The Plucky Squire Review (PlayStation 5)

by Jim Smale · Published September 18, 2024 · Updated September 18, 2024

The Plucky Squire Review, Storybook characters discover a three-dimensional world outside the pages of their book and must jump between 2D & 3D realms to save their friends in this charming action-adventure.

The Plucky Squire Review Pros:

Gorgeous graphics.
17.16GB download size.
Platinum trophy.
Controller settings – Invert the axis and you can remap the buttons.
Vibration options – on/off, and vibration strength slider.
Accessibility options – jump assist, show hidden portals, disable falling platforms, invincibility, and one-hit kill.
3 save slots.
Action-platformer gameplay with other genres mixed in for variety.
Two ways to play – adventure mode (a challenge), and story mode (less damage, etc).
Tutorial signs as you play.
In-game cutscenes and character interactions.
Excellent voice work.
The game takes place inside a storybook that comes to life, it has a storyteller and animated book pages.
Upbeat and happy soundtrack.
Well-implemented vibration effects.
Simple hack-and-slash combat.
You can cut bushes, smack boxes, and hit trees to find light bulbs.
Light bulbs are the currency of the game.
The game is a masterclass in presentation and atmosphere.
As you progress the type of game you are playing can temporarily change, one minute it’s a dungeon crawler then it could be a shoot ’em up or 2D platformer.
Accessibility options don’t disable trophies.
Has a few little nods and game modes to older games including some classics.
Hidden collectible art scrolls to be found and viewed in the gallery.
At times you will have a sentence missing some words and you have to find the words and put them in the right place to complete the sentence.
The training area lets you practice combat and new abilities you unlock.
Shops to buy new abilities, items, scrolls, etc using light bulbs.
Hidden collectible Glitch birds can be found in the game.
The heart health bar system allows you to take a few hits, and enemies can drop your health.
You meet and play with many memorable characters.
Does this cool effect where in book items and objects will go off the page that turns them into real-world 3D objects.
It’s a good chill-out game as it’s not that challenging but keeps you entertained.
With the accessibility settings tweaked, this is a game a younger or less experienced gamer could happily play for hours.
Words you pick up and sentences you make can change the game world instantly.
Clever puzzles and excellent level design.
The game autosaves regularly and lets you know the last time it was saved before you turn the game off.
Really good levels where it’s all dark and you can only see so far around yourself.

The Plucky Squire Review Cons:

You cannot skip the opening cutscenes.
The characters when in game don’t actually speak and instead is replaced with just text bubbles.
No accessibility options for dyslexic font or Colourblind.
Any slight slowdown or juddering is noticeable due to the graphics style.
The pacing can feel a bit off as you wait for the page to turn or you have a lot of cutscenes peppered into a level.
It takes a while for it all to get going.
Some items are quite expensive and can involve a bit of grinding.

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