Amicia De Rune is a girl when you start A Plague Tale: Innocence. Throughout the course of the game’s events she is forced to become a woman, more a mother than a sister, and the decision maker in situations that always end in death if the wrong path is chosen. She is an outstanding character, and that’s why I wanted to take a look into what makes her so impressive in this article.
Spoilers ahead.
Growing Up Before Your Eyes
The events of A Plague Tale: Innocence force Amicia into a difficult position early on. Her father is brutally murdered, and she believes her mother is too. Amicia then takes on the task of caring for her estranged brother as they travel across France, seeking safety and a cure for his illness. Along this journey she must grown up far too soon, taking on the responsibility for what she believes is the remainder of her family, and her much younger brother.
Amicia goes from an innocent young woman to a killer in just one move. She doesn’t mean to kill, but she does it to protect her family. This is the point at which we see her transition from seeking help from others, to realising that the world isn’t going to help her. It’s this point that Amicia begins to take matters into her own hands, and that’s how the story continues. By the end of the game, she’s calling all the shots, and pushing her companions along the path to the solution she sees as the best one.
Imperfect
Amicia isn’t the perfect heroine though, she is flawed. In this way, she’s a fantastic representation of everyone as they grow up. We all start to feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders, like we can’t rely on anyone, but in reality there are always those that we can share our burdens with. In Amicia’s case, it’s her younger brother Hugo. Amicia goes too far with Hugo one day, and he disappears as a result. She immediately sees that she’s made a mistake, but she can’t undo it, no matter how hard she tries.
Everyone has had an experience like this, and it’s a part of growing up. What is shows us about Amicia is that she’s still learning, she’s not the perfect leader just because her parents died and she’s the oldest. This imperfection is what defines Amicia, she’s tries her best, but sometimes it’s not enough. We all come to this conclusion at one point or another, and living through it as Amicia does in the game can help you deal with wrong decisions you might have made in the past.
Above all else, Amicia’s heart is always int he right place, even if she doesn’t act like it. She’s always looking out for her brother, and knows to stay away from danger. She’s reluctant to fight, but will fight fiercely when she has no other choice.
For International Women’s Day we’re doing a week of coverage for some of the women in games that we think deserve the spotlight. If you enjoyed this look at Amicia De Rune, then check out our other pieces here.