Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Draws Attention for its New Combat Style

New footage shows familiar strengths, but the game's combat system is dividing longtime fans.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy recently received a major gameplay showcase, giving you a much deeper look at what the next chapter of the series has to offer. After the XBOX Showcase revealed the game's release date and trailer, a new seven-minute gameplay presentation arrived shortly afterward. 

The extended footage showed exploration, puzzles, stealth, and combat, and it gave us the clearest glimpse yet at how the game will play. Most anticipated a positive reception, but the response has been more mixed than anticipated.

Fans of A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem will still find many of the ingredients that made the series so popular in the new footage. The cinematic presentation is still there, with detailed character models and tightly directed scenes that feel consistent with previous entries. 

A lot of the stealth sections shown in the presentation look very similar to what fans have seen before. The iconic swarms of rats are missing, but the general atmosphere still connects to the franchise’s roots.

The biggest point of contention has been the combat system. 

Much of the criticism online has focused on how combat looks compared to previous games. Some viewers have described it as stiff, while others simply feel it resembles the RPG-style combat found in modern Assassin's Creed titles. That comparison has become difficult to ignore, especially after seeing extended gameplay footage.

Outside of combat, many aspects of the game appear to be receiving positive reactions. Movement, climbing, and stealth all look smooth and fluid. The puzzle-solving sections also appear to continue the series’ emphasis on exploration and environmental interaction. 

One sequence in particular had the lead character solving a puzzle at a surprising speed, though many players suspect it would take a lot longer in normal gameplay. The demonstration went through the solution so quickly that it was difficult to tell how challenging the puzzle would actually be in a first playthrough without any prior knowledge.

The presentation also showed the visual quality of the game in small details. One moment that stands out was when Sophia wrote in her journal to document her findings. With her hands moving over the pages and the subtle animations and natural movements, it made for an impressive level of realism.

The area that continues to generate the most controversy is combat. Though the whole system may remind players of action RPGs, some elements still stand out positively. Enemy encounters are generally fast-paced, and Sophia seems quite responsive when countering attacks. 

The ability to face multiple opponents at once has a momentum to it that makes battles feel more dynamic than early impressions might suggest. The quick back-and-forth of attacks, counters, and defenses helps create a faster pace that stands out from the slower encounters shown elsewhere in the footage.

But not all combat situations look so interesting at the same time. Fighting bigger enemies feels much slower and more methodical. These battles rely heavily on dodging hits, waiting for an opening, and responding to known action-game mechanics like unblockable hits and timed counters. 

For some fans, that’s where the structure starts to cause concern. 

Fighting heavily armored enemies in extended battles can become a repetitive rhythm of dodging, waiting, attacking, and repeating. While many players enjoy that style of gameplay, others were expecting something that felt closer to the heavier, more grounded combat of previous games.

Part of that reaction comes from how combat felt in earlier games. Although Amicia was never designed as a traditional action hero, her confrontations often carried a sense of weight and brutality. Each attack felt threatening and meaningful, even with little combat. Sophia is clearly a more skilled and agile fighter, but some viewers feel that the new combat is too fast and fluid, at the expense of weight.

The finishing moves shown in the gameplay presentation also back up that impression. Several attacks are lighter and more animated than the heavy impact some players were expecting. The result is a combat system that looks smoother but less visceral than what many longtime fans anticipated. 

Despite the concerns surrounding combat, excitement for the game remains strong. 

Much of what was shown still captures the identity of Resonance: A Plague Tale. The stealth mechanics, puzzle-solving, visual presentation, and storytelling all come together well. Those elements have always been among the franchise's greatest strengths, and they show little sign that the team will abandon them.

There is also considerable confidence in the narrative side of the experience. The series has built a reputation for strong writing, memorable characters, and emotionally resonant storytelling. Amicia is still one of the most loved protagonists introduced in modern gaming, and the developers have continuously shown that they are able to create solid character-driven narratives. 

That track record alone is enough for many players to trust the studio’s vision, even if the direction of combat feels different. For those fans, the strength of the storytelling and character development remains a bigger selling point than any single gameplay mechanic.

Currently, Resonance: A Plague Tale looks like a game that is generating interest and skepticism. The new gameplay footage suggests a game that still retains much of what made the series successful while experimenting with a more action-focused combat system. 

Whether that gamble will pay off in the end remains to be seen, but the latest showcase has certainly given players plenty to talk about before launch. At this point, the talk around the game balances excitement for the series’ return with how players will receive the new combat direction.