Pillars of Dust
- March 17, 2020
- chet_stead
Get on Steam"Pillars of Dust" is a single-player, lighthearted retro RPG with good music and 8-bit style graphics. Choose the order of play for the two intertwining storylines of Prince Carlton and pauper Gregg, encountering recruitable companions, secrets, and snappy RPG combat. The game features fast-paced gameplay, a chicken nugget-based economy, and a streamlined inventory system, with no grinding necessary.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Pillars of Dust offers a fun, lighthearted experience with humorous storytelling and engaging characters, reminiscent of classic JRPGs.
- The combat system is fast-paced and accessible, allowing players to enjoy battles without excessive grinding, while also providing strategic depth.
- The game features a catchy chiptune soundtrack and charming retro graphics that enhance the nostalgic feel, making it enjoyable for both old-school fans and new players.
- The combat can feel overly simplistic at times, with a limited pool of abilities and status effects that may not significantly impact gameplay.
- Some players may find the story predictable and lacking depth, with certain design choices feeling amateurish compared to more polished titles.
- There are occasional bugs and issues, such as sudden drops in music volume and some achievements not being awarded, which can detract from the overall experience.
- music20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy chiptune soundtrack, evoking nostalgia and enhancing the overall experience. Many players appreciate how well the music fits the game's mood, particularly during battles, although some noted issues with sudden volume drops when sound effects occur. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout element, contributing positively to the game's charm and engagement.
“Perhaps my favorite element of the game, though, is the soundtrack in all its chiptune glory.”
“The music was really catchy; there were two of the songs that reminded me of Mega Man songs that I found myself singing along with.”
“The chiptune music is excellently composed and some of the catchiest I've heard in a very long time.”
“Decently interesting story/design, okay gameplay with a shallow level of depth, and rather amateur sound, art & music.”
“There is a very annoying, sudden decrease in music volume every time a sound effect occurs, which can be lessened by decreasing the music volume to ~20%.”
“The music really fit the mood of what you were currently doing and made battles feel intense, which is something that gets lost on a bunch of new games.”
- story17 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its humorous and self-aware tone, featuring quirky characters and silly interactions that provide an entertaining experience, albeit with a less serious narrative compared to traditional RPGs. While some players found the story to lack depth and gripping elements, the overall charm and comedic elements, along with nostalgic references, contribute to its appeal. Despite minor bugs, the storytelling is generally well-received, making it a fun and lighthearted journey.
“The story loves to poke fun at characters and is very self-aware, which just adds to the quirkiness of the narrative. For example, one of the bosses has bad breath, and you can use an item during the fight to fix that, which ends up defeating him and allowing you to progress—it's so hilarious!”
“But this isn't just a retro knock-off; features like anytime saves, chapter goals, and unique and humorous storytelling ensure that your time with this game will be as entertaining as it is nostalgic.”
“I just loved this story; it was so good, granted how short the game is.”
“Just don't go in expecting a Final Fantasy story!”
“The story is kind of goofy and the game doesn't take itself seriously.”
“The story, despite my complaint above about irony, mostly works - it's sillier than I would like, but the writers at least know when it's appropriate to make jokes, and it generally comes across as more charming than insufferable.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a charming blend of retro styles, reminiscent of NES and DOS games, which many players found endearing and nostalgic. While the exploration visuals are typical of the era, the battle graphics offer a unique twist that evokes memories of 90s shareware games. Overall, the playful art style and simple yet characterful graphics enhance the game's appeal, successfully hiding secrets and contributing to its engaging atmosphere.
“At first glance, the art style is very retro and made me think I wouldn't like it, but I was wrong. In fact, I ended up loving the art of the game; it was super playful, and they use this art to their advantage in hiding so many secrets throughout the game. I missed a few (I think 4 secrets in total that I missed).”
“The graphics are charming, and the music harks you back to the era.”
“The graphics are a lovely throwback to the NES/SNES era, and the music is enjoyable.”
“The exploration graphics are typical NES style, which isn't anything really special, but the battles have an EGA PC shareware look from the 90s, which I found interesting because I played a ton of those games on those 5000 shareware game CD compilations you'd find at CompUSA.”
“The art style reminds me of old DOS games at times and old NES games at others.”
“The graphics are simple, but have a lot of character.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, characterized by hilarious characters, silly interactions, and self-aware storytelling that often pokes fun at itself. Players appreciate the quirky elements, such as a boss with bad breath that can be defeated with a humorous item, and the engaging dialogue adds to the overall comedic experience. The blend of retro aesthetics with modern humor creates an entertaining and nostalgic atmosphere.
“Story-wise, the characters are hilarious - especially the NPCs.”
“The story loves to poke fun at characters and is very self-aware, which just adds to the quirkiness of the story. Things like how one of the bosses has bad breath, and you can use an item during the fight to fix that, which ends up beating him and allowing you to progress is so hilarious!”
“The music is great and appropriately 8-bit, the graphics are endearingly simple and often funny (a giant eyeball wearing a top hat and a monocle!), and the dialogue is engaging and humorous.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally smooth and accessible, featuring straightforward combat that evolves in complexity as players progress, particularly during challenging boss fights. While early encounters may lack depth, the potential for diverse character builds and strategies adds a layer of enjoyment. Overall, the game successfully combines classic RPG elements with modern mechanics, creating a relaxed yet engaging experience.
“The combat is straightforward and balanced to be mostly breezy and smooth, with the exception of a few nasty boss fights where you can really flex your mastery over the game's mechanics.”
“The game mechanics are pretty easy to understand, and combat flows nicely; it's simple and yet there's so much to mess around with. I can see potential for making different builds, like I ended up building Gregg as a physical powerhouse that does a lot of damage and even more when he crits. I gave him an item that increases his crit rate, allowing me to plow through enemies.”
“Early on, the gameplay is very simple and enemies die with no strategy, but as the game goes on, it gets more challenging, with some later bosses being pretty tough.”
“The game mechanics are pretty easy to understand, and combat flows nicely. It's simple, yet there's so much to mess around with, and I can see potential for making different builds. I ended up building Gregg as a physical powerhouse that does a lot of damage, and even more when he crits. I gave him an item that increases his crit rate, allowing me to plow through enemies.”
“Relaxed gameplay.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in this game is a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the reduced grinding through on-map encounters and simplified systems, others feel that certain achievements require excessive grinding, detracting from overall enjoyment. The balance between engaging gameplay and the need for grinding remains a point of contention, particularly for fans of classic JRPGs.
“Achievements, if you care about those, also actively discourage playing in interesting ways by requiring you to only use one side character for the entirety of one of the campaigns and to get an amount of money that's only really attainable through a huge amount of grinding or hardly ever spending money.”
“Growing up on NES and SNES, I absolutely loved JRPGs, but usually modern retro JRPGs like this one I dip out on quickly, because there's too much grinding and not enough enjoyment just playing the game.”
“They reduced grinding significantly by having on-map encounters and no XP, just a chance, significantly reduced after you get a few points in any chapter, of gaining a point in a stat after any battle.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its free-form chapter progression, allowing players to explore the world and character interactions in various orders. Additionally, the abundance of collectibles enhances the incentive to replay, appealing to fans of classic games with its refined mechanics.
“This game casually takes about 5+ hours to beat, but the replayability is high with how the two main characters can travel through the world in any way you choose, depending on the order you play the chapters, which is freeform!”
“Tons of collectibles, replayability in the way the character stories interact, and all the right notes from the classics we love, with the correct amount of refinement that players of these old games come to expect.”
“This game takes about 5+ hours to beat, but the replayability is high due to the freedom of how the two main characters can travel through the world, depending on the order you play the chapters.”
“Once you finish the game, there isn't much incentive to replay it. The story doesn't change significantly, and the side quests feel repetitive.”
“While the game offers multiple endings, the differences between them are minimal, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
