3.5/5 ★ – BigSliceGaming's review of The Plucky Squire.

The Plucky Squire was an adventure I didn’t know I needed, but I’m so glad I experienced it. The game grabbed my attention thanks to its charming hand-drawn art style, which looks like it came straight out of a child’s storybook. The concept of jumping between a magical storybook world and the "real world" intrigued me, and that curiosity kept me hooked throughout the game. You play as Jot, a heroic character in a storybook called The Plucky Squire. Jot is celebrated as the protagonist of his book, but all is not well. The evil wizard Humgrump, wants to erase Jot from the story and take control of the book realm. This sets up a classic hero's journey: save the world, defeat the villain, and restore order. The game does an excellent job of building two distinct realms: the storybook world, where Jot is revered, and the real-world Desk Realm, where the book belongs to a child named Sam. The Desk Realm is packed with Sam’s drawings and crafts, adding a meta layer to the narrative. Not only is Jot trying to save his storybook world, but also to ensure Sam can finish his future book, which is deeply inspired by Jot's adventures. This dual narrative makes the stakes feel higher than just saving the storybook world alone. Jot himself is a silent protagonist, much like Link in The Legend of Zelda. While this means Jot lacks a deep personality, it’s not a downside. He’s the player’s avatar, and the story is told through the other characters. Violet, a quirky witch-in-training, and Thrash, a metal-loving troll, each bring unique energy and development to the story. Watching their personal journeys unfold was a delightful highlight. At its core, The Plucky Squire is an action-adventure game with combat reminiscent of Zelda’s 2D titles. You swing a sword to defeat enemies, and as you progress, you gain new abilities, like throwing your sword. While the combat is serviceable, it’s not the standout feature of the game. The true star of the gameplay lies in the word puzzles within the storybook world. Since the story takes place within a book, each level screen is literally a page, complete with text. Some pages feature words that can be manipulated to solve puzzles, adding a creative and clever twist. For example, you might swap "Giant" with "Tiny" to make an obstacle smaller and clear your path. These puzzles were a lot of fun, and I found myself enjoying them more than the combat. The game is generally on the easier side, with accessibility features like One Hit Kills for players looking to breeze through the story. While the difficulty spikes slightly toward the later chapters, the lack of heavy penalties for failure means you can focus on enjoying the narrative without much frustration. The controls are simple and intuitive, especially for anyone familiar with the genre, though they don't break any new ground. The visuals in The Plucky Squire are where the game truly shines. The hand-drawn art style of the storybook world is absolutely stunning, capturing the whimsical feel of a child’s fantasy book. The Desk Realm, on the other hand, takes a more cartoonish 3D approach, evoking the look of toys and craft supplies. While the 3D visuals are charming, it’s the 2D storybook realm that truly captivated me. Character design is another highlight. Jot, Violet, Thrash, and other key characters are visually distinct and their designs match their personalities perfectly. Moonbeard, Jot’s mentor, is another standout, with his moon-shaped beard serving as a fitting symbol of his wisdom. One of the most fun aspects of the game is watching the storybook’s 2D art come to life when it transitions into the 3D Desk Realm. Seeing familiar elements like enemies and objects shift between styles adds an extra layer of delight to the experience. The soundtrack of The Plucky Squire is a perfect fit for its storybook adventure. It’s light, fun, and reminiscent of mid-2000s children’s TV shows, helping to set the tone for the whimsical world you’re navigating. The sound design itself is pretty standard, with nothing particularly remarkable, though the narrator’s voice performance is a standout, bringing the story’s meta elements to life. Unfortunately, the game’s technical performance left something to be desired. While playing on the PS5, I noticed frame rate dips, especially in the 3D Desk Realm. The world outside the book just didn’t feel as polished as the 2D storybook realm, and those frame rate drops were noticeable enough to break immersion at times. There were also a few bugs, mostly progression-blocking issues where cutscenes wouldn’t trigger after solving a puzzle. Thankfully, the game saves frequently, so the frustration of having to restart wasn’t too severe. The Plucky Squire is a wonderfully charming game, one that captures the spirit of a classic children’s adventure with a delightful blend of humor and heart. The art style, character development, and clever puzzles make it a memorable journey, though its relatively simple combat and lack of innovation in gameplay may leave some craving more complexity. If you’re looking for a game that’s full of charm, whimsy, and a storybook adventure, The Plucky Squire is a solid recommendation. However, if you’re after something groundbreaking or more mechanically intricate, this may not be the game for you.