Pyre:
Like the previous Supergiant Games, Pyre displays the developer's attention to generating artistic and audio wonder.
The unnamed protagonist is deposited in
the Downlands, a purgatory of sorts, where varied environments
display themselves in horrible and astonishing shapes. The
Nightwings traverse the Downlands in a outwardly small, but inwardly
infinite cart pulled by miniature (but industrious) monsters named
drive imps. The player directs the cart from location to location,
acquiring minor benefits for the next Rite. Pyre divides the
Downlands into eight regions, and each is depicted in vivid drawings.
They are each like the page of a wonderful comic book, with bright
colors and fantastical geography. Each region is distinct from the
others, and rendered as beautifully as the the cart, which eventually
turns into a boat, and then an airship, travels over them. In in the
airship, the terrain seems like a flip book, as they pass by swiftly
in a dazzling blaze of color.
Each region contains numerous
landmarks, which are described in The Book of Rites. Visiting a
location unlocks a new page in the book to peruse. In spite of this
diverse geography, the design often feels overwrought and cluttered.
There is almost too much occurring in every scene. Too much become
an issue, when the decoration has no impact. Neither the arenas in
which the Rites are played, nor the protagonist's travels are
influenced by the scenery. Pyre includes too much design for
too little effect. But at the cycles speed up, the Downland changes.
One cycle brings tremendous snow storms, while another forces the
inhabitants to endure oppressive heat and iridescent haze. They
illustrate the impending end, and convey the afflictions of
residents. Yet they alter nothing about the gameplay.
The characters are well designed too.
Conversation is lively, not just due to the dialogue, but the
stylized emotions. Characters move and pose during conversations.
When they express a particularly strong emotion the designers employ
visual cues like an those used in anime. Determination is displayed
with red spikes, joy with sweeping golden winds, and agreement with
yellow beams of sunlight.
The cart, the location the protagonist
always returns to, is designed to contain mementos of every visited
location. Like the background scenery it is beautiful, but
unnecessary cluttered. Pyre believes every single stop is
worthy of memorialization, but the developers should have limited
this hording to significant events.
Not only are the visual effects
dazzling, the voice acting is as well. When a character speaks to
the protagonist they are accompanied by a unique sound which
resonates like speech. This includes the delightful drive-imp Ti'zo,
whose vivid trill communicates his opinions perfectly. These
noises, combined with the visual design of the characters, creates a
clear portrait of them before the player even reads their words on
the screen. Also well acted is the Voice, the overseer of the Rites,
the narrator of the protagonist's journey. The voice actor does an
excellent job delivering emotion and enunciation with a strong
performance.
And of course, is it surprising that a
team which delivered gems like Paper
Boats from Transistor, continues its
musical streak into Pyre? While the overall effect may not be
quite equal to the entire
Transistor
sound track, the Liberation
Rite songs nearly achieve the same effect.
The writing, both in The Book of Rites,
and the dialogue between the characters, is exceptional. Pyre
features a book of history to read, which illuminates the history of
the Scribes, the Empire, the Commonwealth, and the Downlands. The
most amazing achievement is the ability to script dialogue and events
which reflect to the player's choices. Since a character is freed
every cycle, the game has to be able to tell its story regardless of
who the player chooses. Some developers would do this by
lobotomizing the script. But Pyre works everyone's story into
the larger saga, regardless of their destination. The writers mixed
seriousness and humor in good measure for powerful effect, keeping
the story grounded but allowing for strange and wonderful characters.
And yet, Pyre feels oddly empty.
When one isn't involved in one of the Rites, but merely traveling
from one to the next, it feels as if there isn't much game there. It
seems like the developers tried to paper over this empty space with
an extravagant visual design, numerous dialogues, and purposeless
mini decisions about which path to take to reach the next Rite. The
Downlands were beautiful, the characters good conversationalists, and
the game clear, but there was still too much time doing nothing
relevant.
Next week, an examination of the ending
in depth, (spoiling) plot details, and a conclusion.
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