I will never forgive people for making this Supergiant's least popular game
Join a colourful cast of rebel highflyer,
To snuff the flame and ascend to choir,
As Falcon Ron hums the fine tune of plier,
In this big, small indie game of Pyre.
To snuff the flame and ascend to choir,
As Falcon Ron hums the fine tune of plier,
In this big, small indie game of Pyre.
I could beat up 90% of the men in this game but would get beat up by 90% of the woman there.
Sensacional, como todo jogo da Supergiant!
Pyre, diferindo dos títulos anteriores da Supergiant, abandona o estilo de ação quase constante para focar mais no storytelling. Porém, mesmo que o jogo seja 75% Visual Novel, ele consegue ser tão dinâmico quanto seus antecessores durante sua progressão de história - tendo um ritmo que começa lento, para te apresentar bem aos diferentes aspectos do seu mundo único, e depois começando a acelerar freneticamente de forma que você não quer parar de jogar pra ver como tudo desenrola.
Os outros 25% do jogo cobrem o que seria sua parte de ação, que são partidas de um jogo estratégico que funciona como um "Capture a Bandeira" invertido: Pegue o Orb (bandeira) e leve até o Pyre (ponto de captura) inimigo para diminuir a vida do time adversário e repita o processo até ganhar a partida. Cada personagem possui habilidades e status únicos que podem ser usados de várias maneiras para elaborar estratégias durante essas partidas - e o jogo te pressiona a variar a formação do time, assim como aprender a jogar com todos os personagens.
Toda a história do jogo se baseia em volta dessas partidas e, dependendo de quais/quantas você ganhar ou perder, ela pode ir mudando (e, acredite, essas partidas vão ficando beeem difíceis, a um ponto que você realmente fica tenso com elas da metade do jogo pra frente)
Indispensável dizer, claro, da absurda criatividade, qualidade e riqueza dos diversos aspectos do jogo - Arte, história, músicas, ambientação, construção de mundo e personagens, etc - como é costume da Supergiant.
Se você gosta de jogos focados em história, especialmente de fantasias com construção de mundo original, Pyre é, de longe, um prato cheio. Apenas fique atento a dificuldade do jogo, pois, mesmo no modo normal, as coisas começam a apertar bastante perto do final - o que pode se tornar uma adrenalina emocionante pra uns, mas também uma experiência estressante para outros.
Pyre, diferindo dos títulos anteriores da Supergiant, abandona o estilo de ação quase constante para focar mais no storytelling. Porém, mesmo que o jogo seja 75% Visual Novel, ele consegue ser tão dinâmico quanto seus antecessores durante sua progressão de história - tendo um ritmo que começa lento, para te apresentar bem aos diferentes aspectos do seu mundo único, e depois começando a acelerar freneticamente de forma que você não quer parar de jogar pra ver como tudo desenrola.
Os outros 25% do jogo cobrem o que seria sua parte de ação, que são partidas de um jogo estratégico que funciona como um "Capture a Bandeira" invertido: Pegue o Orb (bandeira) e leve até o Pyre (ponto de captura) inimigo para diminuir a vida do time adversário e repita o processo até ganhar a partida. Cada personagem possui habilidades e status únicos que podem ser usados de várias maneiras para elaborar estratégias durante essas partidas - e o jogo te pressiona a variar a formação do time, assim como aprender a jogar com todos os personagens.
Toda a história do jogo se baseia em volta dessas partidas e, dependendo de quais/quantas você ganhar ou perder, ela pode ir mudando (e, acredite, essas partidas vão ficando beeem difíceis, a um ponto que você realmente fica tenso com elas da metade do jogo pra frente)
Indispensável dizer, claro, da absurda criatividade, qualidade e riqueza dos diversos aspectos do jogo - Arte, história, músicas, ambientação, construção de mundo e personagens, etc - como é costume da Supergiant.
Se você gosta de jogos focados em história, especialmente de fantasias com construção de mundo original, Pyre é, de longe, um prato cheio. Apenas fique atento a dificuldade do jogo, pois, mesmo no modo normal, as coisas começam a apertar bastante perto do final - o que pode se tornar uma adrenalina emocionante pra uns, mas também uma experiência estressante para outros.
a man in a wizard hat with a beard and a wand: "hey, kids! do you want to play a fun fantasy game, with ogres and bird ladies and magic!"
kids: "yaaaaaaay!!!!"
the same man, ripping off his hat and beard to reveal himself as John Madden: "SURPRISE LOSERS IT'S TIME TO BALL"
kids: "yaaaaaaay!!!!"
the same man, ripping off his hat and beard to reveal himself as John Madden: "SURPRISE LOSERS IT'S TIME TO BALL"
Supergiant Games made a cool fantasy sports game and then slapped it in the middle of a very long book...
I like stories, but I'm not generally a big reader. I do mostly autiobooks while doing other things. I don't typically have the patience for sitting down and reading. And boy howdy does Pyre have just a lot of reading in it. The game is basically 80% reading and then 20% playing fantasy basketball.
It's not that I didn't enjoy the story, it just ended up being way more interactive storybook than I was expecting. The characters and story they're telling are phenomenal. I was sucked into the world and cared deeply for every member of The Nightwings and their relationships with other characters in the world. Despite me growing restless with all the reading, I still made sure to have every single conversation with my crew that I could. I made team choices for matches depending on who I think would fit story-wise and would have good conversations with the opponents.
Despite the fact that gameplay takes a back seat to story, the actual gameplay of performing in the Rites was pretty fun. I was just insanely bad at it. Like so bad. I played on Normal difficulty just fine but tried going for the trophy where you have to play with all 12 modifiers on. Big mistake. Couldn't do it.
It goes without saying that, like all Supergiant Games joints, the art and music in this game is incredible. Gorgeous. I've also never seen a game where the credits song actually changes depending on how you played the game. So cool.
SUMMARY
+ Phenomenal art. Awesome character design.
+ Beautiful music.
+ Great story with interesting characters
+ Fun, challenging gameplay
- Most of your time spent in-game will be spent reading. It's a lot of reading with a splash of gameplay.
- AI challenge felt inconsistent. Sometimes way too hard, sometimes confusingly easy.
- UI feels designed for mouse and keyboard. Not great with a controller.
I like stories, but I'm not generally a big reader. I do mostly autiobooks while doing other things. I don't typically have the patience for sitting down and reading. And boy howdy does Pyre have just a lot of reading in it. The game is basically 80% reading and then 20% playing fantasy basketball.
It's not that I didn't enjoy the story, it just ended up being way more interactive storybook than I was expecting. The characters and story they're telling are phenomenal. I was sucked into the world and cared deeply for every member of The Nightwings and their relationships with other characters in the world. Despite me growing restless with all the reading, I still made sure to have every single conversation with my crew that I could. I made team choices for matches depending on who I think would fit story-wise and would have good conversations with the opponents.
Despite the fact that gameplay takes a back seat to story, the actual gameplay of performing in the Rites was pretty fun. I was just insanely bad at it. Like so bad. I played on Normal difficulty just fine but tried going for the trophy where you have to play with all 12 modifiers on. Big mistake. Couldn't do it.
It goes without saying that, like all Supergiant Games joints, the art and music in this game is incredible. Gorgeous. I've also never seen a game where the credits song actually changes depending on how you played the game. So cool.
SUMMARY
+ Phenomenal art. Awesome character design.
+ Beautiful music.
+ Great story with interesting characters
+ Fun, challenging gameplay
- Most of your time spent in-game will be spent reading. It's a lot of reading with a splash of gameplay.
- AI challenge felt inconsistent. Sometimes way too hard, sometimes confusingly easy.
- UI feels designed for mouse and keyboard. Not great with a controller.
La victoria nunca se sintió tan vacía.
Y la derrota nunca se sintió tan satisfactoria.
Y la derrota nunca se sintió tan satisfactoria.
Supergiant Games I feel is one f those studio that never misses.
Every single one of its titles has been a project that, even if small, feels like a giant love letter, with effort put beyond comprehension in any single aspect.
Pyre is ofter considered their weaker work, mostly because of it's premise: you gotta help a bunch of lost travelers, and they way you help them is.... by playing a basketball ritual?
It's a weird idea, that many people may found too funky... but the way it is presented and the role it plays into the story makes me adore this title.
The fac that you as the "director" of the group get to decide where to go in the realm, and every decisoon may inpact the way the different characters grow and play, also leads to every "match" to be important, as a single loss and mistake can lead to huge consequences.
Even with the ability of "retry" to reach the best possible endings the game offers... you still have a weight to your choices, and you gotta make some hard decisions that will make you think even after the game is over.
It is a truly unique experience, full of amazing haracters, amazing music and a interesting gameplay loop.
My second favorite Supergiant game, and definitely the best basketball game I have ever played!
Every single one of its titles has been a project that, even if small, feels like a giant love letter, with effort put beyond comprehension in any single aspect.
Pyre is ofter considered their weaker work, mostly because of it's premise: you gotta help a bunch of lost travelers, and they way you help them is.... by playing a basketball ritual?
It's a weird idea, that many people may found too funky... but the way it is presented and the role it plays into the story makes me adore this title.
The fac that you as the "director" of the group get to decide where to go in the realm, and every decisoon may inpact the way the different characters grow and play, also leads to every "match" to be important, as a single loss and mistake can lead to huge consequences.
Even with the ability of "retry" to reach the best possible endings the game offers... you still have a weight to your choices, and you gotta make some hard decisions that will make you think even after the game is over.
It is a truly unique experience, full of amazing haracters, amazing music and a interesting gameplay loop.
My second favorite Supergiant game, and definitely the best basketball game I have ever played!
Pyre is a shockingly cohesive game. When I first learned that Pyre was a "sports - virtual novel hybrid" my first thought was about how that could possibly work. The fact that it does is a testament to how well this game is designed.
The best thing about Pyre is the Rites (the sports matches). Like any good sport the rules are simple, however there is a lot of depth to the gameplay, and the game will never stop pushing you to find that depth. The fast paced and high stakes nature of the Rites makes them thrilling and engaging to perform. Part of the way the game accomplishes this is by characterizing the opposing teams effectively. The opponents will never be just a nameless enemy, they will have motives, and mostly likely a bone to pick against you. There are significant consequences to winning or losing that go beyond just leveling up, but effect the story to.
Although Pyre has virtual novel elements, the game is actually fairly light on story and dialogue. There is a significant amount of it, but its never overwhelming, and it'll never get in the way of the star of the show, the Rites. The story has good themes and is compelling, and the characters get just enough time for you care about them.
I only have one nitpick, which is the hard mode. This mode is locked until you beat the game so this won't affect the average player, but its still a minor flaw. The main issue is that the increases in difficulty aren't fun, because they change the rules of the game in a way that feel unfair. Sports matches are all balanced sides, and the difficulty modifiers tip the scales in a way that feels very much so unbalanced against the player. I'd much rather have experienced a more organic difficulty increase.
That being said, I still consider Pyre to be amazing. The game has no major flaws, and manages to be great at everything it does. In typical Super Giant fashion, the visuals and music are both excellent. The game is tightly designed and tightly paced. The only thing I'm disappointed about is that so few people have played it. The game is an extremely unique experience and deserves your attention. Play Pyre.
The best thing about Pyre is the Rites (the sports matches). Like any good sport the rules are simple, however there is a lot of depth to the gameplay, and the game will never stop pushing you to find that depth. The fast paced and high stakes nature of the Rites makes them thrilling and engaging to perform. Part of the way the game accomplishes this is by characterizing the opposing teams effectively. The opponents will never be just a nameless enemy, they will have motives, and mostly likely a bone to pick against you. There are significant consequences to winning or losing that go beyond just leveling up, but effect the story to.
Although Pyre has virtual novel elements, the game is actually fairly light on story and dialogue. There is a significant amount of it, but its never overwhelming, and it'll never get in the way of the star of the show, the Rites. The story has good themes and is compelling, and the characters get just enough time for you care about them.
I only have one nitpick, which is the hard mode. This mode is locked until you beat the game so this won't affect the average player, but its still a minor flaw. The main issue is that the increases in difficulty aren't fun, because they change the rules of the game in a way that feel unfair. Sports matches are all balanced sides, and the difficulty modifiers tip the scales in a way that feels very much so unbalanced against the player. I'd much rather have experienced a more organic difficulty increase.
That being said, I still consider Pyre to be amazing. The game has no major flaws, and manages to be great at everything it does. In typical Super Giant fashion, the visuals and music are both excellent. The game is tightly designed and tightly paced. The only thing I'm disappointed about is that so few people have played it. The game is an extremely unique experience and deserves your attention. Play Pyre.
The core mechanics eventually put me off this in frustration, but I definitely would like to return in the future. Hope to finish the Supergiant canon before Hades II.
Pyre is a resoundingly "okay" game that was honestly pretty good but unfortunately the runtime went a little longer than I felt it needed. For me it was a typical Supergiant experience: Top of the line visuals (namely in character design,) impressive work put in an original world, a dedicated Darren Korb soundtrack, and a unique gimmick that drives gameplay. I liked it quite a bit more than Transistor and Bastion, though not as much as Hades, because I felt like the gameplay loop until you have to repeat it ad nauseum was fairly entertaining. Space basketball is a pretty neat concept and I'd like to see it explored more in a game down the line, but the loop felt a little stagnant as Pyre went on. I will say that initially I was upset that I had to change up my party as the game went on to get the actual ending of the game, but I appreciated the nuances different character archetypes brought to Pyre. Ultimately I felt like some of battles against NPC's felt like they were simply waiting for my reaction or cheating the AI reaction timing to certain things, but overall it was fine.
In the end, I found Pyre to be a simply "good" game and nothing really more than that. The runtime went a bit longer than my liking, but I'd consider this to be one of Supergiant's better titles. I'd recommend it to anyone who can catch it on sale or is a fan of their material in general.
In the end, I found Pyre to be a simply "good" game and nothing really more than that. The runtime went a bit longer than my liking, but I'd consider this to be one of Supergiant's better titles. I'd recommend it to anyone who can catch it on sale or is a fan of their material in general.
Gameplay that is as creative as it is fun, there's no other game like this out there. The way they manage to tie the gameplay into the story here is also great, as you'll be thinking about your wins and losses in order to level the character who you want to free, which then removes them from your roster, as well as thinking about which opposing team you want to elevate for the final showdown. Supergiant really managed to master the art of letting failure become not a hinderance, but an asset to their story with this game. Every character has something to love about them here and it really makes you invested in thinking about who to free, or who would even want to return if given the chance. Darren Korb of course knocks it out of the park with a banger soundtrack once again, with a nice creative treat waiting for you with one of the songs, if you've played you know which one. I only subtract half a star because well...this game is about overthrowing a tyrannical monarch but...well it's a bourgeois revolution. You're essentially doing the fantasy equivalent of the American revolution here. You overthrow the monarch only to establish a Liberal republic in which the merchant class still gets to amass vast riches. It's a near perfect game I just wish the politics were better.
Pyre does a masterful job of intertwining gameplay and story. Structuring the game so that you'll progress regardless of your win/loss record raised the narrative stakes for me by making the story more immersive - sure, as the player I would reach the end of the game whether I won the Rites or not, but as the Reader my goals could be completely derailed if the Rites didn't go my way. Knowing I could fail and the game would play out the consequences of that loss made victory feel much more important.
There's also a really great balance here between the amount of control I had over the story vs the choices I was forced to make - I had to make some really difficult choices about which characters to anoint and which to keep. It's the difference between a different game saying "you can't do X because we didn't script that" and Pyre saying "you can't do X because that would be too easy." The agony of loving a character who can hoop...you want to grant their freedom but you need them for the rites. I missed my friends when they were gone, but I knew it had been my decision to let them leave.
Put it all together and I don't remember the last time I was so invested in a game's story. There were rites that felt like Finals games to me because so much was on the line, and then there were routine rites that might as well have been for liberation because I just hated the other team so much I didn't want to give them the satisfaction. There were rites I considered throwing because I was won over by my opponent's story.
On top of that, it's a gorgeous game with a signature Supergiant soundtrack. I'll be coming back to this one a lot.
There's also a really great balance here between the amount of control I had over the story vs the choices I was forced to make - I had to make some really difficult choices about which characters to anoint and which to keep. It's the difference between a different game saying "you can't do X because we didn't script that" and Pyre saying "you can't do X because that would be too easy." The agony of loving a character who can hoop...you want to grant their freedom but you need them for the rites. I missed my friends when they were gone, but I knew it had been my decision to let them leave.
Put it all together and I don't remember the last time I was so invested in a game's story. There were rites that felt like Finals games to me because so much was on the line, and then there were routine rites that might as well have been for liberation because I just hated the other team so much I didn't want to give them the satisfaction. There were rites I considered throwing because I was won over by my opponent's story.
On top of that, it's a gorgeous game with a signature Supergiant soundtrack. I'll be coming back to this one a lot.
Supergiant's best effort yet, “Pyre” is my kind of sports game, where the real drama is off the court. The Liberation Rite is by far the greatest feature – you can earn freedom for one of your best teammates, but doing so removes them from the roster. Will you hold someone back because you want them for future matches? Unfortunately, there's an awkwardness to the actual sporting events – showboating with one character is more intuitive than coordinating the team, undermining the mantra of “three act as one.”
The best Supergiant game so far, IMO. Has some of the highest hang-out-itude levels I've seen in a Western game, which works particularly well with how Supergiant does narrative breadcrumbs, and the modular storytelling is an incredible feat.
Much like Supergiant’s other titles, Pyre’s biggest strength is the sheer quality of its presentation and distinct art direction. The backgrounds constantly burst with flair and color, and every single character is excellently designed. Visually it’s wonderful to look at, and the great music is a standout too.
Though as a game it’s quite a bit different, an odd cross between a text heavy visual novel and sports. Where you, the Reader, meet a group of characters who strive to free everyone from their prison by tossing a ball around in a series of matches against other teams. And by everyone that’s meant literally, each character will eventually have a chance to escape through final Liberation Rites, with the goal of slowly getting every last person out one by one.
Narratively this structure works in its favor, as most of the time is spent strengthening and learning more about your party members, so that when you do eventually set them free it feels more bittersweet. This also extends to your opponents, who all have their own stories for why they were sent to the Downside and what they want to reclaim. With each new match, they get stronger but also more sympathetic too. Losing a match never ends the game either, but continues on with the closer chance at freedom given to the opposing team instead.
It does result in a lengthier game than it probably could’ve been though, as the gameplay doesn’t really change much from start to finish. You complete a few rites (traveling to each one), tackle the Liberation Rite and release a party member, then repeat with a new phase until the end. While the matches gradually ramp up in difficulty to keep it interesting, I definitely felt the repetition after a while.
But overall the unique concept works very well. It’s an exceedingly polished game same as all the others from this dev, set in an interesting world with memorable characters, a gorgeous style, and a great soundtrack.
Though as a game it’s quite a bit different, an odd cross between a text heavy visual novel and sports. Where you, the Reader, meet a group of characters who strive to free everyone from their prison by tossing a ball around in a series of matches against other teams. And by everyone that’s meant literally, each character will eventually have a chance to escape through final Liberation Rites, with the goal of slowly getting every last person out one by one.
Narratively this structure works in its favor, as most of the time is spent strengthening and learning more about your party members, so that when you do eventually set them free it feels more bittersweet. This also extends to your opponents, who all have their own stories for why they were sent to the Downside and what they want to reclaim. With each new match, they get stronger but also more sympathetic too. Losing a match never ends the game either, but continues on with the closer chance at freedom given to the opposing team instead.
It does result in a lengthier game than it probably could’ve been though, as the gameplay doesn’t really change much from start to finish. You complete a few rites (traveling to each one), tackle the Liberation Rite and release a party member, then repeat with a new phase until the end. While the matches gradually ramp up in difficulty to keep it interesting, I definitely felt the repetition after a while.
But overall the unique concept works very well. It’s an exceedingly polished game same as all the others from this dev, set in an interesting world with memorable characters, a gorgeous style, and a great soundtrack.
The credits song sings a glory anthem to the player and changes verses to all the major decisions you've done throughout your journey + all the victories/losses along the way.
If that is not peak videogamey interactivity and something developers should strive to do more as a medium we might as well banish gamers into the Downside to be doused into Pyres until they develop good taste.
If that is not peak videogamey interactivity and something developers should strive to do more as a medium we might as well banish gamers into the Downside to be doused into Pyres until they develop good taste.
Very, very beautiful game. Beautiful in story, music, and yes, even game play. This game absolutely did terrible because it mixes two genres where the fans usually despise the other. Fans of sports game are going to be annoyed with the constant fantasy book aspect, and fans of visual novels are going to be annoyed to have to always stop reading to play a basketball game. But sometimes that mixture is perfect for the right people, and I'm lucky to be one of those people.
Pyre has an absolutely beautiful and emotional story where you and your fellow exiles have to work towards freedom, that which you can only achieve if you win in a liberation rite (a super important basketball game, capeesh?). Only one person from your team is allowed freedom, and only if they are at a high enough level to be worthy for the rite. This is probably one of the most self aware games I've played that knew how to use its sport elements to create a very difficult and emotional story. In order to allow someone freedom, you need to spend time with them and learn their own story for why they want to go home and why they're down here. You begin to grow closer with the character and learn to love them, only to eventually send them away to the freedom you know they deserve, while also knowing you will never get to see or hear from them again (minus the one letter you get letting you know they returned safely). The game essentially punishes you for letting go of your favorite and best-played characters, but you continue to do so because you KNOW it's the right thing to do. It somehow takes a game very heavily in the sports genre and gets you to willingly give away your strongest teammates.
I think my biggest complaint would be that some of the characters were too easy to keep in the Downside. The struggle is trying to determine who gets freedom, and who has to forever stay in what's pretty much Hell. The struggle would be more if all the characters were begging to be sent home, invoking a similar emotion that having to defeat an equally as desperate and home-sick team does, but a good amount of the team was pretty happy to be in the Downside, particularly the moon girl. I kept her until the very end because she didn't really care about going back up, same with Sir Gilman, Bertrude, and Ti'zo, though I did eventually let them back up anyways (minus Bertrude). Additionally, after playing the game a certain length of time, you really learn how to just get the AI to walk into your auras, which can cheapen the gameplay a little, ESPECIALLY with Volfred, but that's just me starting to get picky. I think the biggest hit this game had going against it for me personally was the visual novel aspect. I can imagine I was able to enjoy the game more than most as I'm more of a sports game fan than a visual novel fan, and it's easier to force myself to just read rather than for someone to try to force-enjoy a basketball game. Overall though, this was a visual novel I ended up REALLY enjoying, especially in comparison to others I tried playing.
I freed Volfred last as I thought it would serve as a good dramatic and satisfying ending. He also ended up being my favorite character, very close with Jodariel, who I freed second (she was unworthy to be the first, oops). It's fun reading all the reviews here and seeing who ended up being everyone's favorite character, because it really can end up being any of the Nightwings, and shows who out of everyone really caught someone's attention.
Shout out to @AnimalJayson for getting me this game and helping me experience something truly unique and gorgeously charming.
Pyre has an absolutely beautiful and emotional story where you and your fellow exiles have to work towards freedom, that which you can only achieve if you win in a liberation rite (a super important basketball game, capeesh?). Only one person from your team is allowed freedom, and only if they are at a high enough level to be worthy for the rite. This is probably one of the most self aware games I've played that knew how to use its sport elements to create a very difficult and emotional story. In order to allow someone freedom, you need to spend time with them and learn their own story for why they want to go home and why they're down here. You begin to grow closer with the character and learn to love them, only to eventually send them away to the freedom you know they deserve, while also knowing you will never get to see or hear from them again (minus the one letter you get letting you know they returned safely). The game essentially punishes you for letting go of your favorite and best-played characters, but you continue to do so because you KNOW it's the right thing to do. It somehow takes a game very heavily in the sports genre and gets you to willingly give away your strongest teammates.
I think my biggest complaint would be that some of the characters were too easy to keep in the Downside. The struggle is trying to determine who gets freedom, and who has to forever stay in what's pretty much Hell. The struggle would be more if all the characters were begging to be sent home, invoking a similar emotion that having to defeat an equally as desperate and home-sick team does, but a good amount of the team was pretty happy to be in the Downside, particularly the moon girl. I kept her until the very end because she didn't really care about going back up, same with Sir Gilman, Bertrude, and Ti'zo, though I did eventually let them back up anyways (minus Bertrude). Additionally, after playing the game a certain length of time, you really learn how to just get the AI to walk into your auras, which can cheapen the gameplay a little, ESPECIALLY with Volfred, but that's just me starting to get picky. I think the biggest hit this game had going against it for me personally was the visual novel aspect. I can imagine I was able to enjoy the game more than most as I'm more of a sports game fan than a visual novel fan, and it's easier to force myself to just read rather than for someone to try to force-enjoy a basketball game. Overall though, this was a visual novel I ended up REALLY enjoying, especially in comparison to others I tried playing.
I freed Volfred last as I thought it would serve as a good dramatic and satisfying ending. He also ended up being my favorite character, very close with Jodariel, who I freed second (she was unworthy to be the first, oops). It's fun reading all the reviews here and seeing who ended up being everyone's favorite character, because it really can end up being any of the Nightwings, and shows who out of everyone really caught someone's attention.
Shout out to @AnimalJayson for getting me this game and helping me experience something truly unique and gorgeously charming.
Pyre is an unusual game. Half visual-novel, half sports-game, it combines two genres that I generally don't play or like. And yet, I really enjoyed my time with Pyre! It managed to keep me engaged with the plot, and the team-based matches were surprisingly fun to complete.
Has to be said: The visuals are fantastic.
Has to be said: The visuals are fantastic.
A criminally underrated masterpiece. Although this is SG's least known game, this is my favorite entry from them. The way this game deals with player failure and player success is incredible, and this is one of the few experiences I've had where I literally trembled while playing.
i think if i could play any sport i would choose to play magical basketball with a group of friendly outcasts from society trying to use their connections to forcibly revolutionize society
Volfred delivers a Pepsi to the Archjustice; riots cease bloodlessly.
The most revolutionary and astounding integration of gameplay and story that I have ever seen. This game is still years ahead of its time. Hades is in the paddling pool by comparison. The worldbuilding is incredible, every single character is great, and the game will force you to choose which one you're willing to wrench away from yourself, with a thousand different considerations for who, when, and why, and every single time, it will have a massive impact on how you engage with the gameplay.
Some people are turned away by the sportsball gameplay, but it's absolutely core to the way the game works. If it were pure story, it wouldn't work. And for what the gameplay is, I think it's pretty damn good. The only real, serious flaw is that the AI is highly exploitable. They can and will walk into hazards over and over, and you can trick them into doing it for easy wins, which can trivialize the consequences that wins and losses are meant to have.
But that's a drop in the bucket. The game is a goddamn masterpiece. Which is why it sold the absolute worst of any of Supergiant's games, is available on the least platforms of any of their games, is the only one of their games not to have a physical release, and has been completely eclipsed by Hades, a game that doesn't have 1/10th the bravery as Pyre.
Some people are turned away by the sportsball gameplay, but it's absolutely core to the way the game works. If it were pure story, it wouldn't work. And for what the gameplay is, I think it's pretty damn good. The only real, serious flaw is that the AI is highly exploitable. They can and will walk into hazards over and over, and you can trick them into doing it for easy wins, which can trivialize the consequences that wins and losses are meant to have.
But that's a drop in the bucket. The game is a goddamn masterpiece. Which is why it sold the absolute worst of any of Supergiant's games, is available on the least platforms of any of their games, is the only one of their games not to have a physical release, and has been completely eclipsed by Hades, a game that doesn't have 1/10th the bravery as Pyre.
the best choice-driven fantasy basketball rpg ever made
basketball with mario kart items and religion
I may not be the only person for whom Pyre is their favourite Supergiant game, but I don't suspect there are many of us.
As with any game from this studio the gorgeous visuals and Korb soundtrack are worth the price of admission. But I also love everything else. The cast are a joy. I love that winning or losing the basketball holy rites doesn't matter for progress but simply what it means for the characters. And a fantasy world with strange fantasy species and elaborate fantasy religions is the peak of my bullshit.
As with any game from this studio the gorgeous visuals and Korb soundtrack are worth the price of admission. But I also love everything else. The cast are a joy. I love that winning or losing the basketball holy rites doesn't matter for progress but simply what it means for the characters. And a fantasy world with strange fantasy species and elaborate fantasy religions is the peak of my bullshit.
o melhor jogo da Supergiant. "e Hades?" Pyre é melhor. quem diz que esse jogo é o mais fraco da Supergiant é covarde
This review contains spoilers
Okay turns out despite doing a two and a half hour podcast about Pyre I’m still not done thinking about it. Why does no one at Supergiant care about anyone else who lives in the Downside? Why, even when your revolution ‘succeeds’, are you left with all of these awful stories of those left behind in the Downside? What does this world look like that you cannot bridge those two places together except for a magic portal? If that’s the only method of travel between the two places, how is commerce and exchange taking place? None of these questions are answered in a meaningful way and it completely undermines everything that Pyre is trying to sell you. The game’s anti-violence stance being tied to the good ending is the definition of cowardice. I’m still so confused and upset whenever I think about this game. Who is going to help those in the Downside? No one.
This review contains spoilers
Supergiant Presents: Final Fantasy X-1 2: Oops! All Blitzball
Franchise modes in sports games rule. There was a time where the GM mode in 2K might've been the summation of all gaming's best things. Buttery-smooth hooping ensconced in fricative layers of Koei-esque simulation, and you could play it with friends!!!
2K has, of course, stumbled into the era of GaaS (games as a slot machine) taint first, succumbing to the same perineal perforation as all of its peers. Man-hours of digitial labor that could have been poured into making NBA 2K something like Crusader Kings but with Slam Dunks instead enriched the digital soil that glorified lobbies bloomed in, rife with real-money currencies and in-game advertisements.
I think of the story of my Milwaukee Bucks in NBA 2K15. By then the rot was already present, but I had not yet reckoned how bad it would become. My thoughts were filled only by the multi-season epic of Giannis Antetokounmpo's meteoric rise (I had to fudge his stats, Visual Concepts are not as good as determing Who Is Actually Good as I am), the unlikely success of Jabari Parker as his second-banana, the Nate Wolters Game, the succession crises of max contracts as injuries caught up with my aging roster over 10 seasons in...the retirement of Larry Sanders, NBA Champion. Indelible, unforgettable moments conjured out of a few dressed-up spreadsheets. I could only imagine the glory next-gen gaming would bring to the GM Mode, unaware of the horrors to come.
Pyre feels like the promise of this utopian franchise-mode future, reduced on medium-high until thick. It does not feel like a sketch, like somehow the team at Supergiant arrived at sports as a venue for Persona-esque RPG antics by accident. It feels as if they saw the same glittering possibilities as I, but instead worked to capture that promise in a contained narrative. And as such, it is one of the Best Games of All Time. It is relatively simple, on its face, sport-as-religious-rite entwined with a narrative of rebellion against empire. Honestly, like most games of its ilk, the 'plot' is interesting, but mostly acts as a sounding board for what you think of as "your" character, and how they establish relationships with the rest of the party. The characters are good, but not all created equal. This is important. There are characters that loom large over the story, rebels fighting for a cause like Volfred (the Volfman) and Jodariel (Jody Highroller). There are characters that seem almost incidental but are no less loveable, like Sir Gilman (the Gil-o-tine). The game reveals that the winners of the proverbial Larry O'Brien trophy get to send one of their players back to the Imperial core, where they will presumably further the cause of revolution and its somewhat vague goals. So, you have to deal with managed retirement, which is mind blowingly good. Like, what if in Persona 4 you were halfway through the game and it was like, one of these teenage motherfucks has to stay behind in the TV forever, their story will no longer advance, you can no longer use them in your party. Wild!!
The thing about it is, is that even as a somewhat contained narrative, it still allows for an amount of that good Crusader Kings style self-directed storytelling. Like, I put up Big Jody in my first run as the candidate to get sent home. This was mostly because I don't think she was a great hooper. She's like if Charles Barkley had no mobility. Not a champion. And as such (and also because I was not ready let's be real), we got smoked, the big demon guy got to go to heaven, and the cycle continued. Ok, next time through, I send my man Rukey even though I DO like him both on the court and off, because Jodariel is not a starting player, and the normal guy (I forget his name but he is based for dating a harpy) at this point is central to my gameplan, a little strategy I call "Pass the Ball to Shae". But I get thinkin'...I'm basically the Downside Pat Riley at this point. The Rites are what I live for. They're going to lower me into a coffin still holding the Book of Rites and my wife orb. I don't know how much I give a shit about the empire anymore, To Be Honest. So...I shifted my priorities.
The revolution was job 2. Winning basketball games was job 1. I'm pushin' through ready to send up Sir Gilman, cause at this point I'm not liking his playstyle (I eventually Figured It Out), but...Pamitha walked into my life. Now, I was in a commited and ironclad relationship with my orb-dwelling shooting coach, but Pam was great hangs, immediately climbing to the top of my "good locker room guy" rankings. I put her in with Shae and Sir Gil in the final rite, since I had influenced the standings to force a climactic encounter with Pamitha's sister, Tamitha. Pamitha stuns me before tip-off. "Let my sister win. Send her home so she can redeem herself." Bruh...I mean. Winning is job 1...but could hanging with the homies be job 0? I lost the match. I don't know if it was on purpose or not. Pamitha thanked me profusely. Gil probably felt some way about not winning, didn't really ask him.
We did the rites until they ran out of rites, and in the end I sent Big Jody and Pam home. I wanted Pam to try and patch things up with her sister. The game let me decide to prioritize the sisterly bond of one of my favorite characters over the main story it was trying to tell, and that rules!! There were also characters like Shae (Grey Mamba) and Ti'zo, hoopers of the first degree that were never going to go back home. I was the proverbial Tom Thibodeau, and they were going to play. Often until they were not physically able! Did I feel bad that they'd never get to go back up to the land of milk and honey? No! They were born to play!! Literally in the case of Ti'zo! But it was fun that the game was even playing at this question. Are you going to spoil a chance at the good life for one of your players so your so you can win more rings? (Yes.)
The ending is a bit of a mixed bag. I think the concept of who 'deserves' to go home culminating with a previous winner who got shafted showing up demanding his spot is a fun little twist, especially if he beats you and you mind-control him into giving up his spot anyway. Sorry Oralech! I missed Jody and Pam after all! And no one likes a two time loser. But the denouement of the 'revolution' is basically a prolonged fart. I truly didn't care, outside of the impact it had on my homies. I did love the story about Pam and Tam both fighting for the revolution, but still not patching it up all the way.
I think after all that, the fact that the game has a multiplayer mode with the full roster available from the very beginning of the game is the strongest possible statement at how fun this game is to play. Leaping over a defender, shooting a bomb from the logo, it's...joyous. Some may feel that the game is actually fun to play secondary (like the Persona games...bazinga!!!) but...to me it's not. The characters live in my head both defined by the things they said and did, and also by the way they played ball. That's an achievement. They really tackled a SUPER GIANT task here, and you can go play it right now. Slam in the hollowed grounds your forefathers did, Jam in the echoes of your teammate's hearts.
Franchise modes in sports games rule. There was a time where the GM mode in 2K might've been the summation of all gaming's best things. Buttery-smooth hooping ensconced in fricative layers of Koei-esque simulation, and you could play it with friends!!!
2K has, of course, stumbled into the era of GaaS (games as a slot machine) taint first, succumbing to the same perineal perforation as all of its peers. Man-hours of digitial labor that could have been poured into making NBA 2K something like Crusader Kings but with Slam Dunks instead enriched the digital soil that glorified lobbies bloomed in, rife with real-money currencies and in-game advertisements.
I think of the story of my Milwaukee Bucks in NBA 2K15. By then the rot was already present, but I had not yet reckoned how bad it would become. My thoughts were filled only by the multi-season epic of Giannis Antetokounmpo's meteoric rise (I had to fudge his stats, Visual Concepts are not as good as determing Who Is Actually Good as I am), the unlikely success of Jabari Parker as his second-banana, the Nate Wolters Game, the succession crises of max contracts as injuries caught up with my aging roster over 10 seasons in...the retirement of Larry Sanders, NBA Champion. Indelible, unforgettable moments conjured out of a few dressed-up spreadsheets. I could only imagine the glory next-gen gaming would bring to the GM Mode, unaware of the horrors to come.
Pyre feels like the promise of this utopian franchise-mode future, reduced on medium-high until thick. It does not feel like a sketch, like somehow the team at Supergiant arrived at sports as a venue for Persona-esque RPG antics by accident. It feels as if they saw the same glittering possibilities as I, but instead worked to capture that promise in a contained narrative. And as such, it is one of the Best Games of All Time. It is relatively simple, on its face, sport-as-religious-rite entwined with a narrative of rebellion against empire. Honestly, like most games of its ilk, the 'plot' is interesting, but mostly acts as a sounding board for what you think of as "your" character, and how they establish relationships with the rest of the party. The characters are good, but not all created equal. This is important. There are characters that loom large over the story, rebels fighting for a cause like Volfred (the Volfman) and Jodariel (Jody Highroller). There are characters that seem almost incidental but are no less loveable, like Sir Gilman (the Gil-o-tine). The game reveals that the winners of the proverbial Larry O'Brien trophy get to send one of their players back to the Imperial core, where they will presumably further the cause of revolution and its somewhat vague goals. So, you have to deal with managed retirement, which is mind blowingly good. Like, what if in Persona 4 you were halfway through the game and it was like, one of these teenage motherfucks has to stay behind in the TV forever, their story will no longer advance, you can no longer use them in your party. Wild!!
The thing about it is, is that even as a somewhat contained narrative, it still allows for an amount of that good Crusader Kings style self-directed storytelling. Like, I put up Big Jody in my first run as the candidate to get sent home. This was mostly because I don't think she was a great hooper. She's like if Charles Barkley had no mobility. Not a champion. And as such (and also because I was not ready let's be real), we got smoked, the big demon guy got to go to heaven, and the cycle continued. Ok, next time through, I send my man Rukey even though I DO like him both on the court and off, because Jodariel is not a starting player, and the normal guy (I forget his name but he is based for dating a harpy) at this point is central to my gameplan, a little strategy I call "Pass the Ball to Shae". But I get thinkin'...I'm basically the Downside Pat Riley at this point. The Rites are what I live for. They're going to lower me into a coffin still holding the Book of Rites and my wife orb. I don't know how much I give a shit about the empire anymore, To Be Honest. So...I shifted my priorities.
The revolution was job 2. Winning basketball games was job 1. I'm pushin' through ready to send up Sir Gilman, cause at this point I'm not liking his playstyle (I eventually Figured It Out), but...Pamitha walked into my life. Now, I was in a commited and ironclad relationship with my orb-dwelling shooting coach, but Pam was great hangs, immediately climbing to the top of my "good locker room guy" rankings. I put her in with Shae and Sir Gil in the final rite, since I had influenced the standings to force a climactic encounter with Pamitha's sister, Tamitha. Pamitha stuns me before tip-off. "Let my sister win. Send her home so she can redeem herself." Bruh...I mean. Winning is job 1...but could hanging with the homies be job 0? I lost the match. I don't know if it was on purpose or not. Pamitha thanked me profusely. Gil probably felt some way about not winning, didn't really ask him.
We did the rites until they ran out of rites, and in the end I sent Big Jody and Pam home. I wanted Pam to try and patch things up with her sister. The game let me decide to prioritize the sisterly bond of one of my favorite characters over the main story it was trying to tell, and that rules!! There were also characters like Shae (Grey Mamba) and Ti'zo, hoopers of the first degree that were never going to go back home. I was the proverbial Tom Thibodeau, and they were going to play. Often until they were not physically able! Did I feel bad that they'd never get to go back up to the land of milk and honey? No! They were born to play!! Literally in the case of Ti'zo! But it was fun that the game was even playing at this question. Are you going to spoil a chance at the good life for one of your players so your so you can win more rings? (Yes.)
The ending is a bit of a mixed bag. I think the concept of who 'deserves' to go home culminating with a previous winner who got shafted showing up demanding his spot is a fun little twist, especially if he beats you and you mind-control him into giving up his spot anyway. Sorry Oralech! I missed Jody and Pam after all! And no one likes a two time loser. But the denouement of the 'revolution' is basically a prolonged fart. I truly didn't care, outside of the impact it had on my homies. I did love the story about Pam and Tam both fighting for the revolution, but still not patching it up all the way.
I think after all that, the fact that the game has a multiplayer mode with the full roster available from the very beginning of the game is the strongest possible statement at how fun this game is to play. Leaping over a defender, shooting a bomb from the logo, it's...joyous. Some may feel that the game is actually fun to play secondary (like the Persona games...bazinga!!!) but...to me it's not. The characters live in my head both defined by the things they said and did, and also by the way they played ball. That's an achievement. They really tackled a SUPER GIANT task here, and you can go play it right now. Slam in the hollowed grounds your forefathers did, Jam in the echoes of your teammate's hearts.
the core gameplay of the Rites isn't sophisticated or enjoyable enough in the barest sense for how long the game is. they were already getting old when there were 15+ of them left to go.
the visual novel elements didn't fare much better with neither the characters or world itself really appealing to me in any significant way. the choice to have a language unique to the game felt like a misfire when stellar voice acting is a Supergiant mainstay.
the worst of their titles that I've played by a pretty big gap. it was all a bit of a slog.
the visual novel elements didn't fare much better with neither the characters or world itself really appealing to me in any significant way. the choice to have a language unique to the game felt like a misfire when stellar voice acting is a Supergiant mainstay.
the worst of their titles that I've played by a pretty big gap. it was all a bit of a slog.