I wish I could like this game more. The character and level design, the music, the sound, the setting, and the concept are all some of the best I've ever seen in a video game. I'd even say that the writing is some of the best in any Supergiant game.
But... something went wrong. I'll echo other reviewers by saying that I just stopped caring about the whole thing after about 3-5 hours. I'm not positive as to why, but I have some theories:
1) The cyclical nature of the gameplay makes logical sense in the game setting and for mechanics. Obviously Supergiant can pull off a repetitive game (see: Hades), but there may not have been quite enough variation between levels in Pyre to keep it exciting. I hit on a few general strategies with each character and stuck with them and that was it. The talismans and lineup changes didn't do much to alter my strategies.
2) I mentioned that the writing was the best for a Supergiant game, but the bar is pretty low in that regard. Every sentence sounds like it's occurring in the middle of a paragraph, or that you're missing context to understand it.
3) Character development proceeds along lines that you can see as soon as you meet each character. They change, sure, but this is a caravan of tropes and never get subverted, commented on, flipped, or anything other than what you'd come to expect.
It's a shame because Pyre is truly stunning and I still listen to the soundtrack while writing. It just felt like a chore to play for three quarters of my time with it.
But... something went wrong. I'll echo other reviewers by saying that I just stopped caring about the whole thing after about 3-5 hours. I'm not positive as to why, but I have some theories:
1) The cyclical nature of the gameplay makes logical sense in the game setting and for mechanics. Obviously Supergiant can pull off a repetitive game (see: Hades), but there may not have been quite enough variation between levels in Pyre to keep it exciting. I hit on a few general strategies with each character and stuck with them and that was it. The talismans and lineup changes didn't do much to alter my strategies.
2) I mentioned that the writing was the best for a Supergiant game, but the bar is pretty low in that regard. Every sentence sounds like it's occurring in the middle of a paragraph, or that you're missing context to understand it.
3) Character development proceeds along lines that you can see as soon as you meet each character. They change, sure, but this is a caravan of tropes and never get subverted, commented on, flipped, or anything other than what you'd come to expect.
It's a shame because Pyre is truly stunning and I still listen to the soundtrack while writing. It just felt like a chore to play for three quarters of my time with it.