The Plucky Squire’s utterly charming gameplay has been well worth the wait

While The Plucky Squire instantly turned heads with its gorgeous presentation in bringing a child’s storybook to life, it’s so much more than just its appearance. An inventive gameplay loop is what’s keeping me eager to turn every new page.

It’s been over two years since The Plucky Squire’s electric reveal. The first snippet teased a whimsical sidescrolling adventure set in the pages of a vibrant storybook. At least, that’s what we thought before the game unveiled its clever twist.

Quite literally jumping off the page with their premise, indie studio All Possible Futures captivated the internet with its genre-bending hook in their debut game. Emerging from out of the 2D realm, the protagonist was shown venturing into the real world, so to speak, and it’s there the teaser ended.

Things have been relatively quiet ever since, but this one brief glimpse has kept The Plucky Squire in the minds of gamers ever since.

Now, it’s finally rounding the corner as it barrels towards its 2024 release. I’ve played a few hours and couldn’t be more thrilled with how it’s all shaping up. Not only are the visuals as delightful as expected, but its biggest surprise is how its gameplay manages to keep you on your toes, even knowing the eventual twist.

An undeniable allure

It’s been clear from the get-go The Plucky Squire is one of the more visually striking games we’ve seen in quite some time.

Every frame a painting has never been more apt than when you’re running across a vibrant forest, slashing at obstacles and enemies both, wildlife populating the borders of the page, flowers scattered like a designer delicately sprinkled them over the top of a perfectly baked muffin.

The stylish approach makes every new character all the more satisfying to engage with as it makes every new environment all the more joyful to traverse. You want to play that little bit more not just to advance the story or upgrade your arsenal, but in some cases, purely to see the next beautiful piece of art you’re able to interact with.

The charm extends well beyond just the pixels on the screen too. Be it the adorable sound design and accompanying soundtrack (full OST on Spotify when?) or the elegant writing that brilliantly captures that childlike imagination of a kid’s storybook, no stone has been left unturned in making The Plucky Squire one of the most pleasant gaming experiences in years.

Inventive gameplay blends genres at every turn

Of course, design is just one aspect of what makes a pleasant gaming experience. Under all its dazzling qualities, The Plucky Squire is also a surprisingly well-rounded game.

While it is a sidescrolling adventure title at its core, as you’ll mainly be slashing at evil critters, dodging attacks, and collecting the odd resource, each level brings something entirely new to shake up the formula.

There are unique puzzles to wrap your head around, clever boss battles that offer interesting and distinct challenges, of course, there’s a bit of platforming mixed in with it all too. The game is constantly evolving to keep you on your toes and keep the experience fresh.

Even in just our early preview, playing four of the game’s 10 chapters, no two levels were anywhere close to playing out the same. One minute we were in a new version of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!, the next we were dragging words across stages like Alan Wake to form the right sentence in order to progress.

It strikes a well-balanced cadence so you’re never bored running through one similar page after another, though whether this degree of creativity can be kept up through all 10 chapters remains to be seen.

Along the course of the adventure, you’ve got plenty to veer off the main path for as well. There appear to be 12 upgrades in total, each improving your array of attacks, while there are also 50 hidden collectibles in the form of concept art. So for the completionists out there like myself, you’ve got plenty to sink your teeth into.

Considering the first four chapters took us around four hours, there’s a fairly sizeable game on offer here. Only just scratching the surface, we’re eager to keep exploring the storybook and its surroundings as The Plucky Squire draws closer to its tantalizing full release.