Have You Played... Pyre?

I’m convinced everyone at Supergiant Games were watching old episodes of Gladiators on the ITV Hub when they were making Pyre. I get the basketball comparisons, obvs, but it reminded me so much of powerball that I couldn’t help but wonder why referee John Anderson wasn’t asking me if I was ready at the beginning of every match.

Rather than have you hacking and slashing through room after room, this RPG's combat centres on sport. Specifically, three-on-three matches on relatively small courts. The goal is simple: smash a glow-y orb into the opponents' pyre enough times that it extinguishes. But, unlike basketball, Pyreball is a contact sport, so you have to decide whether it's more beneficial to go for the ball or take out the winger that's making a run from inside for possession.

Because you only control one of your players at a time, there is strategy involved in where you place them while the game is going on. Also, the different strengths and weaknesses of your players can affect your approach greatly, too. Amazon aren't filming an eight-part docuseries on your season, so breaking out the whiteboard would probably be overkill, but I do appreciate the fact that team selection is more than simply selecting those with higher numbers next to their names.

It should be no surprise to anyone that's played any of Supergiant's games – the recent Hades included – that everything previously mentioned is on top of a story full of compelling characters and a soundtrack brimming with excellent tunes.