Pyre

Pyre is an admirable attempt to create a new hybrid -- part sports, part RPG -- but only one of the game’s halves is a true success. Surprisingly, that’s the sports half. Pyre’s world is an enticing one, it just isn’t conveyed in the best way. If you’re a sports game veteran willing to try something a bit different or somebody who mostly enjoyed past Supergiant games for their sumptuous audio and visuals, Pyre should light your fire. Unfortunately, those hoping for another full-bodied action-RPG experience similar to Bastion or Transistor may be left a bit cold.

Expelled from a world where literacy is illegal, you enter the beautiful exile land of the Downside. Too bad the book you read is too good to put down.

Like the award-winning Transistor and Bastion, Pyre is a superb effort by Supergiant Games, and cements the studio as one of the industry’s premiere indie game developers. Even if players aren’t excited by its sports-like gameplay features, Pyre has a wonderful cast of characters and an engaging story that make it hard to put down. It’s easy to get lost in Pyre‘s world, and it is the kind of game that will leave a lasting impression on those that play it.

The game is a beautifully wrapped package, with great gameplay and deep lore and plot to delve into if you want to. The gameplay is enjoyable enough to make the multiplayer mode worth taking a look at, lack of online features aside. Pyre really grabs you early on and doesn't let go until the very end, where you learn of the effects of your decisions throughout the game. This is Supergiant's best title yet, and I cannot stress this enough - this isn't a game to miss.

Pyre is simply a complete package. Everything from story and characters to art and gameplay is superb. While I could use nearly every positive word I know to praise this game, nothing can really describe the roller coaster of emotions I felt playing it. It is an endlessly surprising and satisfying experience that I would recommend to just about anyone.

The truth is that Pyre does exactly what it set out to do, with no caveats or qualifiers. It created a truly original core game mode and backed it up with solid RPG mechanics that extend the game’s already impressive longevity for a $20 game.