Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 61 | 4 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 59% | 59 | 66 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (13)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Pier Solar had potential to be an incredible JRPG. The game's well-written story, amazing visuals and soundtrack, and deep combat system show that the game does a lot of things right, but the poor pacing, lack of conveyance to the player, and glitches hold it back from being truly exceptional. With that said, Pier Solar is still worth your time and money. The game may have its issues, but it's still a great love letter to classic 16-bit JRPGs.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“If you're feeling particularly nostalgic and in need of an RPG that harkens back to your childhood, then Pier Solar may be capable of scratching that itch, just know that there's a good chance you probably won't have much fun doing so.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Stating that 'you'll enjoy this game if you're a fan of the genre' is arguably the most meaningless and overused video game review cliché of all time. But in the case of Pier Solar HD, it's startlingly accurate. This is a retro RPG down to its very core, and if you aren't prepared to accept its charmingly archaic quirks, you probably won't relish your time with it. However, if you are willing to embrace its idiosyncrasies, some amiable, some aggravating - you'll find a veritable wealth of content to explore.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Overall, Pier Solar is just an average JRPG at best. Perhaps some of its novelty was lost due to it being a downloadable title rather than an actual, physical Sega Genesis cartridge. It's really hard to recommend unless you're absolutely starved for an RPG on the Wii U.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Pier Solar and the Great Architects is a welcome effort of creating a piece of work in the contemporary age that follows a format of the mid-1990s. Its narrative is well structured and the visual interface is very appealing, but the game also suffers from several technical flaws and its combat system quickly becomes repetitive and tedious.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“In going so far retro, Pier Solar HD shows that it hasn't learned from modern advancements in game design.”
read full review ↗ - 74
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“While I loved getting that classic RPG nostalgia, much of the game found certain levels of tedium that quickly drove the experience of Pier Solar from nostalgia to a chore. Whether it was finding the correct path to take, healing after battles, or finding myself fighting the same set of enemies repeatedly, the lacking narrative and characters did little to drive me through the overly tedious moments. Pier Solar HD has a lot of potential, and fans of the classic 16-bit RPG may find a lot to love in a game that abandons a lot of the more modern day conventions that we see in games, but don't be surprised if you find that classic feeling starting to hide behind all of the little problems that litter the playing field.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Pier Solar and the Great Architects is a game that relies heavily on the notion that your wistful whim to pick up an old school JRPG style game will be enough to sell the game to you (it was originally released on Genesis cartridges, afterall). It is essentially a fan-made homage letter to the days of 16-bit role playing games, and sadly hit a few of those old game design elements right on the nose.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Any old-school RPG aficionado will appreciate the presentation, but the gameplay doesn't have the same impact”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nintendojo
Pure Xbox
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
FNintendo
RPG Fan
Gaming Nexus
PlayStation LifeStyle
Marooners' Rock
Digitally Downloaded
Game Informer…and 1 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Pier Solar update patch releasedMay 13, 2015
- Pier Solar update patch releasedMay 13, 2015