Pyre Review

You cannot extinguish the fire within us.

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*THERE ARE BIG STORY SPOILERS FOR PYRE IN THIS REVIEW. Please leave if you do not wish to read them.

The year Pyre came out (2017) feels like a lifetime ago. While many of us saw Donald Trump for the lying, manipulative, and vile bastard that he is, we were barely into his first term as president. It felt like we could still claw back some semblance of a soul, like America could still be healed, and that we would find ourselves in a better place once this monster was excised. Of course, this was fantasy. As the onslaught of fascist rhetoric and Nazi salutes across the U.S. over the last decade have worked to normalize what would have once been considered an abhorrent ideology, Pyre feels like both a warning of what awaits us and a call to action to stop it.

Publisher: Supergiant Games

Developer: Supergiant Games

Platform: Played on PC

Availability: Released on July 25, 2017 for Linux, Windows PC, and PS4. Released August 3, 2017 for Mac OS.

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The Reader, our protagonist, is found alone and dying in the desert by three companions, known as the Nightwings, who then bring The Reader in and provide reprieve. It is here the lovely Reader reveals their ability to read — a crime in the Commonwealth from which they hail.  Having been exiled from the Commonwealth for undisclosed crimes, The Reader now finds themselves in a desolate landscape full of desperate folks trying to find their way — in more ways than one. Most are simply trying to escape this exile in The Downside (the realm the exiles have been banished to); some may have lesser motives like simply causing havoc, while others harbor more grandiose plans.

In order to escape, one must participate in a series of rites handed down by an oppressor on high. Taking the form of a sports competition that plays a bit like a mix of basketball and rugby, the rites serve as a way for the participants to prove themselves worthy in the eyes of the scribes — revered entities which at some point created the rites themselves. Each participant has their own abilities and functions within these rites (determined by the race of the particular participant) and you must use them to douse the opponents flame by bringing the ball into the goal until the target score is achieved.

Aside from the different characters having different playstyles, there are many amulets and character upgrades to mess around with that can alter the way moves work or increase their potency. There are also shops where you can buy upgrade materials to increase the levels of the amulets you already own, or you can buy new amulets, crystals that provide temporary buffs, and even consumables to reset your characters talent tree.

While the rites and supporting systems are extremely fun to mess with, and each rite holds a lot of variety in how you might approach the encounter, I find myself thinking very little about them upon reflection. They feel nearly inconsequential in how I evaluate what this game has to offer. 

Pyre is one of the most consistently breathtaking games I've ever played.

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Whether or not Supergiant foresaw where we were headed, there remain a number of parallels between the events and entities of the game and the political realities of 2025 America. The exiles, cast down by their own fascist overlords, are not entirely unlike those poor souls kidnapped and violated by the current US administration, forced to endure humiliation and pain in labor camps abroad in order to entertain a class of people who wish for nothing more than to harm those they cannot control. It’s a bit depressing to look back and see a century of American media, art, and literature explicitly telling us that this kind of thing is very bad, yet we managed to plunge headlong into the pyre.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. In spite of the pain and misery that permeates the Downside, there is also hope. Throughout the conversations you have with your crew (all of which are displayed beautifully by the magnificent artwork by Jen Zee, and punctuated by the phenomenal score from Darren Korb), you learn more about what drives each of them. People they want to go home to, friends and family they wish to reconcile with, or even finding the courage within themselves to stand tall in the face of adversity — each companion has their own reasons for their participation, but throughout it all they remain steadfast in support of each other. The bonds develop over the course of the game, yet as people come and go from your team, they always remain steadfast in that support, uplifting and assisting even when not present. 

Please, just play this game.

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As you progress through the story, you get bits and pieces of information about how the Commonwealth is struggling to deal with the brewing revolt your team has spurred on, but you never see the whole picture from your side. Instead, the game relies on the player and The Reader having faith. Not faith in the sense of praying to the Scribes or some outer being, but faith that those whom you have helped along the way will do the same for you — and for the people of the Commonwealth.

In the end, The Reader and some (but not all) of the crew are freed, thanks to the sacrifices of those they travelled with. When The Reader arrives on the other side, they discover that those they have helped have also done so for others. That so great was the collective action undertaken by the revolutionaries, the ruling class submitted without a fight. The voices of the oppressed rang out in unison and shook the heavens, creating change without bloodshed. It may feel like a pipe dream to some, but I have hope that we can achieve much the same — that through our support and love for one another, through our collective voices and actions, we too can create a better world for ourselves and future generations to come.

Verdict

While elements like the artwork and music are truly exemplary, the real value in Pyre lies in the tale it tells and the characters who shape it. Dealing with themes of fighting oppression, redemption, and hope, Pyre remains a poignant piece nearly a decade later. Perhaps especially so, now. 

Image Credits: Taylor Rioux and Supergiant Games