The Plucky Squire Review - The New Indie King?

[@ShurikanBlade]

To anyone wondering about the switch version, i bought it and played for about an hour now. Heres my thoughts: the game is a bit laggy/choppy, you can really tell when going between pages and in the real world. The opening cutscene even has some pop in. Its a bit glitchy of an experience where cutscenes freeze a bit before ending (you can tell cuz the on screen text doesnt finish all the way), the coins your supposed to collect (lightbulbs) glitched for me and i wasnt collecting them right away (i had to jump for them to actively be added to my total) and worst of all im currently softlocked. I reached a point where i get a cutscene tutorial to teach me about sneaking around in chapter 2 and my game just freezes mid cutscene. I closed the game and re-opened the save file 6 times to no avail. I think i might have to reset my data. Of course i dont think this will happen to EVERYONE who plays the switch version but this is simply what happened to me. It honestly soured my experience a lot cuz ive been looking forward to this game for 2 years now since it was first revealed. If you have any other means of playing it, ill recommend using that device instead so you can avoid any potential glitches found in the switch version. Well thats all and hopefully i dont have to reset so i can continue playing. Its a very charming game and i dont want to be soured by a few bugs. Edit: after reseting my save, most of my issues are fixed. For some reason it didn't want to load the bug enemies for the sneak portion and so i was frozen in the sneak tutorial. I'd like to reiterate that it's still a great game and if you want to play it then get it on switch. After resetting, I did enjoy it a bit more because I saw less glitches (idk why I saw so many on my first save file). I still enjoy the game and maybe I'll update this more as i go on. I will say that this game needed more polish before releasing. Edit 2: I dont know if im just unlucky or if the switxh version is just bad cuz I got softlocked twice more. I was able to fix one of the issues but now I can't progress again and I'll most likely have to reset AGAIN. I'm getting really fed up with this and at this point idk if I even want to finish the game. I'll keep updating yall

[@TheBlueGoldenHawk]

That’s probably why they didn’t send out the switch ver for review

[@Jack_MxM]

Thanks for the heads up and sorry that happened with your experience after you waited so long for it. I might get it on PC instead of Switch if it means a better experience.

[@napoleonfeanor]

Switch is just download,too, right?

[@Feroror]

The opening cutscene has pop in even on PS5 ☹️ Surprisingly this game is a bit unpolished

[@ShurikanBlade]

@@napoleonfeanor yeah but there will be a physical in a few months. February i believe

[@Monafide3305]

Giving the game an 8.5 while claiming it may be one of the best indie games of all time feels a little incongruous, but maybe we just operate on different review scales lol Edit: I feel the need to clarify at this point that I don't have any issue with the score or think that 8.5 games can't be excellent. I just think it's odd to proclaim something as 'one of the best' when it isn't very close to a perfect score. Ratings are subjective of course and I take no issue with the review's contents otherwise.

[@ShurikanBlade]

Honestly I think it's fair. It's great creatively but it jusy needed a bit more polish then it would hit that 9 - 10 range. I'm playing the switch version and it's kinda bad honestly (I've found a variety of glitches and I'm currently softlocked with no means of progressing. [I'm at the sneak tutorial and the cutscene just freezes everhtime even when I close the game]). I think that's what merits it going down but if it weren't for that it would be a near perfect experience

[@Sonnavafitch]

Not trying to argue or anything but he does say at the end that it's not perfect and had some stuttering on the hardware side. To me at least some of the bests aren't perfect, I also personally never give anything a ten out of ten ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@samy29987]

I always believed scores to be rather meaningless, but in this case, you're right. The phrasing and messaging doesn't align with the overall score presented here. Everything sounded more like a 9.5 than 8.5, but I digress.

[@ShurikanBlade]

@@samy29987 my personal interpretation is due to it being not as polished as it could be. Having some technical issues as they said. If these issues were resolved then I'm sure it would've been a 9.5. I'm playing the switch version and yeah it could've used a bit more polish

[@trapez77]

@@samy29987 they just have Astro bot a 10 even though it’s not as good as any of the games that it copies from

[@batofdestiny]

Just remember that this game was directed by the man who designed Shadow Lugia, aka XD001. :0

[@tenthirtyseven-v1]

It's depressing to think that's what the guy might be remembered for.

[@Kniffel101]

How about being Art Director for Sword and Shield, having designed the Game Freak animation and many Pokémon from Black/White? =D​@@tenthirtyseven-v1

[@PhotonSieve]

​@@tenthirtyseven-v1Nah, it's objectively a great thing to be remembered for.

[@KidAL0]

I totally know who/what that is

[@jgodden8022]

If you genuinely think this game can count among the best indies ever made then I'm going to suggest you really haven't played many indies. I can think of a handful of indies from this year alone with more compelling gameplay and cohesive game design. FROM THIS YEAR ALONE. This game's presentation and aesthetic elements are truly great. Its structure is bland, its gameplay a pale shadow of the games that have influenced it (A Link Between World, Baba is You, numerous 3D platformers), and for a game centred on the idea of creativity it does an impressively ironic job of robbing the player of agency and creative puzzle solving opportunities.

[@Whirlwhind1]

In a world where people think 7/10 is considered 'bad', Ya'll are really underestimating how good 8.5 is.

[@shigerumiyamoto9612]

I think the grade is good, but I am a bit confused how he can give this grade and still claim its a "masterpiece" or "one of the best indies" out there.

[@lametrain9667]

I just read/listen to what the reviewers have to say and ignore the scores 😂

[@platinum2905]

Yeah it's a good score, people have arrived to the conclusion that 7 is a bad acore because even the trashiest of trashes of mario or zelda games get at least a 8 or 9 just because they have the word "mario" or "zelda" in title. But when an indie game comes it really has to prove itself and people rate it harshly and on it's own merits.

[@PhotonSieve]

@@platinum2905 Nah, none of what you're saying makes any sense whatsoever.

[@platinum2905]

@@PhotonSieve well maybe the problem is on your end bud

[@willreicher1970]

I've been playing on ps5. I've experienced multiple crashes, two glitches that required a hard reset to fix, multiple issues with characters flickering, and an unintentional sequence break that could have turned into a crash. The game is pretty, but it feels like there were pretty glaring bugs that were not caught in playtesting. The game is fun but also tend to railroad you. I feel like the device of being a storybook may have unintentionally created a hallway sim. I hope that this style of popping between 2d and 3d can be refined, but it just felt a bit lacking. The mini games are fun, but they also feel like a patch job to cover up weak combat design.

[@denischen8196]

Remember that addictive is not the same as fun. A game that is addictive is not always fun, and a game that is fun is not necessarily addictive. Stay clear of games that try to manipulate you with daily streaks and randomized loot boxes. Look for games that respect your time, introduce lots of new and interesting ideas, and keeps you in control of when to play.

[@shigerumiyamoto9612]

Dont htink you need to worry about lootboxes in this game bro

[@austinreid8603]

I feel if you call a game “greatest of all time indie” it should come with a 10/10 scoring. 8.5 is anticlimactic I know it’s not a AAA game but still. You didn’t have anything negative to say about other than its short length and easy story. I think it deserves at least a 9.

[@davidlisteresq]

To be fair, he said its up there with the best, not that it is the best. And an 8.5 is a very high score. Anything above an 8 can easily be counted as being amongst the best.

[@austinreid8603]

⁠​⁠@@davidlisteresq well he did allude to the fact of it being of all time he said “it stands among the best indies of this generation, if not of all time. Who knows?” Which does give credit with you saying it’s up there with the best. Also it states whoever wrote this review thought it could be an all time great indie game. Though the review was only a 8.5 which in my opinion is decent just the terminology used and how much they fawned over this game all through the review led me to believe it would be a top tier score. In a time with so many layoffs in the gaming community I want to see every studio be well praised when they do a great job like the plucky squire.

[@MilkPudding]

He said 'the best INDIE game'; not the best game ever. The score covers all games instead of only indie games. So it's fair IMO.

[@tenthirtyseven-v1]

@@austinreid8603 Have you considered the reviewer doesn't share your opinion that an 8.5 is just decent? 8.5 is pretty damn high to me, I don't think there's a single game that's come out this year that I would give that score.

[@JoshTheWoz]

I hate when people focus more on scores than the actual content of the review, it's a fantastic game, that's great, can't wait to play it :)

[@MUSQUIZanimation]

“It’s probably one of the best indie games of all time!” 8.5

[@PhotonSieve]

Yep, a great score. True to their word.

[@shigerumiyamoto9612]

@@PhotonSieve You're not wrong, but I get the impression that if this statement holds any truth then the reviewer thinks there are very few indie games that are even better if this can get this claim and still get the 8.5 score and i know that can't be right?

[@jgodden8022]

@@PhotonSieve There are countless indie games that have Metacritic and individual reviews score far exceeding 8.5. The only thing this review demonstrates is how few indie games the reviewer has played compared to other critics and enthusiasts.

[@jgodden8022]

@@shigerumiyamoto9612 Precisely. Either daft use of hyperbole or someone who's played very few indie games and so really isn't qualified to make such a statement.

[@The_Admiral_Angel]

Definitely a Day 1 buy from me. I only recently heard about this game last week. I saw so many articles about it before I gave in and gave the trailers a watch. Needless to say, the storybook presentation caught my interest, but the ALBW-like mechanics immediately clicked with me. And I'm personally fine with the game only being around 6-8 hours so as long as it's enjoyable from beginning to end. I could definitely use a break from all the 100 hour-long open world and RPGs I've been playing recently. And coming off from Astro Bot was a fun change of pace.

[@colin12684]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was thinking about the link between world vibes. Been feeling those vibes for awhile and I am excited for a shorter game. I am needing a break from all these open world 100+ hour long RPG games.

[@SunshineCasy]

"ONE OF" the best. As in, it is AMONG the best indie games, specifically in the best %15 of indie games. That's very good!

[@dycu]

11:19 Already is. Played and cried after Ys VIII. Wished there was a novel. And someone wrote one. The game was superior to the novel though. Probably because the latter is more of a summary.

[@GaryORLFC]

Ys VIII is brilliant. Roll on Ys X next month!

[@Rubberman202]

To me, "Cave Story" will forever be the "King of Indie Games" for me, just because of how impactful such a small an unassuming game ended up being and how it paved the way for the rise of indie games afterward. Still, the idea that The Plucky Squire might go down as one of the "indie game greats" alongside Shovel Knight, Undertale, Hollow Knight Cuphead, Celeste, Pizza Tower and the like is incredibly enticing! It definitely has a lot of charm to it. It helps that part of it's appeal can be neatly summed up with a few seconds of gameplay and thus can easily be shared around (not unlike Fez's core gameplay mechanic, though hopefully James Turner and All Possible Futures will be less "problematic" compared to Phil Fish).

[@LWAllen]

I’m on chapter six already. Neat game.

[@PamonhasDePiracicaba]

10/10 game for me. I’m glad I waited for a few patches before buying it. The game still crashes every now and then, but the autosaving is generous. I hope they continue to release new patches. Technical issues aside, the game is absolutely charming and has been a delightful experience.

[@guardian962]

I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!

[@jgodden8022]

Nope. The gameplay isn't anywhere near as inventive as the premise, presentation, or the game's influences suggest it could be. In a year featuring Balatro, Animal Well, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, and the early access version of Hades II (which already has more content than the first game), Plucky Squire doesn't come anywhere near the indie top spot. It's a quite underwhelming game with delightful presentation.

[@Fishy-Squad9]

I think this game is more tailored to parents and kids, which is fine im glad theres more games, but it explains a lot of the loooong cutscenes ive been getting so far

[@GamerFunOriginallyAarush]

WELL DONE!

[@MissRagnarok]

Really great review and it's the one I would trust. I've been seeing others saying that it's "lackluster" or a "chore" and there's just something in me that just questioned that.

[@jgodden8022]

The gameplay is extremely lacklustre. It is no way comes close to how joyous the presentation is.

[@crestofhonor2349]

I have been excited for this game for a while. I can't wait to check it out at some point

[@davidlisteresq]

Been looking forward to this one for a while so glad to hear thats good. Will pick this up to play while I wait for the new Zelda.

[@napoleonfeanor]

How long is it when you take it slow? how much does cost in Europe for PC? I guess no physical? Can I play it on an older PC ?

[@RobertoGon]

playing it slow maybe 10 hours, the physical version will come later and you're gonna need a very good pc to run it

[@Joeynator3000]

Will keep n eye on this one, hopefully the Switch version will also be fine.

[@leakyabstraction]

It's extremely hard to find any information about how does the Switch version run. I'm so tired of these clockwork mass review events where 99% of the reviews don't cover anything informative at all, and they are just crappy paid ads. The only information I found so far was a short video that stated that it will only run at 30fps on the Switch.

[@mayralex18]

@@leakyabstraction switchup would propably cover this game. They always mention performance, visuals, controls/gameplay and story.

[@ShurikanBlade]

​@@leakyabstractionI bought the switch version and I'm an hour in and I'm softlocked completely. I was so excited with the game but it's a bit glitchy and I genuinely can't progress cuz a cutscene keeps freezing. If you have any other method of playing the game I recommend choosing that over switch.

[@nickdurant3758]

Trying to avoid spoilers but just wanted to ask in this video, does this run well on Switch?

[@GVG]

We didn’t get to try on Switch, but I’ve got a copy now and I’ll update once I’ve tried it!

[@ShurikanBlade]

I just played it on switch and it's def a bit buggy and I'm currently softlocked in chapter 2. I've reset the game 6 times to no avail and I think I'm gonna have to delete my save and start over. It's really sad cuz I was so excited for this game.

[@nickdurant3758]

@@GVG Cheers mates! Looking forward to hearing about that

[@sojourner4726]

People there are 8.5 games that are better than 10s. Its all about what is enjoyable to YOU.

[@heroic_teddy]

I can't eait to play this game! Great review Steve!

[@ShurikanBlade]

ITS OUT AND IM SO HAPPY

[@ts7844]

The fact that they didn’t provide any review copies is dodgy

[@RAG_1980]

​@@ts7844They didn't provide keys? So how is that every major outlet plublished their reviews at the same time the game launched.

[@GVG]

@@ts7844 We got a review copy. That’s how we already beat it!

[@ShurikanBlade]

@@ts7844 this review is based on a review copy? Also I dont see why it matters or should make me any less exciting. I just said im excited cuz I've been waiting 2 years since announcement. Even if it doesn't live up to the hype I'm excited nonetheless and nothing will take that from me.

[@platypusbilledduck]

​@@ts7844You have no idea what you're talking about.

[@Falvern57]

This comment section is a prime example of why numerical scoring systems are flawed.

[@ashzerodude]

Maybe after years of KZbin content y'all need to shift away from score measurements being a finite representation of the experience of a thing and just accept and eat any score as a flawed approximation of an experience.

[@levimilk]

I can understand using a score system and while I don't agree with scores it makes sense for most reviews to use them. However anything where you have a point 5 feels unnecessary. This game is either an 8 or a 9. Personally id prefer you did away with the point 5 system but I might be alone in that.

[@PinkieOats]

Hey guys! how long does this game take to beat? I know it just came out but I'm gauging to see if I have enough time to beat it before the new Zelda

[@randchuck2492]

Google says 8-10 hours

[@GVG]

@@PinkieOats Hey! It took me about 8 hours but I wasted some time. I’d say 6 is about right!

[@kewa_design]

@@GVG thats very expensive for 6h :D

[@PinkieOats]

​@@GVGThank you so much guys!!

[@shigerumiyamoto9612]

@@kewa_design Astro Bot is 60 bucks and about the same length so whats your point here?

[@trapez77]

Should I get this or Astro bot?

[@Terranigma23]

I prefer to support indie dev than AAA company 😁

[@dragoon1090]

¿Porque no los dos?

[@crestofhonor2349]

Depends on what type of experience you want. Two different games.

[@trapez77]

@@crestofhonor2349 a fun one

[@PedroMatos482]

Regardless of each of their quality - I think Plucky Squire is more likely to get a sale soon, Astro Bot might take a while

[@tobiasmalmberg5929]

Does it support ps4?

[@crestofhonor2349]

No

[@ruralgamer7193]

I really want to love this game but after playing it and beating it i have to say this is the worst preforming game on the switch that i have ever played. Lag, glitches, pages not fully loading, invisible allies, soft locks, after a boss Jot is completely immobile. There has to be a patch coming for this. I find it so hard to believe that it was shipped this way with no day 1 update. Love the story and concept, but performance is terrible.

[@sparkypack]

Not game for me I'm afraid.

[@Kniffel101]

You literally have a Tunic profile picture, why do you think A Plucky Squire is not for you? =o

[@sparkypack]

@@Kniffel101 Tunic offers a distinct gameplay experience, while Plucky Squire appears to be more straightforward. Also, graphically and difficulty, Tunic aligns more with my preferences.

[@JONATHANP1619]

I'll buy it soon if the physical edition is not a code in a box.

[@justanick258]

I don't think the physical edition comes out till next year...

[@Kniffel101]

I don't think Devolver has ever done the code-in-a-box scam.

[@giganticmoon]

this game is so peak

[@platypusbilledduck]

"So peak" 😆

[@56ty_]

Every game that comes out is the new best in its genre or category apparently lol

[@SUPERVEGETTO92]

I remember when Sea of Stars came out and these guys were praising it as a retro JRPG diamond gem, nowadays I mostly see people calling it overhyped and kind of mid in JRPG communities.

[@getuponthemike6341]

I mean if you look hard enough you can find contrasting opinions anywhere. These guys liked it, those guys don't​@@SUPERVEGETTO92

[@kewa_design]

@@SUPERVEGETTO92 its still the best people are just crazy, everything gets downvoted and hated after a few weeks after release, months later even stuff that was highly praised is only trash in their eyes

[@KilogramHours]

​@SUPERVEGETTO92 yeah the presentation of Sea of Stars is phenomenally, truly a cut above the rest. But the combat and story leave a lot to be desired.

[@The_Admiral_Angel]

​@@KilogramHours I personally enjoyed the combat myself, but the story was sorta on the weak side.

[@Scrubber89]

Thought this was going to be on game pass 😢

[@Kniffel101]

I'm so confused why so many people here are so cynical, below a Good Vibes Gaming review of a jolly, sometimes even spooky, game. Are mostly non-subscribers writing comments here today? =o

[@Tim-007]

No Dutch language support sadly, Devolver doing what it does best. Discriminating whenever they can.

[@sojourner4726]

This has to be a joke.

[@Tim-007]

@@sojourner4726 No that’s your life in a nutshell.

[@astr0sauce]

pure delusion, victim mindset

[@Tim-007]

@@astr0sauce Get lost kid, these comment sections are for grownups only.

[@astr0sauce]

@@Tim-007 you must not be allowed in then cause you got the unwarranted anger of an entitled 7 year old

[@BenSmith-cl3bi]

H

[@SussyPoster69]

H

[@psycake]

E

[@ts7844]

Wait for a sale on this one.

[@TownDarling]

🤨

[@platypusbilledduck]

Why?

[@ulisesmartinez251]

It's 15 dollars on Steam, are you that cheap

[@Tim-007]

@@ulisesmartinez251 No it’s not, it’s 30 bucks.

[@sojourner4726]

@@ulisesmartinez251it’s 30

[@Nitro_0999]

I think I get why you'd want to implement classic review scores. Looking at the comments tough quickly reveals why determining the quality of art with a number doesn't work