Action game The Plucky Squire aims to bring a sense of joy back into top-down adventures with Zelda-like gameplay coming out of a literal storybook.
The announcement trailer for the game shows an opening sequence that starts off in a 2D part of the game, which is the main storybook. But after showing some simple puzzle mechanics, the game then transitions into a 3D world filled with various challenges and enemies.
The Plucky Squire
(Photo : All Possible Futures, Devolver Digital / Screenshot taken from Steam)
The main protagonist of the game, Jot, can hop ledges and chasms from set, green swirls found on the ground across the world. Each of these takes you to corresponding green swirls on the other side.
In an early preview of the game, the first green swirl that players encounter will take them to a 3D table that seems oddly reminiscent of the Toy Story franchise. This new region is filled with notepads and playing cards as well as rulers and other objects, according to Eurogamer.
They then see a little wizard who is perched on various objects stationary around the desktop and offers players some advice that could prove useful later on.
The enemies in this area can be seen taunting you with attacks from ledges that you can't quite reach with your sword while others are in areas that are too high to reach with a jump.
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You will then see that there are other characters scattered around the world that are in need of some assistance and could grant you an ability if you help them. The most notable of these is the jetpack, which lets you climb a little bit higher than if you simply jump.
However, unlocking this particular item is not an easy feat as you need to finish a quest that starts after you enter a green swirl on the surface of a mug. In this pocket world, a little rocket is in distress as his parts have been spread across the desktop.
Inspired by The Legend of Zelda
The Plucky Squire's initial levels played inside a storybook have a stunningly beautiful 2D art style and the book's cease in the center is also visible all the time. While minor, it is a feature that makes the otherwise simple touch more distinct, said DigitalTrends.
While there is no doubt that the game takes a lot of inspiration from the Zelda franchise, it particularly gives a nod to The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The mechanic of switching between 2D and 3D worlds becomes more fascinating as the story progresses.
Players will later find all three dad shards after finishing several short puzzles, with one tasking you with finding hidden candles in 3D and lighting them using the flame from your jetpack. After bringing the shards to a cup, you are placed inside a side-scrolling space shoot 'em-up game.
The fascinating world that The Plucky Squire brings may even give Nintendo a run for its money because it feels almost natural to have been a game made by the Japanese company. Even the main character's design seems oddly reminiscent of Link, according to NintendoLife.
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