A Plague Tale: Innocence

Solid stealth game that takes place in a beautifully detailed, frequently dark and gritty medieval environment. The plot puts a creative fantasy spin on the black plague and alchemical lore. There are some scenes that just look fantastic, and the final boss fight looks amazingly crazy. It grows increasingly challenging such that many scenarios won't see you live through them on the first try (or several). But seeing what comes next is the real motivation - the story and the look do the work to imbue this with quality throughout. I bought the sequel about halfway through this one (which I got in one of Epic Games' giveaways).

Did some research but nothing stops the stuttering. Im sure there is a good game here somewhere but I'll never find it in this state.

Gripping from the go. Great setting and easy to pick up. Hardly any quest markers but quite self explanatory on where to go next.

scary and chanlleging both at the same time

If you enjoy RPGs and story-driven narrative games, this is a 'must-play'. This is part 1. It's part 2 - A Plague Tale - Requiem continues this story so buy that one as well (once you finish this game). Great characters, graphics, story, music....all the components are here. It has already been nominated for many events and won several awards since it's launch. I cannot wait for the 3rd game (which, hopefully will release in 2026).