Pyre Reviews
Dazzling and mysterious, this ambitious party-based RPG is a masterpiece.
Pyre's campaign is repetitive and its combat never quite clicks, but a touching and thoughtful story makes it worth sticking through to the end.
From the art to the music to the story to the tactical gameplay, and even to how they're all woven together so artfully, Pyre is an adventure that excels in every area of its design other than limiting its multiplayer to local only. It's an epic journey that made me feel thrilled, devastated, and awed, and its tense moments had me tugging my collar both in and out of its fast-paced mystical sports arenas. With an emotionally charged ending that saw so much I'd striven for come to fruition, but was still tinged with tragedy and melancholy even when I did almost everything right, I won't be able to get Pyre out of my head for a long time. This is Supergiant's best work to date, and that's saying something.
The latest game from the creators of Bastion, Pyre expertly blends sports with a fantasy world, delivering a unique and engrossing experience in the process.
Pyre is a lengthy sojourn into a surprising setting, with gameplay focused on a thrilling, smartly balanced battle sport
Pyre's wit and whimsy effortlessly usher you into a captivating world of punishment, sacrifice, and competition.
Much of the pull of this world is delivered through Pyre's narrative, which drives the game forward in spite of the repetition of its sports game-style core. Sharply written dialogue is interspersed between rites, illuminating a story that branches in dozens of different ways. That plot is carried on the shoulders of a wonderful cast of characters – party members such as the gruff demon Jodariel, the bitter bog witch Bertrude and my personal favorite, Sir Gilman, a snake with a single large eye who wears a clunky metal helmet and wants nothing more than to be an honorable knight.
Pyre is good in many ways. It's even good enough that it made me call my boss a m*********.
Pyre is a brilliant reinvention of the term "fantasy sports," with story, visuals, and gameplay to die for. Go buy it.
Pyre represents another solid effort from Supergiant, as the awe-inspiring world, both in terms of design and depth, coupled with a lovable cast of heroes and villains, continue the studio's renowned streak for titles with big heart and unique gameplay.
I only wish that the mechanics and feeling of Pyreball lived up to that strong storytelling, because it so often feels like an interruption to a great tale.
Pyre backs up its eye candy with some pretty impressive world-building and fun gameplay, particularly in Versus Mode. Though the battles in the main campaign don't offer too much of a challenge, the controls still make it feel great when you drive your team into your opponent's goal. All that supplementary reading in the Book of Rites might not be for everyone, but even without it, Supergiant has still built a memorable, visually spectacular world.
Not only is it one of the most beautiful games I've played in recent memory, but it has some new mechanics and ideas to keep you playing.
Mixing together so many different influences and styles of gameplay together could have made Pyre an unwieldy, confusing experience. However, Supergiant apparently found just the right mixture of ingredients to make Pyre work almost perfectly, as its addicting Rites “combat” shows. Thanks to a compelling mix of gameplay and atmosphere bound by an incredible art style, Supergiant Games has crafted one of this year's most unique titles that's equally tense and thought-provoking throughout its journey. Coming from the studio that already has provided memorable titles like Bastion and Transistor, Pyre has me eagerly waiting for the next story that they have to tell.
Deep, atmospheric and unique, but too slow and only in english. Not for everyone, but those who enjoy its proposal will be sucked into this magnificient new world that Supergiant Games has created.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Supergiant Games continue to burn brightly as an independent studio, with Pyre being their latest imaginative and fantastical adventure. It casts aside many of the trappings of an action RPG from Bastion and Transistor in favour of something more akin to a real time tactical game, wrapping its fast paced and often fraught battles up in a world and cast of characters that gradually draw you into its cyclical tale.
With a unique core game design and gorgeous presentation, 'Pyre' is our favorite Supergiant game yet.
Although I wasn't quite as attached to the characters as I had hoped, I did appreciate the medley of personalities and felt the world and its customs were admirably orchestrated within everyone's backstory. It might not be for everyone, but Pyre delivers on its fun gameplay in a way that beautifully illustrates the struggles of redemption and what it means to gain true freedom.
The bizarre mix of influences and gameplay doesn't always gel, but the visuals and writing help paper over the cracks in this admirably unique adventure.