Bastion

Game Info

Supergiant Games, developer of the mighty fine Transistor, put out a kick ass game called Bastion way back in 2011 on the X-Box 360, PC, Mac, and IOS. It was one of my favorite games that came out during that year after initially scoffing at the $15 tag. Unfortunately it never saw the shores of a Sony system until the recent Spring promotion on PS4. For gamers that haven’t been able to play this colorful isometric action RPG, you’re in for a treat. Beautifully presented with a world that builds itself around you, music that stays in your head, and a narrator that gives your character snappy play-by-play even when you embarrass yourself falling off the edge of the world. Bastion is one of those games that makes me remember why I love playing videogames.

In Bastion you play as The Kid, and the game is narrated by a strange old man as he tasks you with helping him rebuild the world after The Calamity. You’ll do that by obtaining cores from the different levels and using them back in your home area. You are able to restore the area in any order you see fit, and the game will reward you with goodies for your travels after unlocking specific shops. The balance of gameplay and story here is superb since much of the exposition is done on the fly as you’re playing. The story may not have a lot to sink your teeth into but it is well done and handled with panache.

The combat of Bastion is not overly deep or complex but makes up for it with direct mechanics that are easy to learn and a lot of fun to experiment with. The combat is a quick isometric action RPG similar to a Legends of Mana game with a little bit of Zelda mixed in. You’re given 2 equipment slots for you to give The Kid options for his tools of destruction. Picking and choosing from range and melee combat offers The Kid a solid arsenal to mix it up with the horde. There are also stat bonuses that you unlock to go along with upgrading the weapons themselves. I found it very rewarding since here is where the simplicity of the combat meets the fun of the experimentation. Having my version of The Kid switch back and forth from Gunner to Brute to Jack of all Trades is still something I like doing almost 4 years after originally playing it. There is also the special ability that you equip and can only be used a specific amount of time represented by “black tonics” which The Kid can access more of by finding them on vanquished foes or in the environment.

I’m going to assume you’ve seen the screen shots and possibly the video that’s been embedded in the review here. I don’t feel I can add all that much more on the visuals than to say that I love it and I would gladly play more games that look like this. The sound design, narration, and music are special, especially when you consider this is a pesky 7 person operation. While the music doesn’t reach the heights of say Journey, it does add a ton to the atmosphere and even won awards back in the day for it’s efforts.

If all this wasn’t enough for you to pull the trigger on the greatness that is Bastion, the game also offers a New Game + where you can restart the game with all your previous weapons, experience, and lets you remake Bastion. The other feature I enjoyed was the Proving Grounds. Here, you’ll battle for prizes and different trials based off of what weapon you choose. There are tiers for you go after depending on how well you do in them. There’s also the Who Knows Where, giving the narrator a time to shine as he gives back stories as you battle enemies during the exposition.

Bastion is worth the price of admission. If you played it 4 years ago or you’re brand new to Supergiant Games’ opening salvo into the industry you’re going to enjoy the experience. I loved revisiting this world and will gladly do so again so I can roll off the edge of the world and the narrator can give me a snarky jab. The Kid rides again.

Summary

Reviewer

Dante

Review Date

2015-05-10

Reviewed Item

Bastion

Author Rating

5