Gaming the Pandemic - Day 4: Pyre (PC)

Latest in my attack of (at least) one game from my 643 strong backlog every day that the UK is in 'lock-down'.

I'm not planning on completing them, just playing them for long enough to know:A) What they're all about.B) If they're good enough to continue playing ASAP

Back to the Steam catalogue for day four as the randomiser coughed up...

Pyre on PC.

Even though it doesn't really sound like my kind of thing, I'm quite excited to play this one. I bought it because I absolutely loved Transistor from the same developer.

Okay so I'm a little bit confused right now. Something, and I don't think it's any one 'thing' in particular, makes me very happy when playing this game. Like. Eurphoric.

Pyre appears, in the short time I've been playing it, to be ostensibly an RPG; Story appears central and there are skill and levels. However, central to the 'plot', are 'Rites' during which the player has full control and agency and which are essentially some kind of celestial basketball.

And yet the whole thing is imbued with a kind of 'newness'. The characters are not based on any pre-existing lore as they are with so much fantasy fiction, the world doesn't adhere to any rules and geography that is recognisable, the voices are all spoken in a fictional language that somehow feels real.

I think, if I had to pin it down, it's this feeling of being completely new that is exciting me so muc- as it brings with it a complete sense of the unknown; and I love nothing more than the sense of discovery that comes with being completely in the dark.

The artistry of the game is maintained in the dialogue and interactions, where it brings real character to the cast. The music, also, is exceptional and goes a long way to generate a very specific atmosphere and tone.

The only question that remains is how well the core gameplay of the Rites can stand up to extended play - but what I've seen so far has the feel of a very strong foundation upon which solid meta will be bullt.

Pyre is now my regular game. The intro says there is no 'completing' the campaign but I wlll carry on playing for some time yet!

PYRE - Absolutely recommended without reservation

Previously...

Day One was the excellent Luminees II on PSP

Day Two was the fun-but-probably-better-in-co-op Sanctum 2 on PC

Day Three was the pretty ropey but maybe worth a second chance on PS2 Dead to Rights 2 on Xbox