Prior to Hades, Pyre was my favorite Supergiant game, and I still have a lot of love for it. As is standard for Supergiant, the aesthetics are the real standout here. The graphics are gorgeous, resembling a painted mural, rich in color in a way that's fantastical and otherworldly. The celestial motifs that persist throughout the game - the constellations that your roaming band of exiles use to navigate between each Rite location, for example - also serve to contribute to this feeling. As always, Darren Korb's soundtrack is excellent, blending various folk styles as well as some more out-there things like "pirate rock" or "baroque harpsichord music with hip hop beats". The other great thing about the game is its ensemble cast, which includes tons of memorable allies and adversaries, including my favorite character Rukey Greentail, a wry smuggler who is also a dog with a mustache.
But the most interesting part of the game is the Rites, which are essentially a magical basketball league in which exiles compete for the ability to break free of the purgatorial Downside and return to civilized society. Unlike most games, you don't receive a Game Over when you lose - the plot will continue, changing to reflect the outcome of each match. This determines which of the several opposing teams you will face in the final "Liberation Rite" of each "season". Whichever team wins the Liberation Rite will get to choose one teammate to free from exile. This is fascinating to me, because once you free a teammate, they are gone forever, unable to be used or interacted with for the rest of the game. Depending on the outcome of each match, this can drastically change your team's makeup as the game goes on. Losing a liberation rite means your opponent will go free instead - which might be good or bad thing depending on who said opponent is. It could be Dalbert, a kindly old dog with a sense of piety, or it could be someone like H. Manley Tinderstauf, a stuck-up aristocratic tree who everyone in the game despises. It's always bittersweet setting someone free from exile - you want them to be able to return to their loved ones back in the normal world, but at the same time their absence will be deeply felt by all those left stuck in the Downside.
Each opposing team has its own leader character with their own reasons for their exile, and motivations for what they plan on doing once they return back home. They also each have a connection to one of the members of your own team. Each time you face off against a team, these interpersonal storylines progress in interesting ways, with variable results based on whether you win or lose. It's an excellent way of writing a sports game with an ensemble cast and a character-driven plot.
Although some people might not like the sports gameplay, I found it very enjoyable, especially since it's tied so heavily to the story progression. There is very little I can complain about with regards to Pyre - it's simply a fantastic game.
But the most interesting part of the game is the Rites, which are essentially a magical basketball league in which exiles compete for the ability to break free of the purgatorial Downside and return to civilized society. Unlike most games, you don't receive a Game Over when you lose - the plot will continue, changing to reflect the outcome of each match. This determines which of the several opposing teams you will face in the final "Liberation Rite" of each "season". Whichever team wins the Liberation Rite will get to choose one teammate to free from exile. This is fascinating to me, because once you free a teammate, they are gone forever, unable to be used or interacted with for the rest of the game. Depending on the outcome of each match, this can drastically change your team's makeup as the game goes on. Losing a liberation rite means your opponent will go free instead - which might be good or bad thing depending on who said opponent is. It could be Dalbert, a kindly old dog with a sense of piety, or it could be someone like H. Manley Tinderstauf, a stuck-up aristocratic tree who everyone in the game despises. It's always bittersweet setting someone free from exile - you want them to be able to return to their loved ones back in the normal world, but at the same time their absence will be deeply felt by all those left stuck in the Downside.
Each opposing team has its own leader character with their own reasons for their exile, and motivations for what they plan on doing once they return back home. They also each have a connection to one of the members of your own team. Each time you face off against a team, these interpersonal storylines progress in interesting ways, with variable results based on whether you win or lose. It's an excellent way of writing a sports game with an ensemble cast and a character-driven plot.
Although some people might not like the sports gameplay, I found it very enjoyable, especially since it's tied so heavily to the story progression. There is very little I can complain about with regards to Pyre - it's simply a fantastic game.