Pyrene is a roguelike deckbuilding game, each and every choice you make can and will affect how that specific run plays out. Luckily there’s a whole array of relics and enchantments to give you a one up against the forces of evil. Based on the mythos of the Basque pantheon, which is a first for video games, you’ll meet characters, monsters and gods from the pantheon itself. Hadetta and Mamarro are just some of the legends you’ll meet who will aid you in your journey to defeat the evil demon Herensuge.
During our time with the demo there were only 2 available characters to play as and they were both very different. Atanaia, the village hunter, who’s basic deck comes with powerful heals and a strong bow. Atanaia’s deck allowed you to weaken larger enemies from a safe distance before attempting to move in and finish them off. Akohan and his partner Zoe were also available and they played very differently. Instead of being a single force to be reckoned with you play as both characters at once, adding another level of strategy and potential synergies to your deck building and relic collection. If Akohan loses his dear Zoe, all incoming damage towards him is doubled, meaning it’s important to keep his companion alive.
The game is built for replayability. A whole range of cards, relics, biomes and spells will keep you coming back for more. With the additional characters that will be included in the full game, Pyrene is likely to keep you occupied for a while.
The relics and card combinations are truly amazing. There are some downright crazy synergies possible and this is where Pyrene really excelled. Obtaining the right relics, or upgrading a card until you become unstoppable is where the game really shone. Some of the myths and legends from the Basque mythos will become familiar faces during your runs. Some will act at traders, selling cards or relics. Others however will act as potential enhancers, they exist to buff cards, adding special effects or just flat out increasing the damage or healing provided by cards -presuming you can afford their services that is.
The various biomes within Pyrene also add to the strategies in play for both you and the monsters you’re facing. They come with their own different workings and rules meaning you’ll have to adapt on the fly or attempt to plan for any situation that may arise. As you progress the game adds slight modifiers, this may change the goal required to clear the level or maybe even add a stronger monster that must be defeated before you advance.
Potentially due to the bright colour scheme and rather inviting visuals, Pyrene hit hard during our initial runs. As you’re rewarded for defeating more monsters as you progress through the game, the familiar feeling of just scraping by felt all too familiar. That is until you reach the point of obtaining the right card, spell or relic to really kick start your battle against evil. Needless to say we’re excited for the full release of Pyrene and have already got it added on our wishlist.
The demo is available from today, so head over to Steam and check Pyrene out.
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