The
Plucky
Squire
is
a
game
that
leaps
off
the
page
—
literally.
It
takes
place
in
a
storybook
world
rendered
in
an
adorable
two
dimensions
thanks
to
codirector
and
former
Pokémon
artist
James
Turner.
But
at
certain
points,
the
heroic
lead
character
can
venture
into
the
real
world
and
solve
puzzles
that
mix
2D
and
3D
in
inventive
ways.
Sometimes,
you’re
moving
objects
between
dimensions;
other
times,
you’re
rearranging
the
words
in
a
book
to
create
new
outcomes.
It’s
as
cute
as
it
is
creative,
and
it
follows
Sony’s
Astro
Bot
in
what
is
turning
out
to
be
a
very
good
year
for
family-friendly
games.
The
game
puts
you
in
the
role
of
Jot,
the
titular
plucky
squire,
who
has
the
unusual
ability
to
exist
outside
of
the
book
he
stars
in.
The
two
worlds
are
drastically
different:
inside
the
storybook
is
bright,
colorful,
and
simple,
while
the
real
world
is
appropriately
dark
and
realistic.
They’re
distinct,
but
through
Jot,
the
worlds
intersect
as
he
sets
about
saving
the
book
from
an
evil
wizard.
Solving
puzzles
involves
flipping
through
pages
to
pull
items
from
the
past,
using
language
to
bypass
barriers,
and
occasionally
boxing
a
bear.
It’s
silly
and
heartfelt
and,
at
times,
calls
to
mind
the
2D
segments
in
Nintendo
classics
Super
Mario
Odyssey
and
The
Legend
of
Zelda:
A
Link
Between
Worlds.
“The
idea
of
contrast
was
really
important
to
the
game.”
For
Turner,
the
initial
idea
for
the
game
came
during
a
lull,
when
he
had
just
left
Pokémon
developer
Game
Freak
but
hadn’t
yet
started
work
at
All
Possible
Futures,
the
studio
he
cofounded
with
Jonathan
Biddle.
“I
left
Game
Freak,
and
then
I
had
nothing
to
do,”
he
tells
The
Verge.
“To
fill
that
void,
I
started
drawing
a
webcomic.”
That
comic,
called
Cosmic,
included
a
number
of
characters
and
ideas
that
would
eventually
make
their
way
into
The
Plucky
Squire
as
its
storybook
narrative
took
shape.
For
Turner
—
who
frequently
posts
hilarious
mashup
illustrations
and
who
designed
notable
pokémon
like
Polteageist
—
one
of
the
goals
of
the
game
was
to
create
a
unique
clash
of
styles.
Not
only
should
the
dimensions
in
The
Plucky
Squire
play
different,
but
they
should
look
different
as
well.
It’s
an
idea
that
came
about
early
in
development;
initially,
when
Jot
jumped
into
the
real
world,
he
was
cel-shaded
to
keep
his
cartoony
style.
Eventually,
though,
it
became
clear
that
a
more
realistic,
almost
toy-like
version
of
the
character
worked
better.
Image:
All
Possible
Futures
“It
reduced
the
realism
of
the
outside
world
quite
significantly
in
a
strange
way,”
Turner
says
of
the
cel
shading.
“Even
though
the
outside
world
was
very
real,
if
the
object
that
you’re
looking
at
90
percent
of
the
time
[isn’t],
it
starts
to
affect
how
you
see
the
rest
of
the
world.”
He
adds
that
“the
idea
of
contrast
was
really
important
to
the
game.”
A
good
example
is
early
on
in
The
Plucky
Squire
when
Jot
is
in
search
of
a
bow-and-arrow
to
complete
a
quest.
This
involves
jumping
through
a
portal
into
the
real
world,
navigating
a
very
messy
desk
filled
with
obstacles,
and
then
jumping
into
a
card
ripped
out
of
Magic:
The
Gathering
to
battle
an
elf.
When
Jot
finally
reaches
his
destination,
there
are
three
distinct
art
styles
onscreen:
storybook
2D,
realistic
3D,
and
detailed
fantasy
art.
“I
thought
that
clash
of
styles
would
be
the
most
jaw-dropping,”
Turner
explains.
“There’s
a
big
gap
outside
of
Nintendo.”
Outside
of
its
visuals,
The
Plucky
Squire
is
also
notable
for
being
an
experience
that
works
really
well
for
all
ages.
The
action
and
puzzles
have
just
enough
depth
to
them
to
be
satisfying
while
not
being
intimidating
for
younger
or
less
experienced
players.
It’s
like
a
streamlined
Zelda
adventure,
with
some
nice
quality-of-life
features,
like
an
optional
hint
system
that
doesn’t
give
too
much
away.
It’s
a
style
of
game
that
can
be
hard
to
find
outside
of
something
from
Nintendo
(which
includes
the
upcoming
Echoes
of
Wisdom).
But
titles
like
Astro
Bot
and
The
Plucky
Squire
are
showing
it’s
possible
for
other
developers,
as
well.
“There
are
lots
of
people
that
want
to
play
those
games,
and
they
haven’t
been
catered
to
as
much
as
they
possibly
should
have
been,”
says
Turner.
“It
does
feel
like
there’s
a
big
gap
outside
of
Nintendo
where
it
would
be
nice
if
we
had
those
games
more
regularly.
There’s
a
need
for
them.”
The
Plucky
Squire
is
out
now
on
the
Nintendo
Switch,
PlayStation,
Xbox,
and
PC.
(Originally posted by Andrew Webster)
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