__ of the Year: Bawlzy Edition (2)
Today I am going to cover one of the most difficult categories in 2017, ‘Best Indie Game.’ This year, players were treated to a plethora of fantastic indie and visionary games. Looking at the nominees on TGA (thegameawards.com) website, this statement holds more true. Making the decision to choose just one of these excellent titles is near impossible, so for this article there are actually two winners!
= = Night in the Woods = =
Night in the Woods is one of the biggest surprise titles this year. Not necessarily due to looking bad and being great, rather, looking cute and being oppressively dark. The art style features bright colors, playful Halloween and autumnal environments, and adorable cartoon animals. The music further emphasizes this whimsical and relaxed atmosphere through most of the game, until it finally turns eerie and terrifying. The story of Night in the Woods ended up being more relatable than expected and “too real” for many players.
Note, this is not to a fault; in fact this is what ended up capturing the hearts of so many people. The basic premise is that of a college student who ends up returning to her hometown after dropping out of school. She comes back to find people have moved on, matured, evolved, and she is still in many ways, a child. Many of the characters you meet, players will either relate to, or have that friend who they’re reminded of. In one scene the main character gets into a fight with her mother, and that one scene had streamers stopping and realizing that they have been there, said those things, and cried those tears in their own life story.
The over arching story outside of the events, is also a murder mystery which ends in something truly phenomenal and special. The best comparison that can be made to this is that of a coming-of-age biography mixed with an episode of Scooby Doo. Beginning to end, the game grabs at your heartstrings and pulls you into your own memories and experiences in one way or another. Very few games this year left players in tears and simultaneously in smiles, like Night in the Woods did. It truly is one of a kind.
On the topic of surprises, indie Developers ‘Supergiant’ (known for hit games such as Transistor and Bastion), delivered a unique experience within a well fleshed-out RPG. Packed full of: lore and excellent narrative, choices that make each playthrough unique for each player, is all bundled within an esport-style combat experience, and makes Pyre not only fresh to the scene but also fun as hell.
A couple things have to be noted that also makes Pyre so brilliant. The artwork and visuals are worthy of being displayed in an art gallery. Many people including myself proudly display posters and cover art of the game. The music, composed by Darren Korb is emotional while also transcending multiple genre’s of modern day music. The characters themselves are written with such personality and diversity that all players will find their ‘favorite and least favorite,’ and that decision has weight as you progress towards the halfway point of the game and onward.
The most unique facet of the game however, is the team-based esport-style combat. It revolves around three characters at once trying to out maneuver the other team of three (sometimes more) during what is called a Rite. The objective is simply to dunk an orb into the opposing teams’ pyre. This game is done multiple times and eventually gives the winning team the option for one of their teammates to leave exile (the player makes this choice), while the entire losing team must start over and work back to the top again. Each character during the Rite has special abilities that give them their own edge, along with other passive traits that all characters share in different capacities (speed, damage to the pyre, etc). All of these traits and abilities can be evolved, leveled up, and leaves it up to the player to grow the team to their own playstyle.
This idea of diversity, is what makes Pyre so great. No player will have the same playthrough, and no player will ever ‘get good’ at the game due to built-in story and progression mechanics (which will not be explained due to spoilers). Even though the primary objective and “end-game” is the same for everybody, Pyre focuses on your journey to the top and to salvation. Once you reach the end it’s great, but the spiritual and emotional steps taken to get there, all built on player choice, makes Pyre shine brighter than most.
Overall, both of these games to me were standouts from the year. They presented visuals and mechanics along with compelling narratives and characters, that will stick with me on a personal level for my entire life. It’s only fair that both Pyre and Night in the Woods get the title of Best Indie Games of 2017. With all of the Indie games players were treated to in 2017, it’s with great joy that I look forward to the Indie games releasing in 2018.
