A lot of the time, JRPGs can feel like work to get through. They’re long and designed around simple menu-based mechanics meant to foster strategy and resource management. Even for the most hardcore JRPG maniacs, it can get a bit tedious and repetitive when marathoning some of the older classics. As indie developers and RPG Maker hobbyists continue to reshape and redefine genres, it should come as no surprise that there’s a compact and fast-paced RPG inspired by Mystic Quest that cuts down on all the fluff. Enter Pillars of Dust, by Retreaux Games.
Pillars of Dust begins with the choice of two playable protagonists: Prince Carlton and the haggardly homeless Gregg, as they set out on separate journeys through the ruined kingdom of Alluriga. Their stories unfold in chapters that can be approached in any order, with paths that sometimes intersect before coming together in the final chapter.
Prince Carlton is the heir to the prosperous island kingdom of Lerm. He was raised by his uncle, King Karl, and the elderly advisor Almera. With a relatively privileged upbringing, he has been trained in combat, though he is troubled by unsettling night terrors. To secure his inheritance and understand his destiny, Carlton sets out on a journey to the fallen land of Alluriga to uncover its ancient secrets. He starts his quest with better resources and skills due to his background, but he remains somewhat sceptical about the journey ahead.
Gregg, by contrast, is an orphaned blacksmith’s apprentice living in the slums of Kadel. Plagued by similar nightmares, he is approached by a vagrant named Elmer, who urges him to explore his mysterious genealogy and possible noble ties. Gregg is eager for a chance to rise above his station, embracing the adventure with optimism and determination despite his humble origins and limited combat experience. It’s a classic retelling of The Prince and the Pauper. Although the plot is straightforward and predictable, the writing leans on self-aware humour and deliberately invokes JRPG tropes, which helps give this spartan game some flair.
As an RPG, Pillars of Dust is as basic as it gets. Each chapter is self-contained, and the protagonists cannot return to previous areas once a chapter is completed. NPCs have only a few lines of dialogue, and all collectables are listed in a checklist, none of which are difficult to miss. Controls allow you to move the protagonists using a tile-based movement system reminiscent of classic JRPGs. Enemies are visible on the overworld, so there aren’t random battles, and combat employs a system similar to Final Fantasy‘s ATB, where a character’s agility affects their action speed. Each character has a timer bar that fills up over time; when it is full, they can take action. While it is basic, it is reliable – and because Pillars of Dust is under 10 hours long, the tedium doesn’t have time to settle in.
Characters regain full health after battles, eliminating grinding and encouraging a playstyle where you can freely use your spells. The most unique aspect that keeps the pressure on is the doom clock that counts down at the start of every battle. After a certain number of turns, enemies power up exponentially, pushing you to play fast and loose. It’s impressively balanced, accessible and forgiving, rewarding offence and smart party choices over mere min-maxing. While status effects exist, they are secondary; the focus is on speed, managing phases and using skills freely. The main issue with this is that it’s too easy to lack depth, and the humour mainly consists of flat puns and weak game development jokes.
In the end Pillars of Dust‘s biggest problem is that it’s mind-numbingly average. The visuals are decently drawn and are about on par with Mystic Quest‘s, but that game had Zelda-like puzzles and finite enemies in the world. The writing and gags are thin and cannot carry the utterly basic gameplay, deliberate though it may be.
