Will this storybook adventure capture our hearts or will it end up collecting dust on the top shelf? Find out in our The Plucky Squire Review!
One of things I loved when reading as a kid was how the words jumped out of the book, worlds much more fantastical than my own coming to life in my head as I turned each page. The childhood wonderment of imagining characters you’ve spent ours reading about existing all around you. Australian developers All Possible Futures has taken this magic and turned it into a beautiful game accessible to all ages. The Plucky Squire isn’t just a game for children, it allows for everyone to experience that youthful joy and excitement anew.
The Plucky Squire Review – Story
Our Scarlet Squire, Jot, leads an adventurous life, tussling with the vexatious villain Humgrump time and time again with the help of his two best friends, Violet and Thrash. Each quest completed means another fable Jot regales to the people of Mojo, filling countless books with his triumphs, including the exact story the game takes place in.
The Land of Mojo.
After learning about metamagic and his inevitable role in Jot’s escapades, Humgrump expels the eponymous hero from his own book and launches him into the real world. What follows is a witty, meta-filled story that manages a nice flow, welcoming all ages to enjoy the magic.
Humgrump was here!
While the game obviously focuses on Jot, The Plucky Squire succeeds in fleshing out the secondary protagonists throughout the story too. I ended up falling in love with every character I came across, both mainstays and throwaways. Special shoutout to the Narrator of the game, Philip Bretherton, stealing the show with every single line he read.
The Plucky Squire Review – Gameplay
There are undeniable parallels between The Plucky Squire and The Legend of Zelda games. From the simple sword-swinging combat that can be upgraded at shops found around Mojo to dimension hopping, reminiscent of A Link Between Worlds. Taking the leap from 2D to 3D, Jot becomes a smooth cartoonish version of his flat self, able to move outside the bounds he was previously confined to. Being able to walk on the desk alongside the book your world exists in is magical in both a narrative and technical standpoint which is simply a fantastic hook for a game.
This guy looks familiar.
Aside from dimension hopping, Jot finds himself able to rearrange words inside his storybook to alter reality in useful ways. Snagging the word “Open” and dropping into a sentence regarding a closed gate, subsequently allows Jot and Co. to walk through the now accessible walkway. This creative mechanic, whilst not wholly complex, allows for some wonderful experimentation and can lead to a number of funny and wholesome scenarios. Finding sentences where you can grow a frog roughly ten sizes, or simply transmuting mushrooms into cheese was one of the major highlights throughout the game.
If only cleaning my room was this easy.
As I travelled through the land of Mojo, I was surprised by how formulaic the gameplay loop turned out to be. Being introduced to a new area along my quest, I found myself hacking, slashing, and puzzling until I hit a wall that couldn’t be scaled on the dimensional plane I was currently on. Exiting the book, I then found myself on a newly rearranged desk filled with all manner of toys and trinkets, looking for the next meta-macguffin that could help me further my quest.
Amogus…
These tools work outside of the storybook you call home allowing you to turn pages back and forth, essentially turning back time to collect previous words and re-contextualize them later in the story. There are stamps that you acquire that allow you to freeze objects in place on the page or materialize a bomb anywhere you desire. All Possible Futures drew everything they could out of this formula, ramping the challenge and spectacle up steadily until the very end of the game and keeping me engaged for the whole journey.
Are Ya Feelin’ Plucky, Punk?!
All of this makes for a challenging and worthwhile experience if you don’t pay mind to the constant hand-holding the game engages in. Obviously targeted at a younger audience, The Plucky Squire tends to explain the solution to a problem before allowing the player to figure it out themselves. Even without the game leading you on so closely, the puzzles in The Plucky Squire feel elementary. Although still enjoyable, players that are looking for more in-depth puzzles that blend the second and third dimensions together may be disappointed.
Pictured: Jot locks in!
Adding variety into the mix throughout, The Plucky Squire is sprinkled with minigames that double as homages to other games like Punch Out, Rhythm Heaven, and tile-matching games such as Puzzle Bobble (or Snood for all you freaks out there). Each segment is prefaced by a grandly narrated intro-scene as our protagonists lock-in, hyping the player up for what is to come.
I’m seeing double! One of the several bugs that occurred in my playthrough.
Jumping between planes of existence is not a small feat and I unfortunately experienced the game freezing up on multiple occasions, namely when hopping out of the 2D plane. Fortunately, these hiccups were only minor setbacks, with the game resuming in a few seconds. As I ventured further into the story, however, I did get hit with quite a few bugs that would softlock my game or (to a lesser extent) prevent me from obtaining several achievements inevitably forcing me to quit and reload to continue with the game.
Another explosive minigame.
Anyone finding goblin slaying a little too difficult can choose to flick on accessibility options ranging from increased jump height to invincibility and even one hit kills.
The Plucky Squire Review – Audio/Visual
The Plucky Squire boasts an enamoring 2D visual style headed by James Turner, boldened outlines and vivid colours make the storybook game come to life. Character design throughout Mojo is iconic, with clear inspirations drawn from The Legend of Zelda, with Jot’s Tunic and Cap drawing obvious paralells from the little green Hylian. All Possible Futures have really nailed the storybook aesthetic, only to be matched by the world outside of the flat pages.
Jot’s design is simplistic yet iconic!
Transitioning to the desk, the 3D world feels authentic. The fantastic art direction continues to shine as you navigate your way through towers and mazes rife with imagination. Finding a line of dominoes that lead up to a bridge built out of LEGO bricks, to then climb through a doll’s house all feels natural in the setting of a young child’s room.
The desk environment is so creative!
All of this is complemented by The Plucky Squire’s joyous and whimsical OST, immersing you in its grand storybook land.
The Plucky Squire Review – What Else?
You may come across one of two types of collectibles as you journey your way through the game, including ten cleverly hidden ‘Glitchbirds’ and secondary collectibles in the form of concept art. These 50 art scrolls show earlier renditions of Jot and friends, along with concepts of both locations and enemies. In a move that felt boldly confident from the developers, it was magical seeing the processes that All Possible Futures took to get to where they are with The Plucky Squire today. I loved sitting and reading the little tidbits and insights that the developers had chosen to share with us in the gallery of art I had amassed over my 9-hour runtime with the game.
I had tonnes of fun reading about early concepts.
The Plucky Squire Review – Conclusion
The Plucky Squire’s creative approach to puzzles, not just from within but also outside of Jot’s storybook, makes for a unique experience that everyone can partake in. An approachable story and witty writing throughout, while not groundbreaking, is lighthearted enough for both kids and adults to enjoy. The game’s immensely strong art direction and visual identity makes it immediately appealing, and only continues to be so throughout Jot’s journey. While some elements of the game aren’t challenging as the game holds your hand a little too much, it would be remiss of anyone to sleep on this wonderful game.
Why you should play The Plucky Squire:
- Fantastic Visuals through and through
- A lighthearted, wholesome adventure that everyone can enjoy
- A clever hook that is only built upon as you progress through the story
Why you might skip playing The Plucky Squire:
- Frequent minor setbacks in the form of bugs and freezing
- The game is targeted at a younger audience, making certain elements too straightforward
A review code was kindly provided by Devolver Digital for the purpose of our The Plucky Squire Review. You can check out our other reviews here and if you haven’t already, be sure to join the Qualbert Discord to find out about the latest game and review updates!
