STEVE MILES·TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2019
PILLAR is a funny old game that quickly appeals to you with its pleasant and warming Ambience in its initial Loading Screens and Setup. There’s much to like here, but does it play as good as it looks and sounds?
You are faced with the above screen, and can pick a Personality Trait that may be similar to your own. For starters, it doesn’t really matter, as you will soon discover that each Trait is interwoven into a Storyline, for a Different Character in a Different Area. Each individual character works together, with each interaction necessary, for solving a series of Puzzles in order to progress further into the game. For Example, Pick the “Distant” personality and you don’t want to interact with any people you may come across on your Travels. Call it a “Stealth Mode” scenario…and you will get some sort of “Idea” how this works.
STORY: There’s an underlining Mission to find a missing Artifact,but there’s nothing to tell you this,or indeed explain what you are doing and where you are going.
GRAPHICS: Pleasing to the Eye.Clear,Crisp and like an Artbook
SOUND: A Beautifully Peaceful,Relaxing Meditative Soundtrack
GAMEPLAY: What has stumped many reviewers,with Myself included,is that there’s very little to tell you what to do and what is happening?When faced with a puzzle,there’s much confusion on the outcome,as the screen “draws in”,and transports you to another Area,or another Character.
Its quick to suddenly say to yourself”Did I solve that Correctly?..Am I here now,because I got it Wrong?”. Many of the Puzzles you face,are generally Tiles to activate things like Light Switches or Picture Symbols,with some just basically requiring to” Pick Up” objects like Books or Piles of Money.This may “Activate”other things to happen,but its a case of having to really study and watch everything going on around you,in order to possibly understand how it all works.
SUMMARY: I think its Unfair to give a Game a “Below Average” mark, because of the lack of understanding involved in its core gameplay. Call it a “Psychological Compendium of Mini Games” if you like, with inner mysteries waiting to be unravelled. Understandably, this is not for everyone, and its “distance” from other genres of games might leave it way behind from everything else, as it never tries to be your friend through its lack of ANY kind of explanation or tutorial!
PILLAR is prepared to give you the “mind tools,” but it’s up to you to work out how and when to use them!
6 out of 10
Thanks to MichaelArts for the game, “experience” and code
