The Plucky Squire Review
Summary: A bold and magical adventure for all ages
4.5
Spellbinding
In my preview for The Plucky Squire, I said it was set to be one of this year’s most magical games, now, I know it’s just one of its best.
The Zelda-like 2D to 3D platforming adventure is easily one of the cleverest games I’ve played in years.
I don’t know how All Possible Futures pulled off the game’s greatest technical tricks and I’m not sure I want to, but I do know that it’s a game that still makes me smile.
You take on the role of Jot, the titular Plucky Squire—a writer and adventurer who is also the hero of a series of inspirational children’s books owned by a boy named Sam
However, when Jot’s nemesis the dastardly sorcerer Humgrump discovers the citizens of Mojo are characters in a child’s picture book, he casts a spell that throws Jot off the page and onto the desk where the book is resting.
Thus it’s up to Jot to find a way back to the pages of The Plucky Squire before Humgrump can turn the tale into something a lot less inspirational dooming Sam to Life as a chartered accountant instead of a writer of a popular children’s book series with lucrative media tie ins.
On his adventure, Jot is joined by his best friends the trainee Witch Violet and the mountain troll Thrash, and helped by his next-door neighbour, the good wizard, Moonbeard.
The Plucky Squire is a beautiful game full of fun asides and fantastic boss encounters, including boxing an angry honey badger, battling a mage by busting a move, and trading blows with a wood elf housed in a ‘magical’ trading card.
As you explore the pages of the book you see it spring to life before your eyes, with the warm welcoming tones of the narrator pushing you on, but the words of the book aren’t just there for effect they’re also integral to one of the game’s many magical mechanics;l need to swap words out with others found within the book which transforms the world with it. See that huge bug blocking your path, if only that tiny frog could do something about it. That block would be far more useful if it were a set of stairs.
The most mind-blowing part of the adventure though is when you gain the ability to leave the book entirely, At this point Jot transforms into a small toylike model and explores Sam’s desk, littered with art supplies scraps, and enemies Humgrump has dispatched to stop the Plucky Squire from getting back to the pages of the contested tome.
Outside the book, The Plucky Squire’s gameplay shifts from something akin to Zelda 2 to more of a collectathon platformer with the occasional fun set pieces, including some stealthy moments, and even some on-rails shooting, as Jot searches the desk for new equipment to help him when he eventually returns to the book. There’s even a stealth section straight out of Ocarina of Time,
What’s most impressive though is how incredibly fluid the whole experience is. Jots’ ability to almost instantly flick back and forth between the desk, the different pages of the book, and drawings in the wider environment is simply spellbinding.
The presentation further helps to sell the illusion wonderfully, there’s a delicate sheen and texture to the pages that make each page look like paper, and the artwork on each is beautiful. It’s like flicking through the platonic ideal of a children’s book. Lighthearted, bright, bold, and oozing with charm and atmosphere.
Though the story is fairly simple, it has a surprising emotional weight. The main cast is also incredibly likeable thanks to a brilliantly realised script and Philip Bretherton doing some serious heavy lifting as the warm and welcoming voice of the narrator.
Final Thoughts
The Plucky Squire is a delightful action platformer with a brilliant hook that feels like witchcraft the first time you see it and continues to be absolutely magical throughout.
It tells a heartfelt tale about the power of art and creativity, set within a bright and beautiful world packed with wit and whimsy that the whole family will enjoy.
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