The Plucky Squire is a jolly little game. Its storybook visuals in 2D and cute chunkiness in 3D combine with bright colours, whimsical enemies, and shamelessly silly plotlines combine to make a very happy experience. Five chapters in, I've seen some clever mechanics - the Magic: The Gathering card being my favourite (a sentence I'll never write again) - but nothing that has fully sold me on The Plucky Squire's hook. However, I have met an enemy I hope never to see again. Irritation, thy name is beetle.
In the game, you start as a storybook character going about his storybook life. He beats the evil wizard, every time, and saves the day. However, the wizard grows tired of this dynamic and goes rogue, using his magic to force the Squire out of the book and into the world itself. This is where The Plucky Squire gets to show you how clever it is, with a variety of platform puzzles that often include taking objects from one dimension and using them in another to progress. It's smart, but has one of the worst introductions of any game mechanic I’ve ever seen.
As you go through the game, the...
