Rats were a defining feature of A Plague Tale: Innocence when it first came out in 2019, a physical embodiment of the Plague that was sweeping through Europe and a swarm that had to be avoided at all costs. For the upcoming sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, developer Asobo Studio has revealed how it has used current-gen console and PC power to push the limits on its unique rat technology, dialing up the number of rodents to a disgustingly impressive new level.

"For this second game we wanted to push new-gen possibilities to the max to bring the rats-induced horror and trauma to the next level," lead engine programmer Nicolas Becavin explained in a PS Blog interview. "The number of rats on-screen has been multiplied by 60, growing from 5,000 to 300,000! It’s a good number to convey the vision of the apocalypse which keeps increasingly oppressing our heroes."

Becavin added that the way in which a rat swarm moves has also been changed, and they now resemble a "tsunami" of danger that will come crashing down on players. For an extra-creepy-touch, Asobo Studio has used the DualSense controller to subtly make the presence of a swarm of rats felt through the pad and through stereo vibrations.