Every now and then, a game comes along that shakes things up or, at the very least, surprises me with how much I end up enjoying it. The Plucky Squire, instead, elevates itself to another level, setting a new standard in the action-adventure and puzzle genre.
Prior to even spending time previewing The Plucky Squire, I had my eyes set on All Possible Futures’ debut game. From its striking marriage of 2D and 3D elements to its charming aesthetic, The Plucky Squire exudes charm in the same way Nintendo does with its iconic lineup of first-party games.
Like its clear inspirations, the Plucky Squire, at face value, borrows the most from Nintendo’s own Legend of Zelda series, specifically 2013’s Link Between Worlds. But don’t let that fool you — the Plucky Squire is so much more than a simple derivate or Zelda doppelganger.
The Plucky Squire is a meta-narrative adventure game starring Jot, a renowned writer and adventurer who lives in the Kingdom of Artia inside his very own storybook, called, you guessed it, The Plucky Squire.
“From its striking marriage of 2D and 3D elements to its charming aesthetic, The Plucky Squire exudes charm in the same way Nintendo does with its iconic lineup of first-party games.”
Sick of the predictable and routine hero overcoming the villain archetype, Humpgrump, the main antagonizing force of the narrative, decides he’s had enough and expunges the titular hero, Jot, outside of his book, setting up the crux of the story.
The Plucky Squire is split into ten chapters, with Jot’s adventure often taking him to areas both inside the book, which mostly takes place inside the confines of the flat 2D pages, and the outside world of Sam’s bedroom. The world outside of the book is a fully realized and 3D environment that seamlessly blends both 2D and 3D sections, creating some truly unique and eye-popping set pieces that almost make me miss the era of 3D televisions and the 3DS, something that would fit The Plucky Squire perfectly.
One area in which The Plucky Squire excels is its puzzles, which are typically my least favourite aspect of Zelda-like action titles. Instead of your typical assortment of bombing walls, hitting switches, or getting keys, The Plucky Squire often asks the player to think outside of the book.
Chief among the types of puzzles players can expect, Jot will often find sentences written in the book with specific keywords that Jot can then pick up and place somewhere else, usually leading to hilariously unintended, sometimes even secret, collectables that pepper the game when not used to solve said puzzle outright.
Other clever puzzles in The Plucky Squire involve Jot finding portals inside his storybook world that expel him outside to the real world. This leads to some interesting mechanics that require the player to physically flip through the pages, stamp onto the physical surface of the pages, and use other out-of-the-box elements to change Jot’s world inside the storybook.
By the game’s end, some of the puzzles in The Plucky Squire become mini-games unto themselves, requiring the player to take into consideration every facet of the environment that ultimately leads to some really satisfying moments that break up the combat and exploration nicely.
“If there is one word I can use to describe The Plucky Squire, it would be charming.”
On the topic of mini-games, chapters in The Plucky Squire are often bookended with fun mini-game sequences that completely change up the typical top-down or 3D gameplay elements found in the game proper. Without giving away too much, these mini-games usually pay homage to other iconic games, such as Punch-Out (as mentioned in my preview), among other non-Nintendo properties as well, adding to the already fun gameplay loop.
If there is one word I can use to describe The Plucky Squire, it would be charming. Outside of the numerous references to video games and pop culture, All Possible Futures also took the time to include a healthy dose of artistic references, which I won’t spoil, but if you have an affinity for design and art, you will get a huge a kick out of your time with The Plucky Squire.
With a playtime of around 10 to 12 hours, The Plucky Squire is the perfect length, offering just the right bit of pacing that never gets old, offering just enough incentive to go back, scouring for collectables. Collectables take the form of Glitch Birds and scrolls of concept art, complete with captions explaining the design process or stage of development — something I hope more studios adopt as it adds great insight into the game, sometimes even reflecting the very area you are currently exploring.
I can go on and on gushing about The Plucky Squire. Instead, I’ll leave it with this: If you’re a fan of action-adventure games or have an affinity for Nintendo properties, do yourself a favour and play The Plucky Squire. Now, excuse me while I pre-order myself the deluxe edition of the game.
