I wasn't interested in playing The Plucky Squire just by looking at the screenshots. I found the art style slightly peculiar, especially when the main character wasn't in the storybook. Reluctantly, I loaded up the game and found myself having a great time once I got into it.
Immediately, you are greeted by a sea of color and vibrancy, and I feel like I've loaded up a kid's game. That statement isn't too far from the truth, but the game was fun to dive into. I went into this without knowing anything about the game.
From my first moment of interacting with The Plucky Squire, moving about and slashing my sword, I immediately felt as if I was playing the classic Zelda games, even with the abilities you could pick up and learn via Martina, the merchant. It felt very nostalgic and homey and gave me a sense of comfort playing as this little squire who felt like the classic hero of many people's childhoods.
Off the bat, I was drawn to Moonbeard as a character (again, reminding me of The Legend of Zelda) and Thrash, an adorable goblin accompanying you on your journey. You play as Jot, also known as The Plucky Squire, and it's up to you to travel to Tome Tower to stop the villain of the storybook you are the protagonist of, as he is sick of being the villain every single time. Instead, he wants to make the book about him, and since you are the idol of a child who owns these storybooks, it becomes your mission to travel through both 2D and 3D settings to stop him.
In some elements, the game reminded me much of It Takes Two, especially once you are ejected from the book and plunged into the real world of the child who adores you and your stories. The 3D elements are a mix of cartoonish and realistic, reminding me a lot of Toy Story. It had a nostalgic feel to it, being tiny and climbing around on a desk to survive, and that was an element in the game that I enjoyed a lot. Especially when it came to hiding from the beetles that Sam (the child) was keeping as pets. However, if you got too close and alerted the beetles, you died.
The range of characters was excellent, with Martina and Thrash being some of my favorites from the list of companions you encounter. Martina is the storefront of the game, which sells you abilities and art scrolls for bulbs, the in-game currency you collect.
Although I enjoyed The Plucky Squire's gameplay aspects, I lost attention during the game's storytelling. There was nothing wrong with the story; it just didn't captivate me the way it possibly would a younger audience. If possible, I would skip through the story as fast as possible to dive back into combat, platforming, and puzzle-solving, all of which were fantastic elements I enjoyed. I liked listening to the narrator's voice, and I felt that the narrator chosen for the game was brilliant and did great storytelling despite me not being immersed in the actual details.
The Plucky Squire reminded me of many different games I've played throughout the years, and it instantly made me curious about the driving inspirations behind this game. Was it meant to be similar to the classic Zelda games, or was it meant to be a mixture of Cuphead and It Takes Two?
Despite the nostalgic feelings provided by the game, it stood firm on its own two feet. Overall, the game isn't too long and will only take a few hours. I loved the element of being able to purchase the concept art for Bulbs, as it provided an extra layer of immersion into the game and helped show you how certain characters or landscapes came to be.
The Plucky Squire was a lot of fun, and the characters all provided their own levels of entertainment, especially Violet's commentary about being a 'side-character' in a book. They were all very well-thought-out characters, and each provided something different to the game. Whether they were giving instructions or providing comedic relief in tense moments, they all had their purpose, which I liked.
This game was very well done and had a highly polished feel. One of the only gripes I had with it was navigating the menu, which felt as if it was tailored to controllers specifically. It made it a bit difficult for me as I was using a mouse and keyboard, but the actual gameplay wasn't an issue.
The Plucky Squire is an enjoyable experience that can be very casual, or you can have it on a slightly harder difficulty if you want to add a challenging aspect to it, too. The game is perfect for gamers of all ages and could serve as a great resource to get children into gaming as well as find ways to be creative.
Reviewed on PC (code provided by the publisher).
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