Bastion Review

Every once in a while, a special sort of video game comes along that manages to blend gameplay and story so perfectly, so seamlessly, that they become one and the same. These games are very rare, though they are slowly growing more common every year. Last year, Supergiant Games released Bastion onto X-Box Live ARcade and Steam as a shining example of this sort of game, which is more experienced then it is played. Alone, Bastion’s separate elements are good, but not groundbreaking; combined, however, it creates a breathtakingly unique game that can be played twenty times over without becoming bored.

Bastion’s gameplay is very solid, though the controls take a bit of getting used to if you’re playing on a PC. The games difficulty curve is pretty forgiving early on, though, so you’ll have time to get your bearings. Bastion is an isometric action-RPG in the hack-and-slash style, in which you guide the Kid through a level composed of floating, rocky islands and pathways suspended in the sky. The Kid may carry two different weapons at any time, as well as a single special attack, three black tonics which fuel the special attacks, and three health tonics for healing. The weapons are brilliant; each one is highly unique, and you never get a weapon that just feels like a better version of the one you had. It’s perfectly possible to beat the entire game with the first two weapons you receive, if you like, and many players find they like one or more of some the games earliest weapons more then the ones received later. Weapons also each have a unique list of ten different upgrades listed in groups of two; you have to choose which of each pair you want to use upon each upgrade, but you can switch between the two choices at no cost, allowing for maximum flexibility.

Speaking of customization, there’s several other ways to customize your gameplay. There’s the Distillery, a building in which you can select your Spirit loadout. Spirits are alcoholic beverages with beneficial qualities, and you can assign them like perks to provide passive bonuses to the Kid. You start with only one slot for Spirits, and very few to choose from, but each time you level up, you open another slot in which to place a spirit from your ever-growing collection. The game also contains a Shrine, in which you can invoke one of ten gods to increase the game’s difficulty in their own, unique way. In return, the god in question grants you a percentage bonus to the EXP and currency you earn. Invoking gods is best done on your second play-through, to make your second run more exciting.

In all, Bastion’s gameplay is very solid, if not especially groundbreaking. It’s a simple, fun formula that rarely gets boring, and it has plenty of room to customize your experience. The levels consist mostly of finding glowing rocks known as Cores and Shards, after which you make your way to the exit and return to the Bastion, which serves as your hub and the home of many useful buildings, including the Distillery and Shrine, as well as the Forge for upgrading weapons, the Arsenal for selecting your weapon loadout, the Lost and Found which functions as a shop, and the Memorial where you can complete achievements in return for substantial amounts of the game’s currency. It’s all very nice and polished, but the real draw of the game is its story – or, more accurately, the story-telling.

Bastion’s story is, on the surface, fairly simple. The world has been more else torn apart by a mysterious event known as The Calamity. Players guide the nameless, voiceless hero known only as The Kid through a shattered world, fending off monsters and wild animals in an attempt to track down Cores and Shards, which are used to power the Bastion. The Bastion is a safe haven for the few remaining survivors, and the only hope for restoring the world. The story deepens as the game progresses, revealing the Calamity’s origins and the secrets of various characters, but the best part of the story is how it’s given to the player. Bastion disregards cutscenes or walls of text; instead, it’s portrayed as a story, being told by the narrator and major NPC Rucks. Rucks narrates the entire game as you play, doling out the plot, background information, world lore, and gameplay advice in easily-digestible chunks, always feeling as though it’s a natural progression of the story and never just forcing information down your throat. Rucks’ has a brilliant voice, sounding like an old man from an old western movie, and his unique narration makes the game worth playing all on its own. He delivers both scripted plot information and dynamic comments, giving advice and remarking on your progress and actions. He’s also an important part of the games plot and emotionally invested in the Bastion, giving us an insider’s view on what the world of Bastion is like.

Rucks’ narration is supplemented by outstanding music and gorgeous visuals. Every level has a distinct background theme that helps promote an appropriate atmosphere, such as the slow, moody music for the creepy Jawson’s Bog, or the fast-paced tune for the constantly-moving Grand Rail. There’s also a few fully-voiced songs, each sung by a different character – a funeral song sung by the tragic scholar Zulf; a slow, soothing melody from a young girl named Zia; and an angry song about gods and their uselessness by Rucks himself. I normally don’t care for videogame background music, but I went and purchased the Bastion soundtrack and listen to it on my iPod constantly. Accompanying the incredible music are the dream-like graphics, which have a hand-painted, fairy tale feel to them. The scenery literally builds itself around you, which not only leads you along the level’s path but aids the theme of rebuilding and repairing the world. The enemies are all highly unique, and while you’ll sometimes get monsters that are members of the same or a related species, no monster is ever recycled. You’ll never encounter a new monster that’s the same as an old one, only colored red. This influx of new monsters makes every section feel distinct and unique – there’s a definite difference between the Windbags and Security Turrets within the City levels and the Pincushions, Lunkheads and Peckers found in the Wilds.

If I had to describe Bastion in one word, it would be ‘unique’. Nothing is recycled or reused, not from other games and not within its own world. Everything is fresh and new, even if you played it several times already thanks to using the Shrine to alter the gameplay. Listening to Rucks’ narration never gets boring, even if you already know his entire dialogue by heart; even if you’ve played three times already, he’s bound to say something you haven’t heard before. He even mentions a sense of deja-vu after your first play-through, and mentions it more frequently throughout the game each time you play. The visuals never cease to be stunning, the music is always amazing, and the gameplay never gets any less solid. If the game has a failing, it’s in the mildly difficult controls and short length; but the controls can be modified at will, and the replay value is high enough to keep you playing long after you’ve won. In summary… why are you still reading this? Go get the game already! It’s worth it.

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