The Plucky Squire

[h2]Entre páginas e dimensões[/h2] Além de ter um visual lindíssimo, esse jogo tem uma [b]gameplay muito criativa, mesclando 2D com 3D[/b], permitindo levar objetos entre os dois modos e usá-los para resolver puzzles. Tudo se conecta de forma criativa e natural. O jogo pode ter um tom e um visual mais infantil, mas acho que essa foi [b]a melhor escolha de design e direção de arte[/b] para esse tipo de jogo. [hr][/hr] [i]English translation generated with the assistance of AI.[/i] [h2]Between Pages and Dimensions[/h2] Besides having a beautiful visual style, this game has [b]very creative gameplay, blending 2D with 3D[/b], allowing you to carry objects between the two modes and use them to solve puzzles. Everything connects in a creative and natural way. The game may have a more childish tone and visual style, but I think this was [b]the best design and art direction choice[/b] for this type of game.

[h1]Sights & Sounds[/h1] [h3]This is what interested you in the first place[/h3] [list] [*] There are a lot of things you could criticize about [i]The Plucky Squire[/i], but you won't find that criticism in this section of the review. It's an inarguably beautiful game [*] The combo of realistic 3D environments paired with the cartoonish storybook artstyle was such a great choice that I'm a little mad that it took so long pull off this mixed media look so effectively. It's not a totally new idea, but I can't recall it ever looking this good [*] What's even better is that the blend of "real world" and storybook visuals is well-explored. It would have been sort of lame if the game featured primarily 2D gameplay with a few dalliances into third dimension, but instead you get segments where you bounce between the two at key points. For example, RPG-battling a boss on an MTG card or playing a side-scrolling shooter on a coffee mug [*] The audio presentation is also on point. While the OST is pretty varied, the instrumentation centers around jangly acoustic guitar, lively percussion (lots of chimes, xylophones, and tambourine), and woodwinds in peaceful settings but shifts to faster tempoed strings, drums, and the occasional sitar for tenser moments [*] And, for what it's worth, the narrator gives a great performance throughout the whole affair. There isn't any other voice acting in the game, but in truth, there didn't need to be [/list] [h1]Story & Vibes[/h1] [h3]Story within a story[/h3] [list] [*] Being that the game takes place within a storybook, it stands to reason that it probably contains a story. And that story is about you, Jot, the young hero and titular Plucky Squire. The pages of the book feature Jot locked in eternal combat with his nemesis, an evil wizard named Humgrump [*] Unfortunately, Humgrump isn't the stupidest of villains. Over time, he comes to realize that he is, in fact, a character in a children's book who is always destined to lose to Jot to maintain the status quo of "happily ever after". Even more unfortunately, he's begun plotting take over the world of Mojo and begin literally controlling the narrative [*] It's kind of like of like John Gardner's [i]Grendel[/i], but for babies [*] And so, it's up to Jot to traverse dimensions in search of means to foil Humdrum's plans. Thankfully, he's got some friends in Violet (a witch in training), Thrash (a mountain troll), and Pip (a little mouse) to aid him on his quest to save Mojo [*] It's a pretty simple little narrative, though I have to admit I did enjoy this flavor of less-annoying 4th wall breaking. Nothing too engaging, but's cute, it's charming, and it's easy to wrap your head around [*] If I had any complaint, it would be the length of dialogue segments. As I said, the plot is fairly basic, so I'm left wondering why no one ever shuts the hell up. Nothing the characters say is ever very funny or insightful, so the sheer amount of writing winds up diminishing its quality [/list] [h1]Playability & Replayability[/h1] [h3]EZ PZ[/h3] [list] [*] All of that beautiful set dressing and plot development form a solid foundation that ultimately doesn't support anything worthwhile. What you wind up playing is [i]A Link Between Worlds[/i] with a bunch of additional minigames, but insipid [*] Let's start with the most common complaint I've seen levied against the game, which is the constant handholding. It seems that no matter how simple the puzzle, the game has no faith in the player to solve it. Regardless of whether it's one of your companions or the narrator, you can count on someone to chime in and demean your intellect by giving you the solution the second the smallest roadblock besets your path [*] Yes, I'm aware that the devs introduced "streamlined mode" to minimize this annoyance, but I'm baffled by the heavy-handed implementation of the hint system in the first place. Streamlined mode isn't on by default, and if you don't dive into the options, you might not even realize it exists. I left the default settings on initially as I was interested in seeing the devs' intent, but after a couple of hours, I had to go in and change it [*] The other big complaint I've seen is the difficulty. "Easy" is a charitable descriptor. Neither combat nor puzzles require any thought. The solution to just about every puzzle is quickly evident, and despite the options available to you in combat, you won't need to do much but mash the attack button [*] In addition to Jot's 3-hit sword combo, you also gain access to the abilities to throw your sword, do a plunging attack, and pull off a spin attack. Other than tossing my sword a few times, I never found the need for the other options [*] The one part of the gameplay I did enjoy was the occasional dash of variety. Despite primarily being a top-down Zelda-like, you'll occasionally find yourself in platforming sections (both 2D and 3D), turn-based RPG battles, [i]Punch-Out[/i]-like boss fights, and bullet hell segments. As with the regular combat, though, none of these present the faintest whiff of challenge [*] Sure, there's a "challenge mode" that can ramp up the difficulty, but I think raising the bar on Adventure Mode (normal difficulty) would still be a notable improvement. If you have to go into the options and change two settings to make the game any fun, it only serves to highlight the deficits in the design decisions [/list] [h1]Overall Impressions & Performance[/h1] [h3]Falling short[/h3] [list] [*] I'll be the first to admit that good visuals and a competent story are typically enough to exract an at least mildly positive opinion out of me. I play narrative choice and visual novel games fairly often, and people commonly lament that they can't get into such genres due to the dearth of gameplay [*] But I think, in the end, I'd rather have that absence of gameplay than bad gameplay. It's insulting to be spoon fed puzzle solutions. It's boring to hammer out the same 3-swing combo over and over again. It's disappointing to get to a boss only to beat it while barely trying. It becomes an anchor that drags the whole experience down [*] [i]The Plucky Squire[/i] played and performed well on the Steam Deck, but I'd recommend it playing on the largest screen your hardware will permit. If you're still set on playing this, you'll at least want to be able to get the most out of the visuals [/list] [h1]Final Verdict[/h1] [b]4.0[/b]/10. At the end of the day, you can't help but wonder what could have been. Maybe this would make a nice gift to someone who's very young, not very good at games, or both. But I think most players at least halfway competent at games are likely to find [i]The Plucky Squire[/i] to be a good-looking but otherwise disappointing experience