Platforms: Xbox (tested), PS5, PC
Age: 16+

Rare is the sequel that deviates so markedly from its inspiration but Resonance cuts most of its ties with the stealthy Plague Tale series that preceded it. Thematically and mechanically, it owes far more allegiance to the daring action-combat-puzzle combo of Tomb Raider or Uncharted.

Nonetheless, French studio Asobo preserves its love of history, intertwining a medieval setting with the legend of the Minotaur from Greek mythology. Instead of the methodical and painstaking stealth in the oppressively grim Plague Tale, Resonance bursts with colour and motion as bandit’s daughter Sophia seeks answers to her heritage on the island of Crete.

Delineated by expressive facial capture and subtle voice performances, Sophia’s engrossing tale begins almost like a Nathan Drake-esque hunt for treasures before descending into the bowels of hell. The opening hours move at a brisk clip as she explores sandy ruins and acquires a growing set of skills and tools. Once seduced by this sun-drenched paradise – albeit one in which you clash violently with bloodthirsty plunderers – you’re laid open to Asobo’s sucker punch and the darker trials that lie beneath the earth.

Here, the game expertly threads the story through bouts of athletic platforming in the style of Tomb Raider, light-bending environmental puzzles that echo Uncharted and breathless sword combat reminiscent of half-a-dozen other third-person adventures. Slightly derivative and occasionally repetitive though it can be, Resonance somehow knits these disparate styles together with a rare flair.

Sophia’s visions of a past life haunt her at intervals but there’s worse to come as she blunders into the lair of an unkillable creature that stalks her for the second half of the game. Here, the developers revive their love of the interplay between darkness and light, creating tense chases where torches and fires stave off the monster – but only temporarily.

The pacing borders on immaculate, giving Sophia just enough time to contemplate each thrilling (or horrifying) vista before plunging her into a fight for her life or sending her on a perilous platforming journey where death is only one slip away.

Asobo may have shifted into an overworked genre but Resonance undercuts its outwardly cheery familiarity with a foundation of brooding malevolence. It makes for a memorable rollercoaster ride that toys with your emotions as much as your adrenalin.

VERDICT