The Plucky Squire Review: Childlike Charm in Spades

The Plucky Squire Review: Childlike Charm in Spades

As a gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from pixelated classics to state-of-the-art virtual reality adventures. But when the trailer for “The Plucky Squire” dropped two years ago, I was instantly captivated by its unique blend of storybook charm and action-packed platforming. And let me tell you, this game did not disappoint!


Ever since the initial trailer of “The Plucky Squire” was released in 2022, I’ve been thoroughly convinced by its premise. The blend of a 2D and 3D action-platformer set within a child’s storybook resonated deeply with me, sparking my excitement for its launch. Fortunately, having completed “The Plucky Squire” myself, I can confirm that it not only lived up to my anticipation but surpassed it as well.

In “The Plucky Squire,” we follow the journey of the protagonist, young lad Jot, who stars in a series of children’s books. Accompanied by his pals Violet and Thrash, Jot embarks on various escapades through the realm of Mojo, predominantly to foil the schemes of the malevolent wizard Humgrump. However, the narrative usually unfolds with Humgrump being thwarted until he recognizes that he’s merely a character in a story and uses his sorcery to alter the storyline. This twist leads to Jot being ejected from the pages of his book, embarking on a new mission to restore the status quo.

The Plucky Squire Review: Childlike Charm in Spades

From start to finish, the story The Plucky Squire tells is adorable. The writing is dripping with charm and is easy enough for children to understand while still being smart enough for adults to want to engage with. One stage that predominantly centered around heavy metal particularly appealed to me, although I imagine most of its references wouldn’t be understood by younger players. I find it’s really difficult for many games to be for “all ages” as this term is more often than not associated with titles strictly for children. That isn’t the case with The Plucky Squire, though, as it’s a game I think anyone could find enchanting.

What truly shines in “The Plucky Squire” is its exceptional art design. This aspect of the game initially caught my eye two years ago, and it continues to impress with its stunning visuals when in motion. The storybook sequences of “The Plucky Squire” are particularly noteworthy, as the vibrant colors and animations stand out remarkably. While the game’s overall appearance outside these pages remains impressive, I found myself drawn more frequently to the book-bound areas due to their striking contrast.

In terms of gameplay, The Plucky Squire isn’t just visually appealing but also engaging and unpredictable. One standout feature of this game is its versatility, as it refuses to be pigeonholed into a single genre. While the narrative segments may resemble classic Zelda games, it frequently challenges these conventions in unexpected ways.

The Plucky Squire Review: Childlike Charm in Spades

In The Plucky Squire, you’ll spend most of your time outside gameplay moments by moving in and out of Jot’s storybook. This unique playstyle offers an advantage through its intricate puzzles, as you’ll need to switch between the two worlds to overcome specific obstacles. As Jot acquires new abilities for interacting with the storybook directly, these challenges evolve into more complex problems that become increasingly fun to solve.

During my time with The Plucky Squire, I encountered a few hiccups primarily linked to the puzzles. These glitches appeared somewhat sporadic and included an incident where a puzzle piece in the center got stuck in the environment, disrupting its functionality. Fortunately, I was able to overcome these obstacles by reloading my latest save which usually sorted things out. Apart from these minor setbacks, I didn’t encounter any significant difficulties worth mentioning.

For the past year, I’ve been on a quest to find games similar to “The Plucky Squire”. In a sea of live-service and free-to-play games that seem to dominate the market, “The Plucky Squire” stands out as a refreshing change of pace. It brought back memories of the ingenuity and originality that video games possess. Not only did I enjoy it, but I’m excited to share this game with my children so they can experience it too. If you’re searching for games like this, “The Plucky Squire” is a must-play.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Today, “The Valiant Squire” is available to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC systems. I had an early version of the game from the publisher for review purposes, which I assessed on the PS5 platform.

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2024-09-17 19:09