The Plucky Squire - Review

I have been following the development of The Plucky Squire since it was first announced, there was something about the vibrant art and unique gameplay that drew me to it. Did all that time waiting and watching result in a real page turner of an adventure, or is it one that should be left upon the shelf?

The one thing you should know about The Plucky Squire is that it plays out very much like a book you might find read on Play School, or some other children’s show. For that reason, it is very basic and while it does have a twist, that twist is not going to be one thing that's going to entice people to play through the game. That is achieved by the character of Jot, the plucky Squire himself and alongside his friends Violet and Thrash they form a trio of charming and likeable characters. What is more impressive is that they don't generally have a lot to say, Jot himself very rarely says anything but there's still enough personality in their movements and their story that you can't help but connect with them. Moonbeam, Jot’s next door neighbour and wizard of the realm is delightful when he shows up, being equal parts Gandalf and Moby, but for me the weakest character was the villain. Humgrump is just not an enticing villain, his plan makes some sense and I can see his point of view, he just doesn't feel dangerous though. He's very much a character that we've been told is evil and therefore we must take on board that he is, though he's more annoying than evil, in the beginning at least. Coming into The Plucky Squire and expecting a narratively rich and engaging story, would be the same as styling your hair with jumper cables and a car battery, technically possible but there are better ways to get what you need, thankfully the gameplay more than makes up for it.

It would be easy to sell this game off as nothing but a Legend of Zelda light type experience there's multiple areas to explore, Jot has a sword, solves puzzles and then defeat a few bosses, the problem is that is underselling what the game is really offering. Like any good book does, there are elements of other genres mixed in and here The Plucky Squire shines when it embraces its uniqueness. Within the opening moments you're fighting a honey badger on top of a mountain in a Punch-Out style mini game, later on in the game you're casting spells by matching the right colours like a bubble shooter. In the mix you have side scrolling puzzles in the dark, you have boss fights that require a bit of clever thinking to get by and you'll meet plenty of interesting characters as you go. Of course, we can't talk about the gameplay on offer without mentioning the fact that it will literally throw you into the third dimension early on and that completely changes the game, literally.

When Jot is first exiled out of the book and into the real world, everything feels a little dark, because he's quite literally in an unfamiliar place and completely on his own. While Jot will eventually make his way back into his book, he wouldn't remain there for long. When the game was first announced I thought there would be a lot more freedom to jump in and out of the book as you'd like, but sadly that's not the case. Whenever you encounter a portal, you can leap from the book and explore the desk around you, there is generally a reason to do so, if you just want to explore, you might find yourself wanting. There are times when you need to leave the book and the world has changed quite dramatically in between, the result being a new space to explore. When it changes, it usually comes with a new ability at the end and the reward feels worth the effort. As far as gameplay goes outside of the book, its mostly hack and slash as it is within the book, but just like the Punch-Out moments, there are a few times when a different gameplay genre pops up and they are always welcome.

What might turn some folks away is that the gameplay is very simplistic, even when playing in the games adventure mode. That is not to say it’s a one hit kill experience - you can enable that if you want, however you won’t really struggle with any encounter. The mini-games, Punch-Out and such can also be skipped, which means if you find yourself struggling with the games, you can just move on, but they are still not that challenging. For those younger players though, the game will likely offer up a satisfying challenge, but if you have been gaming for a while, then just know that while there are some puzzles that might be a head scratcher, especially when you need to jump in and out of the book, the remaining game should be fairly easy.

As for the games visual presentation, they really lean into the book aesthetic and it shines, from the opening moments until the very end, if you take a snap of any singular page, it will look like it came from a book. Every character is brimming with personality and from the moment you meet Jot, Moonbeard and the countless others, you will see what I mean. While the enemy designs often repeat, they never feel like they are overused, but when you encounter a new one it feels special. The world itself is very basic, visiting a new area does kind of feels like a checklist at times, but as you spend a good amount of time outside the book, it offsets that vibe. I do wish that I was able to explore the room the book is in, you only really stick to the desk and it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.

On the sound side of things, there really isn’t much to talk about. The games music is charming and catchy, sometimes when I had to pause the game, I would often find myself humming along. The characters don’t speak, though they do emote at times and it adds a nice element to the mix. Much like the visuals, everything here is designed to punch up the story book aspect and they very much succeeded with that.

The Plucky Squire is a fun game, from the opening moments and through to the end, I had fun playing it. While the more advanced gamer may find themselves breezing through most parts of the game, there are times when a few puzzles may slow them down. For the newer gamer there are a host of options that can be turned on, in order to welcome them in and it’s great to see. I really enjoyed my time with the game, it can feel a little simple at times, but in a world of shooters and souls-likes, sometimes we need a game with some fun and charming visuals and a character with a little pluck.

The Score

8.0

Review code provided by Devolver Digital

The Pros

The game is practically made of charm, as it is charming until the very end

Any single snapshot of the book, would look like an actual book, it looks that good

The Cons

The gameplay may not be as deep as some folks were hoping

Not being able to leap from the book whenever and explore the larger room feels like a missed opportunity