This game is for real, one of the best games I have ever played in my entire life (gamer for over 20 years now), let me tell you why.
# Art & Design
Truly beautiful! Every little detail is worked to the maximum. From a small glimmer on the characters' eyes, to the absolutely gorgeous maps. This game presents to you mini art pieces. If you like beautiful games, this is the one for you.
Absolutely stunning!
# Characters
Each character has its own backstory that, alongside other parts of the lore, are discovered by you as the game goes by. However, even before learning about the unjust causes for which they were thrown into exile, you are already connected to each one of them.
More than this, you learn how even the villains have their reasons and you end up emphasising with them.
# Lore
At each step of your quest, you unlock a few pages from The Book of Rites, learning more and more about the past and present. At each such step, it feels like a small achievement. I have read each single page of the book and I simply loved the tale of the Scribes.
Each of the 8 scribes were united together in exile and created the Rites for the seek of freedom. They gave their freedom so that other exiles could have a chance of being free. Each scribe also killed a titan. Landmarks mark the location of such feats, the same location where the Rites are conducted. Each scribe has also their own team, who fight under their respective scribe's coat of arms and values.
The most impressive thing is that the Scribes and Titans do not appear in the game, just as statues and landmarks. Despite of this, you can clearly see the history in front of you just by reading about it. Not playing the scribes story and not watching a cutscene about them do not make you feel like you are missing a part of the game.
# Playability
The gameplay is fluid and the controls are easy to grasp. If you play on normal difficulty, it will be fun, but easy. It is fast just at the right amount.
The multiple characters also introduce a nice variation to each match, changing your strategy ever so slightly. Moreover, the talents and items make a great addition to the game, making it feel like a true RPG.
# Soundtrack
I left the best for last.
The sound track makes this game a masterpiece. I do not recall a better soundtrack in all my years of gaming. At times, it seemed that Darren Korb had minutely crafted the track for my exact actions. It seemed that the soundtrack was the center of it all and everything else was built to accommodate it. I have never felt like this playing any other game before (except Guitar Hero, obviously).
The soundtrack is so good that I bought the other games (Bastion, Transistor, and Hades) just because Darren Korb is the composer for those games too. I listen to the albums while working. They're soothing and relaxing, but also uplifting. If you have read my review up to this point, stop what you are doing and listen to Pyre's soundtrack on Spotify or YouTube, you won't regret it. Listen to "Vagrant Song" right now!
The cherry on top is the credits track ("Bound Together"). I got the chills. The duo with Ashley Barrett is perfect. It tells the story of each character in such a graceful way. It's elegantly written. Seriously, it is the perfect trophy for finishing the perfect game.
Very well done, Supergiant! This is a brilliant game.