When comparing Pyre vs Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Slant community recommends Batman: Arkham Asylum for most people. In the question“What are the best singleplayer games on Steam?” Batman: Arkham Asylum is ranked 75th while Pyre is ranked 87th. The most important reason people chose Batman: Arkham Asylum is:
Arkham Asylum is the first game to bring us freeflow brawler melee combat in its full glory. It invented the combat genre where you fight a multitude of enemies who take turns attacking you, while the player has a basic attack, a parry+counter and a combat roll. Getting multiple hits in on enemies builds up a combo streak that makes batman stronger. This streak is reset by getting hit by an enemy. Other games, like Assassin's Creed, had superficially similar combat systems, but not as optimized as this and they did not feature hit/combo streaks. Arkham Asylum's freeflow combat system is very suitable to be played with controllers.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Memorable story that blends with gameplay
Pyre is a mix of a fantasy visual novel with sports gameplay that links back to the plot. The story tells the tale of the game's many exiles, characters who were sent to Pyre's version of purgatory. These exiles can only return home by conquering the Rites alongside you, the game's 3v3 sport. As the story progresses, you grow close to the characters while learning about their backstories and motivation. Once they achieve their freedom, it will be time to say goodbye. There's a sense of accomplishment from growing attached to each of your team members while helping them return back home.
Pro Compelling characters
The characters you meet across the game who join your team as exiles all have their own backgrounds, quirks and motivations, making them feel real and full of life. Jodariel, the imposing, horned blonde woman featured in many of Pyre's promotional material, is a fan-favorite with an intriguing yet tragic backstory that belies her appearance. Every character throughout the story is just as compelling and memorable, making you want to help them through the Rites and for them to return back home.
Pro Excellent music
Pyre's music is a breath of fresh air filled with rustic, down-to-earth tunes. With warm acoustic guitar melodies for story scenes and high-energy, rock-influenced tracks for the Rites, the soundtrack features a blend of different sounds that all come together nicely.
Pro Detailed artwork
Pyre's art is beautiful and well-crafted, with bright colors, great attention to detail, and character designs that reflect the exiles' roles on the playing field. Characters like Volfred Sandalwood have smart designs, with Volfred in particular designed as a commanding man who carries importance, with his bulk mirroring his role as a defensive player in the Rites.
Pro Freeflow combat pioneer
Arkham Asylum is the first game to bring us freeflow brawler melee combat in its full glory. It invented the combat genre where you fight a multitude of enemies who take turns attacking you, while the player has a basic attack, a parry+counter and a combat roll. Getting multiple hits in on enemies builds up a combo streak that makes batman stronger. This streak is reset by getting hit by an enemy. Other games, like Assassin's Creed, had superficially similar combat systems, but not as optimized as this and they did not feature hit/combo streaks. Arkham Asylum's freeflow combat system is very suitable to be played with controllers.
Pro Fun stealth & gadgets
Remaining stealthy and getting stealth takedowns is important in Arkham Asylum's gameplay. Arkham Asylum gives the player a relatively large number of different gadgets to use for different combat purposes, such as ranged takedowns, cutting ropes, diverting enemies' attention, blasting through doors, traversing longer distances and hacking.
Cons
Con Versus play is local only
Playing matches against other people is limited to local matches. The Rites have a lot of potential for a larger multiplayer mode against players around the world.
Con A lot of text
The visual novel aspect of Pyre may be a lot to deal with for some, despite the well-written story and characters. Unless you have the patience to read a lot of text, then Pyre may not be for you.
Con Too easy at times
Even playing on normal mode, Pyre's Rites may be too easy to complete for some players. Adjusting or customizing the difficulty may be necessary for those looking for a bit more of a challenge.
Con Dark atmosphere
You won't realize how many shades of black exist until you've played an Arkham game. It's always dark outside, so to people who like daylight and colors in their games, this might get a bit dull after a while.