The Plucky Squireknown as The Brave Squire in the official localization, it is a game that has captivated the public since its reveal trailer in 2022. Produced by All Possible Futures and published by Devolver Digital, known for its accurate curation of independent productions, the title jumped out at you with its hand-drawn graphics and perspective transitions from gameplayplaying with its visuals, sometimes 2D, sometimes 3D.
This is one of those games that likes to subvert expectations, and in which the metalanguage is the tone of the experience. Its simple narrative, set in a children's storybook, serves as a backdrop for many fun ideas that are only possible in a medium like video games, reserving many surprises throughout its ten-hour campaign.
O Voxel had the opportunity to try the full version in advance and tells, in the following lines, the positive and negative points ofThe Brave Squireor The Plucky Squire. It is worth remembering that the game arrives on September 17th with versions for PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Check it out:
Simple plot, but it works
First of all, we must praise the excellent localization into Brazilian Portuguese. The game's texts are satisfactorily well written and the narration by Mauro Ramos, known for voicing characters such as Shrek and Pumba, isThe Lion King, gives a light and charismatic tone to Pontinho's adventure. Among the good decisions are also the names of the protagonist's friends — Violeta, Batera and Barbaluar — and some of the places visited, such as Ártia, Caracópolis de Janeiro and Praia do Remelexo.
The game is set in a children's storybook, so the plot doesn't have many secrets: Dot is known for protecting the vibrant Kingdom of Mana from the villainy of the sorcerer Enfezaldo, who, one day, ends up discovering that he lives in a literary world and that he is bound by the constraints of the script, always doomed to lose. In possession of a copy of the book, the antagonist uses the so-called Metamagic to expel Pontinho and rewrite his story.
Throughout the campaign, it is very difficult not to make comparisons with works such as Toy Story. After the incident, the brave squire finds himself in the room of his owner, a boy named Sam who really likes Dot's adventures. However, if Dotty manages to rewrite the story, the book would no longer come off the shelf because of its poor writing and the child would no longer be inspired by literature, to the point of giving up on her brilliant future as a writer and illustrator.
The story of The Brave Squire brings comic moments from the moment the characters realize they are in a bookSource: Reproduction/Bruno Magalhães
The premise of the game is quite cute and innocent, although Enfezaldo's evil deeds worsen and even end up contrasting with the childish theme. The plot is not extraordinary or unmissable, but it works well enough to establish its rules, which are subverted on purpose, and guide the player with its varied gameplay mechanics — which are undoubtedly one of the greatest highlights of The Brave Squire.
Surprises in the right measure
Most of the time, The Brave Squire works as a 2D top-down action adventure game, very reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda. It is possible to strike with a sword, jump and dodge. As he progresses, Dot can acquire new abilities, including the ability to throw his sword, execute a strike while jumping or even a spinning sword strike.
Overall, the controls are quite responsive. There are just a few annoying details, such as the inability to walk while preparing a spinning sword swing. The simplicity of the combat also serves a purpose: the fluid transition to the three-dimensional world. Whether in 2D or 3D, the basic actions remain and make the gameplay quite intuitive.
The great charm, however, is in the mini-games creative and completely change the way you play. When the moment demands it, Pontinho can transform and take on mechanics that refer to classics like Punch Outfrom Nintendo, and even Fantasy Zonefrom Sega. Fans of rhythm games, turn-based RPGs or puzzles like Bubble Shootersare also well represented throughout the campaign.
In addition to the book, Pontinho can interact with other “universes” spread throughout the three-dimensional world, including an RPG cardSource: Reproduction/Bruno Magalhães
One of the game's greatest merits is knowing the right time to stop with a mini-game. They all have the ideal length, so they don't get boring or repetitive. The variety also helps to keep the player curious about what comes next, and I guarantee: The Brave Squire always manages to put a smile on your face with his constant breaking of expectations.
Need to give more control to the player
However, It is worth noting that the game mechanics are quite methodical. Let me explain: the promotional trailers may have given the impression that the player is free to enter and exit the book whenever they want, as well as manipulate it, but that's not how it works. This element is only available in specific portals. Some features, such as tilting the book to move heavy objects inside, also only work when the game wants them to.
In other words, the environments do not give much room for experimentation. The mechanics do not allow us to find other ways to solve the same problem. It is as if the game makes every effort to make us follow what is assumed, like a controlled environment. This makes the experience much more linear than desired. Of course, it is easy to imagine that these mechanics of manipulating the book and moving between realities could break the game, but I wish there was more room for player creativity.
It also bothers me that the gameplay rhythm is constantly interrupted with unsolicited hintsespecially from Barbaluar. Note: the game already offers the option of receiving tips from an NPC who appears in the scene during each puzzle, called Barbinha. Therefore, there was no need for the game to suggest what should be done before even returning control to the player. This greatly underestimates intelligence.
There are several mini-games throughout The Valiant Squire that reference classic video games.Source: Reproduction/Bruno Magalhães
I also encountered some minor issues. There were times when characters from the book would disappear completely. This happened in one of the final moments of the story and also in the chapter selection, to revisit moments from the campaign. In addition, I encountered a soft lock caused by a questionable decision by level designinvolving an item called Carimbomba.
Finally, it's worth highlighting the visuals. It's already stating the obvious at this point, but the game really enchants with its artistic style and striking colors. The contrast between the 2D visuals of the book and the three-dimensional scenery around it also gives it a fun aesthetic, in addition to contributing to its metalinguistic proposal.
It's very interesting how the game presents some “real world” scenarios that allow Pontinho to navigate, for example, through drawings thrown on the table or even illustrations of physical objects, such as mugs.
Most of the time, the outside world is uninteresting and has nothing exciting to explore, but there are moments in the narrative where the scenery completely transforms, as if Sam is exercising his imagination and creating stories with his toys. I wish the outside world had a level design more daring and that encourages exploration, but it serves its purpose and works as far as possible.
It is worth it?
O Brave Squire It's a light-hearted experience that always manages to put a smile on the player's face with its surprises. Although it's more linear than desired, the game constantly plays with our expectations and reinvents its mechanics in an ingenious and fun way.
The narrative's metalinguistic tone is spot on, adding more value to its simple and even innocent plot. The supporting characters, such as Violeta and Batera, are also charismatic and fortunately are well used throughout the story. The excellent localization into Brazilian Portuguese also adds much more charm to its world and characters.
Its transition mechanics between the 2D and 3D world, as well as the ability to manipulate words from the book to transform scenarios, have enormous potential, but end up being very restrictive because they don't allow room for experimentation. Despite this, The Brave Squire It's the kind of game that's worth giving a chance just for its disruptive and creative proposal.
Nota do Voxel: 85
Positive points (pros):
- Mechanics that play with expectations and perspectives;
- Cute and charismatic characters;
- Quality of writing and localization in Brazilian Portuguese;
- Intuitive gameplay with several accessibility options;
- Collectibles that reveal more of the development process.
Negative points (cons):
- The game is very restrictive with its book manipulation mechanics;
- There are many moments where gameplay is interrupted by unsolicited hints;
- Bugs where characters in the book disappeared when replaying chapters;
- Some decisions of level design leave something to be desired and are subject to soft lock.
The Valiant Squire review was made possible thanks to a Steam copy provided by Devolver Digital's press office. The game will be released on September 17th with versions for PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. Additionally, it will be available at launch for PS Plus Extra and Deluxe subscribers.
