Pier Solar and the Great Architects

Gaming NexusCyril Lachel

7.4/10

Originally a homebrew Genesis role-playing game, Pier Solar and the Great Architects has made the leap from 16-bit to the modern age. While the presentation is spot on, the gameplay is marred by combat that seems to favor the enemies. Couple this with obtuse puzzles and an aimless story and you have an adventure game that is good, but doesn't stack up to the best games in the genre.

Nintendo LifeJowi Meli

6/10

Pier Solar is a labour of love that makes its passion known right from the first scene. It's an absolutely gorgeous title with inspiration from just about every classic Japanese role-playing game released in the late 80's and early 90's. Unfortunately, it drags some artefacts from that era with it, and as a result features conspicuous problems that will get in the way of your fun. If you can ignore the slow battle system, vapid story, and abysmal dialogue, Pier Solar's efforts may win your heart. If you've got no love for this genre, steer clear — this is one for enthusiasts only.

Pure XboxAnthony Bacchus

6/10

Pier Solar and the Great Architects could've started a revival for 16-bit old school RPGs, but it misses the mark on a few key areas that matter the most. Kudos to Watermelon for taking on and pulling through on a project as grand as this, and the effort shines through on much of the game's overall presentation. If more time was dedicated to polishing the battle system and weaving a more original narrative, Pier Solar could very well have achieved recognition as high as our favourite 90's RPGs. If you're feeling particularly nostalgic and in need of an RPG that harkens back to your childhood, ...

Push SquareKell Andersen

6/10

Pier Solar and the Great Architects (or Pier Solar HD) is an updated re-release of a game that launched on the Sega Mega Drive in 2010, and in truth, that tells you just about everything that you need to know. This unashamedly stodgy RPG trades in genre tropes with wild abandon, while brazenly attempting to tug at your nostalgia. And in many ways, it succeeds, providing an experience that feels like it could have been plucked straight from the 1990s. However, if you aren’t prepared to embrace its more passé peculiarities, you’re unlikely to enjoy your time.

It’s great that the developer wanted to create a classic JRPG experience in Pier Solar, and I do hope that everyone that bought into the Kickstarter were happy with the end result. However this game wouldn’t have been especially popular back on the Genesis if it was a commercial product, not when the likes of Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger were flying high. Now, rereleased and unmodified from its original gameplay, it is beyond archaic and outdated.