Pyro is a game concept by Captain Chaos, a Metroidvania loosely in the style of Darksiders, but minus the supernatural elements and with more Action Survivor flavor.
It's Next Sunday A.D. in the depressingly average coastal city of Holbrook. Donovan "Donnie" Montag is a pyrotechnician for a B-movie studio. He enjoys his job (some would say to a concerning degree), but doesn't like people very much. Still, the pay is good, and the smokes and breakfast cereal he gets with it are better.
Unfortunately for his cereal, but largely favoring his disposition, Holbrook has acquired a rather severe case of The Virus. This one is a particularly virulent and nasty Hate Plague, and turns it's victims into violent, psychotic mutants. Said mutants come pouring into his studio and things get real. Some people might die horribly in this situation. Donnie is not one of those people. He grabs a conveniently-placed fire axe and hacks his way to survival.
The player would then guide Donnie through the remains of his city, fighting off mutants, finding useful gear, and searching for a way to escape and find his way to where his aging parents and teenage brother live.
Pyro would provide examples of:
- Cool Car: The Monster, a heavily modified Chevrolet El Camino. Among other things, it would eventually feature a mutant-mashing dozer blade and large fuel tanks in the back for extended travel- not to mention a mounted flamethrower.
- Cute and Psycho: Millie Faber, a charming young woman who happens to suffer from murderous mood swings and has been institutionalized for most of her life. Her cute side enjoys light romance novels and painting. The psycho side is capable of using almost anything as gruesomely effective weapon. The Virus wiped out her hospital's staff and set her loose on the world.
- Deadpan Snarker: Montag.
- Double Jump: Montag would gain the ability to do this via a Jet Pack MacGyvered out of a fire extinguisher.
- Doesn't Like Guns: Though it's really just a question of preferring fire.
- Doomed Hometown: An early stop would be to Montag's apartment. Naturally, it winds up burning to the ground.
- Fire-Breathing Weapon: Montag's trusty flamethrower, which he obtains partway into the game. Before that, he makes do with an Aerosol Flamethrower.
- Improvised Weapon: There's a lot of this going on. Most notably, Montag makes use of fireworks and bottle rockets in much the same way as Samus Aran uses actual missiles.
- The Immune: The Virus is airborne, but Donnie's smoke-affected lungs render him immune to it. Millie technically has it, but is already half-batshit insane anyway and doesn't suffer the mutagenic effects.
- Kill It with Fire: The Game.
- Love Interest: Millie. Optionally, and potentially hazardous.
- MacGyvering: Montag, in addition to being good at setting things on fire, is also a fair hand with explosives and mechanical components. He would use components the player finds in the game world to machine up exactly the sort of bits you'd need in a Metroidvania: a Jet Pack, a Grappling-Hook Pistol, a Magic Tool for opening doors and fixing his car, and the like. Not to mention nastier weapons.
- Molotov Cocktail: Of course. These are the first thrown weapons Montag acquires, though he begins the game with his beloved cherry bombs.
- Pyromaniac: He's been in therapy for it, but all these mutants running around makes it kind of hard for him to practice his breathing exercises.Montag: The doc would tell me that burying an axe in somebody's face isn't a "socially appropriate outlet for frustration."
- Required Secondary Powers: Montag wears a fire-retardant suit and gloves.
- Smoking Is Cool: Montag. Mostly since he can use it as a weapon: pour some gas on something, and then toss the cigarette. Hilarity Ensues.
