Pyre:
If an ending is great it is preferable
to hint at, but not spoil, the ending. If the plot is terrible,
there is no excuse to hide its failings, no qualms in revealing
everything. Overall Pyre resides in the first category, but
tiny bits of it exist in the second.
The action of Pyre occurs in the
Commonwealth, a Theocratic state founded by the virtuous Scribes, but
corrupted by the passing of time. The Commonwealth sends it convicts
down a magical river which deposits them in the Downlands. The only
escape from this discomforting land is another magical river which
lifts a single passenger skyward back to the Commonwealth. This
transpiration can only be accessed by the anointed winner of the
Liberation Rite, which occur infrequently, maybe only once a year.
Anointed who return are forgiven for past criminal activity and
honored for their valor in winning the Rites. The broad outlines are
reminiscent of the Hunger Games, but the Rites are conducted without
violence.
The denizens who discover the
protagonist mention that they have been hired by a secret benefactor.
This person is later revealed to be Volfred Sandalwood, a mysterious
Sap (a tree like person). Before the first Liberation Rite he
reveals his goal. Long in the planning, he intends to convene a
company with a single goal, to overthrow the Commonwealth.
The initial question to his goal is,
does the player wish to overthrow the Commonwealth? This unseen
nation seems nebulously unjust. The Commonwealth's most serious
crime is its ban on literacy, except for the elite. Otherwise the
protagonist only has incidental evidence of its unfairness. Every
companion has been unjustly sentenced, but they are only a small
proportion of the population. It is difficult to know if these
miscarriages of justice are common, or rare. Nearly all the leaders
of the other factions deserve their punishment. It's possible the
members of the Nightwings are the only innocent victims. Nor does
Pyre offer any information about the total population of the
Commonwealth and the number of citizens deposited in the Downlands.
For these reasons it is impossible to know if the majority of its
citizens are treated fairly, whether it persecute its minorities,
encourages economic inequality, or conducts endless war against
innocents. Perhaps it is a society built on equality, seeking peace
and freedom, with the occasional misjudgments common among all
nations. If one is truly to overthrow a state, one must consider the
damage done, the chaos and suffering inflicted by the action. Is it
less than allowing the Commonwealth to continue? With such scant
detail how can one make such a choice? Pyre glosses over this
ethical conundrum, which is surprising, because the writers delve
into subtleties repeatedly.
Yet, Volfred's plan drives the plot, so
one must support it. Unfortunately any clarity which could have been
imparted by composing a sympathetic character is squandered.
Sandalwood is repeatedly Delphic, inscrutable, and potentially
dangerous. While the protagonist knows no one, Volfred already knows
most of the Nightwings and seems to be withholding information from
the Protagonist. The writing leads one to believe the crew members
are conspiring with Sandalwood to hide something big from the player.
With the lack of details about the Commonwealth, is it possible that
Sandalwood is misguided, wrong, or even evil?
Volfred leads the caravan to the first
Liberation Rite. After the first cycle, during which the Nightwings
play a Rite against every other faction, the player can pick their
opponents. Defeating teams lowers them in the standings, and the
highest ranked team (aside from the Nightwings), participates in the
Liberation Rite against the player. But what do I care who I compete
against at the Liberation Rite? I intend to beat them all. Not
because of Volfred's vendetta, but because freeing my friends is
paramount.
None of the other factions deserve
victory. While each represents one of the scribes, they have
abandoned the virtue embodied by their forebears. The current
leaders of each team have corrupted their ideals. The essence, the
intent, of the founding wisdom has decayed. Ironically, the essence
of each Scribe reaches its pinnacle in each of the members of the
Nightwings. Though I intended to win every Liberation Rite, I let
Fate, because I believed their leader, an older sentient dog like
creature call a Cur, was the only one worthy of returning in glory to
the Commonwealth. But though he was anointed he pushed he foster son
into the Shimmer-pool (the source of the magical river which returns
the anointed winner of the Liberation Rite to the Commonwealth).
This was doubly disappointing, because his son (a whiner) felt
miserable in the Commonwealth without his father, and because the
father retired from the game.
But this raised an important question.
Not twenty minutes later, Volfred explained a past situation, that if
anyone but the anointed winner goes into the pool they will die.
Similar discrepancies occur occasionally. One team cheats against
the Nightwings, and suffers no punishment. These flaws lead one to
doubt the reliability of the entire system.
Like is the Voice, the arbiter (or
play-by-play guy) of the Rites, a liar? He claims that Sandalwood is
a traitor, and condemns the player for aiding the Plan. But, the
player can't interfere with Volfred's ploy. Pyre railroads
the player into participating in Volfred's scheme. The only way for
the player to sabotage Volfred would be to lose every Liberation
Rite. But I couldn't do that, because as previously stated, I am
fighting for my friends' freedom. In contrast to the setting, the
Characters are so vibrant, so lovely, so deserving of loyalty and
love, and so willing to return it, that I couldn't abandon them to
the Downlands.
So Pyre, through the Voice,
accuses the player of an action over which it offers the player no
control. Nor will the Voice clearly detail Volfred's crimes. Is it
referring only to his initial conviction or something worse that
occurred during his time as a player on an earlier Nightwing squad?
Even after finishing Pyre I am uncertain about Sandalwood's supposed
treachery. In the end, despite my distrust, despite my paranoia,
despite my expectation for a twist, it appears Volfred is a true
hero. Willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the goodness of
others.
The ending arrives abruptly. Only
seconds after the final Liberation Rite, Pyre brings the
player to the final screen. Displayed there are all the characters
of Pyre. Clicking on each displays a personalized epilogue.
This part is excellent, incredibly detailed and dependent on one's
choices (mostly who won the Liberation Rites). They interact
wonderfully, with pairings between friends and foes who remain
together (either in the Downlands or the Commonwealth) or separated
forever. After every character has been clicked there is
delightfully done song over the credits. Even this aspect is
personalized, telling the story of each member of the Nightwings
caravan. While there are many details which can change, I wonder how
many radically different endings exist.
In conclusion, Pyre is a heartfelt game by Supergiant Games. It's gorgeous, with wonderful music and clear mechanics. The characters are delightfully developed even for this reasonably quick game. It would be a great game but each of these facets contains a flaw, which mars what might have been a perfect gem. The visual effects occasionally feel crowded, the gameplay is a little too simple, too easy, and too repetitive. The time spent out of the Rites, filled with pointless activities feels empty. While the characters are well developed, the setting is vague and ill defined. Parts of the game, (the depictions of the characters) instill a desire to play again, but the blemishes make that unlikely. Still, it is definitely worth one play-through.
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