The Plucky Squire is an action-adventure game developed by All Possible Futures and published by Developer Digital. The game is a mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay where the main character Jot traverses from his storybook under the same name into the real world. Filled to the brim with multiple puzzles and minigames The Plucky Squire has many gameplay segments that will keep the player entertained. With all this and many secrets and references, The Plucky Squire is shaping up to be one of the best indie games of the year.
The story of The Plucky Squire centers around the character of Jot, a champion of the Realm whose tales of Valour are beloved by the good people in the land of Mojo. However, when the Malevolent Wizard Humgrump realizes he’s the villain of a children’s tale where he is destined to lose in every book, he’s in he uses his powers to literally kick Jot out of his book into the real world. After running around the real world, Jot discovers a pair of gloves that allows him to turn the pages of his book back and forward. He has also gained the ability to jump back and forth into the 2D and 3D world with whatever items he has in his hands. With his newfound abilities, Jot now has the means to save both his friends and his world from Humgrump’s wrath.
The gameplay of The Plucky Squire is filled with many surprises that the player will enjoy. Outside of the basic mechanics like attacking and jumping the game has many puzzles and minigames that keep the game from being stale and repetitive. One such minigame took inspiration from the Punch-Out! series during the first boss fight of the game. It’s many secret minigames like these that give the game more life alongside the core mechanic of traversing in and out of the 2D World. The gameplay also varies depending on the area, in some cases it can go from a corner-to-corner open world to a side-scrolling platformer as you traverse up or down a mountain or through a pitch-black cave. Of course, there are plenty of monsters, angry wildlife, evil minions, beetles, and many other creatures to fight in both the 2D and 3D worlds using Jot’s mighty Pen Sword along with many other items that can be found in the 3D world. Jot’s sword can also be upgraded at the traveling shop Martina, who can also give him many sword skills such as; Jump attack, Spin attack, and Sword throw that he can use in battle for the right price of course. As mentioned earlier there are also many puzzles to solve that will test the mental muscles of many players. Along the journey Jot and his friends can also come across many friendly people in the land of Mojo, some who will lend him a hand if Jot wishes to help them in return. There are also many mysterious scrolls hidden all over the world. These scrolls once gathered unlock pieces of artwork that will also teach players more about the land of Mojo.
Along with many of these gameplay features, The Plucky Squire also has many accessibility features such as; Jump assist which lends a helping hand when Jot needs to jump somewhere, Show Hidden Portals which are revealed automatically on the page Jot is on, Disable falling platforms which prevents falling platforms from falling and damaging Jot as he lands on them, Invincibility and finally One hit kill where enemies fall after a single hit from Jot’s sword. There are also two characters who can help Jot on his journey if the player is stuck on certain puzzles, Page and Minibeard.
Overall The Plucky Squire is a fun adventure that many players should get their hands on. The Plucky Squire has so far been one of the best indie games to release this year. The premise of the game may be simple but the unique gameplay mechanics of traveling in and out of the 2D and 3D world and how it is utilized in the many puzzles and minigames makes this simple game one of the best games of the year. It’s hard to say whether or not The Plucky Squire will be noticed especially with all the big triple-A games releasing in the upcoming weeks and months, but I’m hoping that Indie games such as this get the recognition it deserves because of its unique style, simple gameplay, and fun minigames that anyone of any age can enjoy.
Score: 10 out of 10
Reviewed on PC