Gaming

Pyre review: A slam dunk in story and splendor

Published

August 3, 2017

Joseph Berida

Sports ignite people. We map stories to players’ careers. We label rival athletes facing off as heroes and villains. We cry when the home team loses a deciding playoff match. We rejoice when they finally win championship gold.

Pyre sets out to spark that real human passion in its fantastical basketball/visual novel combo.

Entrancing aesthetics

Supergiant Games, the creative studio behind Pyre, is known for its sensuous, painterly art direction. The developers do not disappoint, as one look at the screenshots should make clear. Vibrant blues and reds blend in soft brush strokes and end in thick lines in the lovingly detailed player portraits. Neon greens, yellows, and purples contrast strikingly to form surreal panoramic landscapes littered with titanic alien skeletal remains.

The character designs feel familiar yet fresh; towering horned demons and alluring harpies get mixed in with armored worm-knights and small, scrappy dog men. These creatures spring to life like in classic hand-drawn Western animation, their frames moving with the conviction of the weight they carry. Tiny imps dart about manically, savages soar with wild grace, and the sentient trees lumber as if they own the earth.

These animations playing out in the Rites, which is what Pyre formally calls its magical 3v3 sport, is a dazzling display of balletic athletics.

Darren Korb’s zydeco-electronica fusion soundtrack ramps up the tension in every contest, brings things down to a wistful melancholic chill on the road in between matches, and rouses the spirits with folksy ballads alongside soulful vocal talent Ashley Barrett.

Fantasy basketball for freedom

In-universe, you are the Reader. You have been exiled to the Downside, a desolate no man’s land, for the crime of literacy. Reading is strictly forbidden in the Commonwealth, the nation where you came from. The only way back to civilization is through winning the Rites, as the purity of performance in this divine tradition pardons victors of all their sins.

In the Rites, two teams of three players fight over control of a celestial orb, with the goal of dousing the opposing force’s pyre. This is accomplished by plunging the orb into the pyre repeatedly until its flames are snuffed. Points signify the strength of the pyre, dwindling every time the orb is thrown into it. Once the points are reduced to zero, the match ends.

As the Reader, you act as coach to the Nightwings, once hailed as the ultimate test for other teams to prove their worth, but have now just returned as a ragtag band of misfits, eager as any of the exiles to earn freedom.

Increasing complexity in competition

In-game, you take direct control of the Nightwings, maneuvering one player at a time. The mechanics are easy to understand upfront for a somewhat novel take on basketball, and the control scheme feels natural given the one-player limitation. However, the variations in character abilities, statistics, and equippable items make matches more intricate and even overwhelming when the difficulty spikes.

You might find yourself cruising through the early battles, as the AI players are content to watch you zip across the field, sail over their heads, and slam dunk that orb into their pyre. I certainly did, especially with immediate access to the speedier characters that can run past enemies with ease. It didn’t take too long for me to start experiencing more intense competition, though, eventually resulting in losses where my opponents choked my offense and danced all over my defense.

And this is where the unique beauty of Pyre shines through.

There is no game over

Win or lose in the Rites, the plot keeps moving. Remember that everyone in the Downside is an exile and yearns for liberty, too. So when your adversaries triumph, their own personal narratives advance in step with the Nightwings’ journey. And while a majority of the teams you face are headed by unrepentant evildoers, there are a couple of genuinely good people also vying for liberation.

When you learn how the aged cur Dalbert Oldheart was unfairly banished from the Commonwealth, losing doesn’t sound so bad if this kind old critter goes free. You can be victorious next time, and without a guilty conscience, dunk on Witch Udmildhe and her bog crones who wish to unleash the malevolent Yslach Astral-Born on the world.

Not that winning doesn’t come with its own price either. When you win and let a team member go back to the Commonwealth, you let that team member go for good. In addition, you can only choose from the three characters you’ve used in matches the most. This means you’re constantly losing the players you’re most accustomed to when you keep winning.

MVPs, one and all

Thankfully, every individual you recruit into the Nightwings is a standout, both in how they play in the Rites and how their own story arcs develop and overlap with the rest of the colorful cast. Pamitha, the sassy harpy, cuts across the field with winged fury, but relents at the immediate sight of her sister out of guilt. The pale white, blue-eyed blonde demon Jodariel cuts an imposing figure with her steely stare and twisted horns, and she commands the court with her presence. Yet, past her stoicism lies warm, motherly instincts.

Pyre introduces such outcasts with complicated backgrounds at a reasonably rapid clip, and when you’ve assembled the entire crew, revelations are dropped at an even pace to keep you driving forward to see where the plot goes.

And before I forget, most of the interactions with the characters and the world at large is through the visual novel format of still portraits and lots of text interspersed with choices. Voice acting (save for one particular role which has to be heard to be believed) is limited to mumblings in a made-up language. It’s charming in how distinct the delivery is, and I never noticed a single canned soundbite.

Consuming, fiery storytelling

Yet this static presentation never left me bored or buttoning through dialogue. I basically marathoned 10 hours on my first session, and reached the very end on my second five-hour sitdown with the game. Despite the archetypes that make up the cast, the authenticity in characterization made me love each of the Nightwings.

I laughed at Rukey Greentail’s boasts landing his furry tail in hot water. I was in awe of Sir Gilman’s boisterous determination. I pondered on Volfred Sandalwood’s notions of true independence. I was gutted over Hedwyn’s broken promise. I agonized over every choice as to which of them I would anoint for freedom.

I will be replaying Pyre. I want to learn more about those I let go early, fight even harder, and just make better decisions to see how all the Nightwings deal with the burden of losing comrades and gaining liberty in a land of oppression. I will cast myself once more into the fires of competition for their sake, because Pyre made me believe their bonds are worth burning for.

[irp posts=”16566″ name=”7 must-play re-released video games in HD”]

Gaming

The best Tokyo tour package that is Forza Horizon 6

Discover Japan like a first time traveller

Published

May 14, 2026

Gab Orlina

Ever wanted to visit Japan despite an ongoing fuel crisis crippling your total travel budget? Have you ever wanted to visit iconic tourist destinations like Shibuya Crossing or Mt. Fuji? Did you ever have dreams of becoming the drift king like in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift? Well, we have good news for you!

On May 19, you’ll be able to do all three of these things as Playground Games will finally release Forza Horizon 6 across all platforms. From an overall lens, the game is slated to build off the incredible features the franchise is best known for, now in a totally different side of the world. Experience a unique kind of car culture only famously featured within popular movie franchises, while also exploring another side to Tokyo reimagined for both new and returning players to the series.

So come, take advantage of this once in a lifetime tour package, complete with the following amenities suited to hopefully make the trip to Tokyo worth it!

Sight-seeing, your way

Forza Horizon 6 features a highly populated simulation of Tokyo with tons of activities to do, sights to see, and Horizon events to satisfy your thirst for action. From street racing to experiencing the hustle and bustle of food deliveries, Playground Games wasted no time in nailing most aspects of Japan’s culture. Of course, that also includes popular tourist attractions like Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge.

I mentioned in the early preview that the developers divided all of Tokyo into different sections with their own checklists on what to do and things to collect. When looking at the full game, this list is actually a lot more expansive and comes with its own scorecard for exploration called Discover Japan. It’s similar to your Horizon Events progression, right down to the tasks and rewards so the experience wouldn’t be too unfamiliar.

SEE MORE: Forza Horizon 6 already hits the mark

All of these are within your control and pace as you progress deeper into the Horizon Events, with more areas and activities to explore the further along you are. Honestly, it ends up that you’ll accomplish these things fluidly given the amount of driving you’ll be doing so plan your itinerary ahead!

Reimagining Japanese car culture

Speaking of those Horizon Events, the staple of the entire Forza Horizon franchise once again features a unique blend of racing that is authentic to the place it represents. In the case of Japan, that’s basically all the types of races you’ve already seen in most Fast and the Furious movies, especially Tokyo Drift. And yes, you will have access to a plethora of cars that you can finetune to your liking for the best performance in all the races.

Much like in previous games, there are also pockets of events called Stories that venture into specific aspects of Japanese car culture through the lens of the characters in-game. From day-trips to learning how to be a DK or “drift king,” these were designed not only to help with game progression but to expose a culture to those who are only hearing about it now. Also, some of the events can be quite challenging even for returning and experienced players.

This even extends into multiplayer features and Horizon Stunt Events that allows you to show off your skills and your car collection. Adding in car meets within major POIs on the map was a nice touch in incorporating multiplayer activities beyond the normal racing route. Also, they added the actual Daikoku Car Meet space as a staple to this aspect of Japanese car culture!

Is this your GamingMatch?

In a nutshell, Forza Horizon 6 remains true to its roots, enabling it to bring out the best of Japan in more ways imaginable. Playground Games knew what worked from every other game in the franchise and decided to double down for the better, from mechanics to the improvements. While it had already hit the mark from the preview alone, expanding it further truly made it an exciting release to watch out for.

For a game that simply offers a more casual racing experience and pushes the car collect-a-thon a lot more, it is completely decked out with activities galore. Even with some of them feeling repetitive at times, every Horizon event and mode felt just as addictive and unique to play no matter how you want to play them. It’s a formula that encourages experimentation and enables car mastery that is easy to digest, no matter the experience level – and we’re all for it.

This truly feels like an instant Swipe Right for all intents and purposes, and definitely a must-try for anyone who plans to visit or return to Japan for a quick vacation or two. Assuming, of course, that the oil crisis will finally end by then.

Gaming

The Steam Controller literally screams when you throw it

Please throw it at padded surfaces only.

Published

May 14, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

We love harmless Easter eggs. Think of Chrome’s jumping dino or Android’s yearly quirk. It’s always fun when a device or app hides a special surprise for those in the know. Today, Valve is keeping the tradition alive by putting a screaming Easter egg in its new Steam Controller.

The first of its trio of new hardware, the Steam Controller converts the iconic layout of the Steam Deck into controller form. Besides offering an accessible controller, it also connects seamlessly to Steam, offering an easy doorway to plug and, literally, play.

Since it launched on May 4, users have already been playing around with their Steam Controllers. Presumably, this also includes a few rage moments that involve throwing the controller over a frustrating game.

If you threw your controller already, you might have heard an interesting surprise. As spotted by users online, the Steam Controller lets out a Wilhelm scream whenever it’s thrown.

For the unaware, the Wilhelm scream is the world’s most iconic scream. If you’ve watched a few movies, there’s a high chance that you’ve heard it before, as it’s often used as a background scream in many, many movies.

Notably, this has a cooldown of approximately one minute, so you can’t spam it over and over again. This also works on padded surfaces, so you don’t need to throw your controller at a hard wall. It’s just one of those nice Easter eggs that add a little spice to a favorite controller.

All that said, please don’t throw your Steam Controller at hard surfaces.

Gaming

Assassin’s Creed Hexe leak reveals the return of a major character

Is Ezio Auditore coming back?

Published

May 14, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Undoubtedly, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is the most hype that the franchise has enjoyed in a while now. A lot of gamers are excited to replay one of the most prolific entries in the vast history-hopping series. But Black Flag isn’t the only entry getting some eyeballs. The mysterious Codename Hexe is also getting some love, and we might finally have some more information about the game, thanks to a new leak.

In 2022, Ubisoft teased Codename Hexe as a darker entry in the franchise. Four years later, the game is still shrouded in mystery. Today, a leaker (@xj0nathan on X) has shared some interesting details about the game.

For one, the game will reportedly be set during the Wurzburg Witch Trials in the 17^th century, confirming earlier rumors that the setting would be dark one. Adding to that, Codename Hexe might have most of its gameplay in forest biomes, using a lot of trees to parkour around.

The return of an icon

Confirming rumors is just a tiny part of the leak. The more interesting bit is the alleged return of the franchise’s most beloved character: Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Ezio has not been seen in an Assassin’s Creed game in over a decade. His story concluded in Revelations (with a neat epilogue in a short film called Assassin’s Creed: Embers).

In Codename Hexe, the iconic assassin will reportedly return to mentor the game’s protagonist named Anika. Currently, it’s unclear how he appears in the game’s setting. Some rumors hint that Isu technology might be involved.

Finally, the leak concludes with a blurry photo. Unfortunately, Ubisoft has been taking down reposts of the photo, so we won’t include it here. The original leaker himself took it down as well. It can, however, be described as a female assassin trudging through a dark forest with creepy lights in the background. It doesn’t reveal a lot of details, but it’s substantial enough to warrant takedowns.