Pyrena was an enjoyable short story about what it feels like to work at a dead-end job, after your entire life has been completely uprooted. All things considered, the game is a pretty grounded take, with a supernatural twist that mostly appears in the back half. The story and writing have some excellent moments- specifically the reveal of the ankle bracelet, what's in Bird's pocket and Martin in the gas station at night- and I was constantly feeling surprised by each twist and turn the game presented, which kept me intrigued to see where it all might lead.
I, however, didn't really feel much of a relationship between the main leads, Martin and Harper. You can definitely tell that there's a silent understanding between the two's situations, but it doesn't feel like it gets enough focus to feel like it's building the backbone of a relationship, in my opinion. Then again, I'm someone who likes romance above all else, so that's probably just personal preference. The scene where Martin is just watching Harper play Minecraft in his room is very cute though, ten out of ten.
Regarding the supernatural side, I enjoyed the buck monster's design with tens of antlers breaking through its body like a series of cists, and I actually was surprised that the cop wasn't the one hunting down Martin's friends- instead, it was his son and Marin's ex. However, I felt that the flashback revealing this was a complete pace-breaker that slowed the tension to a near halt. It worked perfectly as a revelation, and kept the mystery... well, a mystery, but there might've been a better way to work it into the story.
Anyway, none of that matters, because the art style was enough to captivate me. The constant animation between frames and the almost crayon-esque rendering was a unique choice that kept my attention the whole way through. It must've taken hours upon hours to make the game look as good as it does, and the effort definitely shows. The chase sequences, in particular, are a highlight due to just how complicated they are and the fact that they were all done within a month's time. It's extremely impressive.
Overall, a very pleasant experience.