on the time. However now coming into Resonance, you’re like, oh, yeah, now we will do it.

ERIC CHORT: So, yeah, undoubtedly. I believe that fight is admittedly the reply to that query. We had been fairly fortunate on the finish of Innocence to have the ability to make Requiem. As a result of Requiem was like the sport we needed to do. However we didn’t add the time and the capability throughout Innocence to make it. So with Requiem, we had been capable of make actually the sport we needed by way of rats, by way of stealth, by way of story, emotion and likewise by way of graphics, et cetera. However we nonetheless had been like, okay, by way of motion, can we do extra? Can we? However Amicia was not the great character to make use of a sword and have melee fight. So undoubtedly with Resonance, it was a great alternative to make melee fight. And yeah, that is the factor that we’re like, okay, let’s do this. Let’s go to fight.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Let’s get into that motion, as a result of I can inform you, like having performed the primary few chapters of the sport, you don’t shrink back from motion, which is superior and such a distinction to earlier video games within the sequence. So Amicia from Innocence and from Requiem, she was all about avoiding fight. Though by the tip of Requiem, she’s a reasonably succesful stealth killer. Sophia from the bounce proper into your face, she’s acquired a really direct model, twin blades. Let’s discuss what you constructed right here by way of a fight system, beginning with the fundamentals after which possibly layering in all the pieces on prime.

ERIC CHORT: So to begin with, what we needed is one thing very reactive. So that is the very first thing we had been like, okay, it must be reactive. It must be very clean while you take it together with your controller. All of the strikes, while you dodge, while you assault. That is the very first thing we’re enthusiastic about. Second factor was be agile. Sophia wanted to maneuver very quick and really fast, but in addition as a result of she is going to face lots of enemies. So the concept of 1 in opposition to a military was actually interesting for us. After which to have some problem, we made it little or no. So you may kill very quick, however you may as well be killed very quick. So it’s one other facet that we added. After which we stated, okay, however how Sophia can handle to be little and to face such plenty of enemies. So then we added issues just like the grappling hook, issues just like the bottles you could throw to enemies, the dagger additionally to be extra deadly and extra tricksy. It is a method that we made step-by-step. It was our first fight sport. So we examined additionally lots of different video games. We checked out lots of movies of GDCs or builders that labored on fight video games to study, to know what are the great issues, the issues we needed in our sport and the issues that we didn’t need it. So in the most effective reference we have now, in all probability Ghost of Tsushima is likely one of the finest with the kind of gameplay we needed. So once we discovered this reference, then we attempt to adapt it to our character and to the fight we needed. And yeah, that’s just about it.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: So I believe it’s actually attention-grabbing. You talked about that, you recognize, she can’t take lots of hits. She’s not as massive because the those that she is encountering at the start of the sport, no less than. We’ve acquired successfully three hits and also you’re gone. However the factor I believe is admittedly attention-grabbing, you’d assume, oh, that makes you are feeling like, oh, I’ve acquired to be defensive. However you really must be extra offensive as a result of each time you kill anyone, you get that well being block again. So the extra harm you might be, the extra aggressive you actually must be. So I assumed that was a very attention-grabbing danger and reward. Perhaps we will discuss just a little bit concerning the talent tree right here as nicely. Once I first acquired my first Resonance factors the place I used to be capable of undergo, we’re seeing that right here. It was actually arduous to decide on what I needed, however I ended up going with this one that really doubles down on that, the place when you do the type of longer cost vital hit, you successfully achieve one invincibility body successfully to permit your self to take one hit. However that may be a danger reward in itself. So I simply would love to listen to just a bit bit extra about how you considered that. It makes it really feel rather a lot totally different than different video games that use parrying and different melee motion video games on the market.

ERIC CHORT: Sure, so it was a option to actually push the participant to not simply keep blocking. You possibly can keep blocking as a lot as you need. There’s no endurance. However to push you assault, to push you to the dynamic and the agility that we needed. The truth that you will get your well being on enemies by killing them was a reasonably fast thought we had. And we stated, okay, it’s cool as a result of it’s not helpful to remain defensive. You possibly can, however when you lose some well being, it’s good to get again on the enemy and to kill him. So once we tried it, it was once more by iterations. Once I stated that it was our first fight sport, we wanted to iterate rather a lot. So we get the references, we get what we needed to do. However then to make it occur whereas it was our first sport, we wanted to iterate, iterate, iterate, have lots of playtests. And the primary time we tried this, I imply, getting again your well being by killing an enemy, it was, okay, it’s instantly superb as a result of it modified the way in which we had been preventing. So we had been at all times attempting to get a kill. And it was actually working nicely with the kind of fight we needed. So, I imply, it’s one of many many iterations that we needed to discover the great steadiness and the great rhythm we needed for the fight. Once more, it’s because of lots of playtests, lots of iteration contained in the studio, exterior the studio, because of Focus Leisure, our writer that helped us with the playtest. It’s undoubtedly very satisfying.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Undoubtedly, I believe you discovered like a distinct segment the place it doesn’t really feel like — plenty of video games have parries proper now, plenty of third particular person motion video games. However the type of relentlessness it’s good to be with Sophia, that danger reward actually stands out from my time enjoying thus far. So loads extra there. Let’s discuss just a little bit extra about simply the world right here, as a result of one of many issues that stood out to me, I really like Plague Story: Innocence. I really like Requiem, however they’re very darkish video games, very oppressive. Prefer it’s what recent hell is subsequent? You already know, issues are unhealthy. You’re simply form of hoping you may assist these two children survive. No less than early on right here in Resonance. I’m like, hey, we’re in Venice. That is stunning. You already know, I used to be, there have been factors of standing out on the rooftop and identical to, wait, maintain up a sec. I simply need to take a look at the Grand Canal. I need to go to right here. The Greek Isles clearly within the playing cards primarily based on the mythology. So these are locations which are sunny. So how do you create this like signature feeling of Plague Story dread in these sun-drenched locales?

ERIC CHORT: The truth is, it’s a matter of distinction. So what we like is to create an enormous distinction. In Plague, it was a distinction between the crude, middle-age world of adults that had been actually arduous and really arch for kids. And on one other facet, our characters, Hugo and Amicia. So right here the distinction is totally different. The distinction is extra on, okay, this stunning panorama, sunny Mediterranean, the water, the blue water, et cetera. However while you go deeper within the island, you see that it’s darker than you thought. And the extra you go on within the journey, within the journey of Sophia, the extra you’ll go deeper within the island and you’ll uncover that, oh, in reality it’s darker than you thought. And yeah, it’s at all times a matter of distinction. And we begin very sunny, however it’s in all probability darker on the finish. [ Laughter ]

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Keep tuned. It’s going to get there.

ERIC CHORT: Sure.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Little question. Little question. All proper. So I’ve acquired one final query for you. It’s concerning the title, really. So like pondering again after having completed Requiem and Innocence, it’s clear what these names imply. So Resonance. So the phrase can imply one thing about sound, and it will probably imply like one thing that emotionally one thing resonates with you. I’m curious which which means got here first for the group.

ERIC CHORT: So, in reality, the identify arrived fairly late within the manufacturing. So we already had each signification in head. And when the identify proposition arrived, we had been like, okay, it’s working with each. So it was only a good match when it arrived. So it was not one or the opposite that began, simply the identify arrived. And we’re like, okay, it’s good. It suits with all the pieces. So I can’t say why on the emotion facet, it’s an actual resonance as a result of you’ll uncover it within the story. However yeah, with the sound additionally, there are lots of issues that can occur with the darkish a part of the island. As I stated, while you go actually to the center of the darkness of the island, you’ll uncover that the sound resonance is admittedly vital, too.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: All proper. Effectively, that is one thing we’re going to have to search out out for ourselves. However the good half is we don’t have to attend too lengthy. Eric, this was type of the tip of your work at this time right here. Anything that we omitted you need to inform us about Resonance, a Plague Story legacy?

ERIC CHORT: I hope that individuals will get pleasure from it. I imply, for us, it was fairly a journey after The Plague Video games. And we’re actually completely satisfied to made a sport with fight. And we hope that gamers will find it irresistible and really feel the identical feelings that they’d with Hugo and Amicia. It is going to, in fact, be totally different as a result of it’s not a narrative a couple of brother and a sister. However yeah, Sophia has rather a lot to inform, and I hope folks will get pleasure from it.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Thanks once more for becoming a member of us at this time, Eric. As soon as once more, Resonance: A Plague Story Legacy arrives on XBOX Collection X and S, XBOX on PC and Sport Cross August twenty seventh. That does it for this episode of the official XBOX podcast. We now have a ton extra within the works for you, and we are going to see you then. [ XBOX sound ]