Speaking Easy - Supergiant Never Misses

(By Melody Werner)

For the past decade, Supergiant Games has made an incredibly strong argument that they are the greatest video game development studio of the moment. The team behind Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades--whenever they release a new title, it is sure to top the end of year lists of many indie gaming enthusiasts. For good reason.

They are the complete package; every game is gorgeous, carrying a flair that is distinctly "Supergiant", while having their own takes on that signature style. They take these enchanting, bustling sci-fi/fantasy worlds and present them so artfully and accessibly that they've got something worth loving, whether you're a pretentious snob, an admirer of fun gameplay or brilliantly told tales, or all of that. It's like each game is a genre novel that appeals to the arthouse readers and those who are seeking out a fun romp. And yet, for as reliable as they may be, they never rest on their laurels. If you follow their output religiously, there is plenty that will be familiar in every game: exceptional music by Darren Korb and the outstandingly underrated, ethereal, lispy, and majestic Ashley Lynn Barrett (without a doubt, one of the best singers alive, who would blow the world away if she did her own singer-songwriter LP) that's so good you gotta listen to it even if you're not into the games it all comes from, other names that don't vary so much, a sense that it's all handcrafted with love and peerless design, complex storytelling, and iconic characters. But you will also get an entirely unique experience. Bastion is an action-RPG set in a beautiful post-apocalypse full of childlike wonder. Transistor is an ARPG too, but you can stop time and flambée foes tactically. It also has a talking sword, mesmerizing cyberpunk art deco aesthetic--and the biggest contribution of Ashley Barrett, making it their definitive best game (unless there's a game with more of her in it coming down the pipe). Pyre at first looks like it's another ARPG, when it's actually a sports game/role-playing visual novel with addictive gameplay, visually stunning fire, and a storyline which sees you slowly sacrificing your ability to use your favorite characters that you invest your most time into, so that they can plot out a revolution. Hades (their latest masterpiece) is an action roguelite with a heavy visual novel side, the best Ashley Barrett track so far in the stunning "Good Riddance (Eurydice Solo)", hot Greek gods who actually respect the very idea of consent (but are still assholes, because they are the Greek Pantheon), and even some dating sim elements (though, no, you cannot bone any of the Olympian gods. Bad idea).

Supergiant has a finely polished, visionary sensibility that makes its sensational gameplay, emotional stories, and great sense of humor something that never ceases to revitalize genres that may sound played out. Roguelites are one in a million, and yet Hades has won the admiration of everyone, even those who are typically put off by the infamous difficulty of roguelites. Mainstream sports games are just the same annual trash with a new roster each installment, and yet Pyre is impossibly thrilling as you plunge yourself into the titular enemy pyre. Diablo-likes are a dime a dozen, but Transistor and Bastion showed that you don't have to copy Diablo or Torchlight beat for beat to succeed in that genre. Supergiant is a tonic for the uroborus that the AAA industry will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Who needs 'em? What we do need is another Supergiant game that has wall-to-wall ballads with Ashley Lynn Barrett. :P