Pyre Reviews

I love everything about this game and wish it wasn't so underrated amongst Supergiant's titles. I understand how the visual novel style-RPG meets magic basketball tournament structure could throw some people off but to me that's the whole appeal and charm of it -- it's so unique, there's literally not another game like this that I'm aware of, and it's perfectly executed. while I do adore the gameplay of the Rites, to me, Pyre's strength lies in the writing, worldbuilding, and lore, and the depth and complexity to each character and the narrative overall. The rich fantasy world is so well developed without being presented as overwhelming, and it's a true delight to slowly come to understand the world of the Commonwealth and the Downside as the story goes on, both through the interactive tooltips and the different exile's stories. I have not felt this engaged with a fantasy world in as long as I can remember (Supergiant truly living up to its goal of making games that spark your imagination!) and I can't wait to try multiple playthroughs to see so many of the possibilities that the different outcomes offer. not only that, the story's themes of corrupt governments, revolution, and criminal justice reform are ever-pertinent, and the narrative tackles these themes with a wonderful amount of hope tempered with realism. as with every other Supergiant title, the stunning visuals and outstanding music tie it all together -- and the music design is truly astounding in Pyre, especially with how certain songs change depending on your choices in the game. there's so much more I could say; this game has sparked my creativity and passion for writing in a whole new way, and I will carry the Nightwings and their journey with me, with utmost fondness, for the rest of my life.

There are many elements of this that I feel like don't work - the gameplay is repetitive and the story is presented very plainly, via dialogue alone, but by the end the game won me over with its characters, art, story and emotion. I might replay this one day to see if I feel differently. If you're in it more for the story than gameplay, give it a chance. Still prefer the other Supergiant games, but along the other masterpieces, this one is just good.

Truly one of my favorite games ever. It plays brilliantly, looks beautiful, sounds gorgeous. The writing is fantastic and you really start to feel the burden of your choices as you progress through the game. Do you send someone back up because they deserve it or do you keep them because they're one of your fantasy b-ball aces? The strange marriage between an RPG and an NBA Jam-esque sports game not only works but it is one of the most unique experiences in gaming you'll ever have. Highly recommend.

It's unfortunate how underappreciated this game is in the Supergiant Games collection, but Pyre is a truly fantastic experience. It's difficult to explain in a way that makes coherent sense, containing many disparate elements and aesthetics that seemingly shouldn't really work together, but they do anyway by sheer degree of effort put into them. The Rites - the basketball-esque game at the heart of it is a brilliantly creative idea executed flawlessly. That's enough to make this game good. What makes it great is the placement of the characters you use in the Rites within a story where each of them is trapped with you, with the Rites being their only chance of escape, and only for one of them at a time. You have to level up characters and then let them go - it's tough, both mechanically and emotionally in a way that weaves them together amazingly.

Stunning art. Tons of text. Convoluted gameplay.

Honestly up there with Fifa Streets and Rocket League in terms of really good fantasy sports. Has some great tunes too

Fun characters and story, and the music is top notch. Gameplay may be divisive but I loved it.

(Played 18 hours on PS, platinumed) While it may appeal to a different and smaller audience than their latter effort "Hades", I argue this is better. Supergiant is talented enough to make you care deeply about whole teams of characters in <15 minutes. On top of the excellent character building, what makes this better than Hades is the team-based tactical decision making that is both fun, challenging, and consequential. Specifically, the game lets you know early that a victory will carve consequences towards the rest of your teammates or your opponents, who may deserve a win more than you. In other words, would your decision-making change if you knew your star player would disappear if you won the game with 7 more games to go this season? And, each game could let your teammates leave purgatory. Ranks as the most underrated game in the last 10 years to me.

I respect Supergiant going for a non-traditional game, not your usual fight enemies and bosses till you win. As usual for them the art and music and setting are just spectacular.

Pyre, another banger from Supergiant Games. A visual novel style-RPG meets some kind of "wizard" basketball tournament conducted through the rites -- it's very unique and I would go out of my way to say it's perfectly executed. As with every other Supergiant Games title, the music is fantastic and the visuals are top notch. However, the writing, world-building, characters and lore(It's a true delight to slowly come to understand the world of the Commonwealth and Downside + watch the Nightwing's plan unfold.) has so much depth to it. There are countless styles of conducting these rites and it was very enjoyable to figure out what characters I enjoyed playing the most. I was super proud of obtaining "Scribe's Champion" achievement in a legitimate rite (they hand you a freebie in Standard Mode). My only complaint - which comes along with any game that makes you play the game twice or gatekeep's a difficulty until a normal play through is completed. The difficulty "True Nightwing" is a test to your patience and is extremely challenging. Couple head banging on that play through.