Do the opening hours of The Plucky Squire impress? Plus hands-on with Audio-Technica’s mighty AT-SP3X Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers and more.
If there’s one game I’ve been keeping a very keen on eye this year it’s The Plucky Squire. After taking the gaming world by storm with its surprisingly creative announcement trailer, it’s been a long wait to see if the game would be able to live up to the incredible hype. But after going hands-on with The Plucky Squire’s opening hours, I can confidently say things are off to a wonderfully promising start.
Set in the magical land of Mojo, you play as Jot, the titular heroic Squire who, after an unfortunate encounter with the evil wizard Humgrump, is plucked out of the storybook he calls home. It’s a simple premise that allows The Plucky Squire to be absolutely dripping with style and charm. The game itself, for instance largely takes place within the pages of a book that you can see plonked onto a child’s desk. As you progress through each level, the pages slowly turn, its events occasionally narrated by an omnipotent voice.
Once you’re taken out of the book early on, the game cleverly transitions from 2D to 3D perspective, allowing Jot to explore the wider world around him and the book. It’s an incredibly cool hook that allows for some fun design choices. Some puzzles, for instance, might require a specific item that you need to take from the 3D world into the 2D, while others require some very intentional back-and-forth page-flipping to solve. Within the book itself there are even the odd word puzzles that allow you to literally chop and change sentences that can playfully alter the world around you.
No matter which plane you’re playing on though, the Plucky Squire looks, gorgeous, especially with its 2D storybook aesthetic. The world is bright, colourful and filled with personality, especially when you factor in the odd nostalgia-inspired mini-game like a Punch-Out-esque duel in the game’s early moments. But what I found equally impressive was how well creatures and items were replicated in the 3D world as well, showing how much attention to detail is already at play here.
While I only got to play the first four chapters, what The Plucky Squire offers is already thoroughly unique and incredibly exciting. It’s child-like sensibilities and slightly easy combat/puzzles may limit some of the game’s final audience, but I certainly had a smile on my face the entire time. I also did encounter the odd glitch that saw my character get stuck after a respawn – forcing the odd restart, but it wasn’t a frequent occurrence and may well be patched by the full release.
And with the freshly announced September 17 release date only a stone’s throw away, I couldn’t be more excited to pick this yarn back up again and read it cover to cover.
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The Plucky Squire releases September 17 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC. You can wishlist it on PS5 here.
Also out now…
Audio-Technica AT-SP3X Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers
While Audio-Technica is well known, and highly regarded for its turntable range, investing in a unit often poses the question – how in the bloody hell should I be listening to this thing? And so begins the internal debate, as many gamers toss-up between investing in expensive speaker set ups, or feverishly trying to beam audio to their soundbar. Mercifully, Audio-Technica doesn’t want to leave you struggling any longer, because the audio whizzes have now introduced the AT-SP3X Powered Bookshelf Speakers and they’re a pretty great blend of both worlds.
Designed not just for turntable playback, but computers and smartphones as well, out of the box, the AT-SP3X is surprisingly compact. Measuring in at 200 x 200 x 147 mm, they’re not as beefy as I originally expected. The low profile allowed them to easily blend in with my turntable when placed on either side, but should you choose for a different location that’s okay as well thanks to a relatively clean, all-black aesthetic that can blend with almost any décor style.
The AT-SP3X’s other big win is connectivity. Ready to cater for both hardcore audiophiles and more casual listeners, the bookshelf speakers are equipped with dual RCA jacks to allow for a fully wired connection as well as Bluetooth compatibility if you prefer to keep wires to a minimum (though you still will need to connect the two speakers with a wire provided in the box). While I gravitated towards the cleaner wireless option, the flexibility to chop and change on the fly is great and actually swapping between the two never felt overly cumbersome or complicated. Oh and connectivity was totally hassle-free allowing me to be up and running in under a minute.
When it comes to the all-important sound department, the AT-SP3X also managed to impressed no which direction I went in. From The Last of Us to Gris, to Banks every vinyl I threw at the speakers felt well-rounded and delivered a seriously punchy heft, while still able to provide that subtle yet satisfying vinyl crackle in the background. Even when tested at higher volumes the AT-SP3X didn’t miss a beat, easily filling my medium-sized study with sound, as well as my larger entertaining area with no noticeable distortion.
Connection to both my smartphone and PC setup, was admirable but while I certainly respect that the AT-SP3X can act as your one-stop shop solution, it wouldn’t be my first choice for delivering the thumping bass that I would expect from some of my games or movies, especially without a proper subwoofer at play here.
That said, it’s worth remembering that you can pick up the Audio-Technica AT-SP3X for $399 – substantially cheaper than high-end gaming audio solutions. At that price point, these bookshelf speakers do a darn good job and are a no-brainer pairing for any turntable setup you have going.
Nobody Wants to Die (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
Chances are Nobody Wants to Die is a game you haven’t heard a lot about, but it’s also one that should absolutely be on your radar.
Set around New York in 2329, this investigative title focuses on a world where should you be on the verge of death, you can simply transfer your consciousness to another to another body. Sounds solid in theory, but you need to afford such a luxury first. The incredibly interesting premise is backed up by a well-realised world that keeps you captivated as you work to track down a brutal serial killer targeting the elite, while discovering there might be shadier business behind the scenes than you first thought.
Gameplay involves assessing crime scenes and using various tools to deduce what took place at each one. It’s doubtful that any of them will properly stump you, which made disappoint some looking for a serious puzzler but they do well to offer more insight into the game’s unique world.
Nobody Wants to Die is also a total stunner, so if you’re after a video game murder mystery, it may be worth checking out.
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
Bullet hell shoot ‘em ups aren’t something we see a whole lot of these days, but its always a rare treat when one manages to sneak up and surprise you with its level of quality. CYGNI: All Guns Blazing just so happens to be one of those games.
The flurry of bullets and explosions all kicks off with a simple enough premise: a powerful, biomechanical, alien race wants to do away with the remains of humanity, and you just happen to pilot one of the few straggling ships that can fight back.
What follows is a visual feast for the eyes, as CYGNI is positively beautiful in motion. Each battlefield often feels like total chaos as projectiles and explosions fill the screen in an abundance of bright colours. As a result, it’s immediately clear that a lot of blood sweat and tears has been put into this and it certainly pays off.
Likewise, I enjoyed the game’s constant strategy shifting. By allowing you to reallocate your ship’s energy, you can swap between offensive and defensive options on the fly. This allows you to adapt to each battlefield smartly and adds another layer to the admittedly already complex challenge.
The story feels a little undercooked, but that shouldn’t stop you from checking out CYGNI: All Guns Blazing if you’re in the mood for a good ol’ fashioned shmup.
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