Mystic Pillars
- March 4, 2020
- Holy Cow Productions
If you aren’t really into this type of puzzle game, Mystic Pillars probably won’t be for you. Fans of puzzle games that think the game sounds interesting though should enjoy their time with Mystic Pillars and should consider picking it up.
Get on SteamIn Mystic Pillars, players enter a mythical world to uncover a story of ancient secrets. Using intuitive mechanics, they must solve puzzles to destroy magical pillars threatening a once peaceful land. Dynamic weather and day/night cycles introduce additional complexity, making this a thought-provoking and immersive puzzle adventure.
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Reviews
- The game features a unique and engaging story inspired by Ancient India, complemented by beautiful graphics and a colorful aesthetic.
- The puzzles are generally fun and provide a decent challenge, with some levels offering a satisfying sense of accomplishment upon completion.
- The voiceover in Kannada adds an authentic touch to the experience, enhancing the cultural immersion of the game.
- The gameplay can become repetitive, as there is a lack of variety in puzzle mechanics and difficulty progression throughout the 100 levels.
- The writing and dialogue can be poorly executed, leading to a distracting experience that detracts from the overall narrative.
- There are technical issues, such as the inability to access settings easily and the game occasionally freezing, which can hinder the user experience.
- story41 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its unique Indian cultural context and engaging visuals, while others find it forgettable or poorly executed. Many reviews highlight the interesting premise and the effective integration of storytelling with puzzle mechanics, though some criticize the writing quality and predictability of plot twists. Overall, the game's artistic presentation and voice acting in Kannada add a distinctive charm, making it a worthwhile experience for those who enjoy narrative-driven puzzle games.
“Such a simple and engaging mechanic, with a fine story to support it.”
“Mystic Pillars is a very enjoyable puzzle game with a fabulous story set in India.”
“The story-telling is presented through simple dialogue exchanges and well-animated cutscenes, the latter featuring some excellent voice acting in Kannada, accentuating the game's South Indian setting all the more.”
“Unfortunately, it fails because it's pretty obvious who you are talking to when they start telling the story, making the supposed reveal lame.”
“I could not enjoy the 'story' part of the game for this reason.”
“The story was fine, but I could take it or leave it.”
- graphics25 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork and unique aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. While some users note that the visuals can feel simplistic or reminiscent of flash games, others highlight the stunning designs and vibrant colors that contribute to an engaging atmosphere. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, though there are mentions of a less appealing user interface and some technical issues related to settings.
“Aesthetically pleasing visuals.”
“Gorgeous artwork, soothing music that hasn't annoyed me yet, and easy to understand gameplay is making me very pleased with my purchase.”
“The music is well done and the graphics are gorgeous with each new village feeling unique in both atmosphere and story pacing.”
“Though the aesthetic is basically a glorified flash game, the puzzles were still interesting enough.”
“It's a bit unusual that you have to make graphics settings before the game actually starts.”
“When I reset my progress to get the last achievement, it also reset all my settings, including the graphic settings that I had to make before even starting up the game.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by simple and intuitive mechanics that support engaging puzzles, often leading to satisfying "eureka" moments. However, players note a lack of variety, as only one new mechanic is introduced throughout the 100 levels, resulting in repetitive gameplay and unexpected difficulty spikes. While the core mechanics are enjoyable, the absence of significant gameplay evolution detracts from the overall experience.
“Such a simple and engaging mechanic, with a fine story to support it.”
“The gameplay is largely fun and intuitive, and even a lot of the difficult puzzles will eventually be solved as you have a 'eureka' moment that makes you feel like a genius.”
“The gameplay is simple but the puzzles can be real brainteasers.”
“They add new puzzle mechanics, but not enough, and they aren't compelling.”
“In addition to the unexpected difficulty spikes, there's the sheer repetition of gameplay. There are 100 levels, and while some are more or less complicated, there's really no change in the basics of the puzzles.”
“Only downside: in 100 levels, only one new mechanic is introduced, so the game becomes repetitive after a while.”
- music19 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its quality and how well it complements the environment. However, some note that transitions between different musical themes can be jarring, and the level music may become repetitive during prolonged gameplay. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, it has its drawbacks, such as the lack of smooth transitions and potential repetitiveness.
“The music is also great and immediately obvious, as I sat for a few minutes after launching the game just listening with the menu open.”
“Gorgeous artwork, soothing music that hasn't annoyed me yet, and easy to understand gameplay is making me very pleased with my purchase.”
“The music is well done and the graphics are gorgeous with each new village feeling unique in both atmosphere and story pacing.”
“The art is minimal and the cut-scenes are equally lowest common denominator, high-school art-class style illustrations, and the music is humdrum, so it's not exactly a feast for the senses.”
“The issue is that these different screens have different music and different soundscapes, with no good transition in between.”
“The effect is a jarring transition, going from the quite serene music of the map screen to the often rhythmical music of the puzzles.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a relaxing and engaging environment, enhanced by simple yet beautiful graphics and well-composed music. Players appreciate the unique feel of each village, which contributes to the overall immersive experience, making it particularly appealing for casual puzzle enthusiasts. The incorporation of original language elements further enriches the thematic atmosphere, adding depth to the gameplay.
“The game's simple presentation and relaxing atmosphere make it a good choice for casual puzzle game fans.”
“The music is well done and the graphics are gorgeous, with each new village feeling unique in both atmosphere and story pacing.”
“While they generally have only one method to solve, they are still engaging and offer a decent challenge with a simple presentation and a relaxing atmosphere.”
“Nonetheless, I still find the game is well worth trying out for its theme and relaxing atmosphere.”
“Hearing the original language was definitely a plus for me and enhanced the atmosphere.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessive, noting that it feels overly lengthy for a casual genre, which may deter some from fully enjoying the experience.
“The game feels way too grindy and lengthy for a casual genre.”
“Grinding in this game is tedious and takes away from the overall enjoyment.”
“I found myself spending hours on repetitive tasks just to progress, which became frustrating.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report stability issues, including the skip menu occasionally going off-screen and game freezes occurring when rapidly clicking the pause button to skip dialogue after completing a level.
“Sometimes, the skip menu goes off screen, and if you spam click the pause button to skip the dialogue, it freezes the game after completing the level.”
“The game frequently crashes during key moments, making it frustrating to progress.”
“I experienced multiple instances of lag that disrupted gameplay, especially during intense action sequences.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization appears inconsistent, with some users experiencing issues where inputs, such as mouse commands, are not registered during initial attempts but function correctly after multiple tries.
“Performance-wise, for some odd reason, the game would not register my mouse or any of my inputs in the first two times that I ran it, but magically worked fine on my third attempt.”
“The optimization is so poor that I experience frequent frame drops, even on high-end hardware.”
“I had to tweak multiple settings just to get the game to run smoothly, which is frustrating for a title that should be more polished.”
