If there has ever been a game that I was looking forward to from a debut studio, then The Plucky Squire from All Possible Futures would be it. Ever since laying eyes on it in 2022, The Plucky Squire’s stellar art direction drew me into its storybook-inspired world, beautifully and seamlessly blending 2D and 3D elements in what I can only describe as a pop-up book come to life.
It’s not too surprising, then, that the driving force and founder behind All Possible Futures is former Pokémon Art Director James Turner, something that immediately became evident during the three hours or so I spent with a preview build of The Plucky Squire. For the uninitiated, The Plucky Squire is an upcoming action-adventure RPG in which players assume the role of Jot, a happy-go-lucky protagonist who has been expelled from his very own storybook.
The Plucky Squire is an ode to Nintendo, from its cute but cool character designs to its numerous allusions to classic Nintendo titles, like the very first boss in the preview being a boxing match against a honey badger, done entirely in the style of Punch-Out!! In other words, The Plucky Squire masterfully takes hallmark elements from beloved classics and eloquently makes it its own.
The most obvious point of reference in terms of gameplay in The Plucky Squire is Zelda, specifically, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds — a game that featured an interesting 2D-3D shifting mechanic, something that The Plucky Squire borrows and runs with, elevating it to new and greater heights.
“The Plucky Squire masterfully takes hallmark elements from beloved classics and eloquently makes it its own.”
During the preview, I only had access to Jot’s sword and a few upgrades that I managed to unlock along the way. Upgrades included the ability to throw the sword like a boomerang and, of course, a charged swipe, reminiscent of Link’s spin attack. Additionally, Jot can jump and roll, which the game utilizes in sections that shift the overhead camera to a horizontal plane, making the game feel more like a platformer, similar to Link’s Awakening.
Everything I explained above is fine as far as game mechanics go, and The Plucky Squire could already be considered a solid but familiar-feeling experience. Thankfully, All Possible Futures has included some truly unique elements in their debut game, which impressed me with its charm and unique take on puzzle elements, elevating my expectations of The Plucky Squire over the normal expectations I have towards Zelda-like titles.
During 2D sections in The Plucky Squire, when you’re exploring the world contained within the storybook, Jot and company will occasionally find sentences sprawled on either side of the open book, with specific words that can be picked up and carried. Rearranging words you see on the overworld are used to solve environmental puzzles, which not only offer a novel (no pun intended) approach to classic dungeon-based puzzles but teeter on being borderline educational, as The Plucky Squire tends to encourage experimentation, with secret bonuses unlocking via the player mixing and matching words on the page.
Furthermore, words that can be found aren’t always limited to the area you are currently in, meaning, as Jot, the player can travel between pages or previously explored areas and discover new secrets or ways forward, giving The Plucky Squire a healthy dose of Metroidvania-style elements.
I mentioned Link Between Worlds as one of the clear inspirations for The Plucky Squire, and that’s something that becomes evident around the one-hour mark. This is when Jot is expelled from the confines of his storybook and spirited away to the mystical land of Sam’s bedroom; a young artist and super fan of Jot and the stories of his adventures, which exist in Sam’s world as a famous series of storybooks.
“Ultimately, the only complaint I have with The Plucky Squire is not being able to play more of it…”
Inside the “real world,” Jot is transformed into a 3D polygonal version of himself, which looks stunning and really brings the 2D illustrations to life. The game similarly plays with scale in a manner similar to titles like Pikmin, selling the whimsical feeling of a fictional character coming to life. In Sam’s bedroom, the player can gradually explore different parts of the room, which seemingly leads to unlocking unique weapons. The preview build gave me access to the bow, which I found after confronting a very Magic the Gathering-inspired elf inside of her playing card, sitting atop a shelf.
The 3D moments successfully translate the 2D gameplay elements while adding unique areas that require Jot to travel between 2D and 3D planes, often requiring the player to bring out objects found in the 2D world, which never gets old, getting to see how various objects and enemies translate over when brought into Sam’s bedroom.
Ultimately, the only complaint I have with The Plucky Squire is not being able to play more of it, making it one of my most anticipated games to look forward to once it releases. If you’re a fan of classic Nintendo or Zelda games, The Plucky Squire is already a must-play in the making.
