Bastion tells the story of “the Kid”; a young child on his way to the titular Bastion, a safe haven where the citizens of the old world agreed to meet following large disasters. The debut title by independent developer Supergiant Games is an Action-RPG, the likes of which have never been seen before.
The Kid awakens on a ravaged piece of the Old World, a floating remnant of an old civilization destroyed in the aftermath of the Calamity, a catastrophic event that fractured the world into multiple pieces and ultimately led to the infestation of the Kid’s now enemies.
Following the events of the Great Calamity, it is up to you as the Kid to roll, smash and spend your way throughout numerous different environments and enemies in order to restore the Bastion to its former glory. Enemies drop shards, the world’s currency, which you can then use to purchase potions and elixirs to not only buff yourself, but to gain access to new powers, too.
Gameplay within Bastion sees platforming elements combine flawlessly with the obvious RPG roots that present themselves in the form of weapon upgrades, loot and loadout customization. It’s the type of gameplay that inspires you to keep playing in the hope that you’ll be able to complete the next level in a different way or with different weapons.
If you’re a fan of the Ocarina of Time, then Bastion will definitely bring back moments of nostalgia. Using your shield to deflect projectiles from towers throughout the levels reminded me of deflecting Deku seeds, and the simple combat was reminiscent of Zelda’s through the rolling, blocking and then striking. Although it sounds effortless, it definitely gets quite difficult when you’re surrounded by a horde of challenging foes.
In accoutrement to the in-depth and rewarding gameplay are the beautiful visuals. The graphics within Bastion could best be described as a video game version of the Mona Lisa, a perfect colour palette and striking look. Everything has a splash of watercolor and vibrancy that is refreshing at all turns and never gets old to look at. To match the stunning visuals is an equally satisfying score full of tone settings music and upbeat sound effects.
A large part of Bastion is the narrator; Rucks. Rucks is your only friend and ally throughout the lengthy campaign and he narrates your every action. Smash some boxes and he will tell you all about it. Dispatch a foe in a fancy way and he will praise you. Although it’s a small addition it really ties the whole gameplay package together in an effective manner.
Supergiant Games has created not only a game, but an experience. Once you finish Bastion you will want to restart it and play it again, and again, and again. Varying enemy difficulty, the constantly upgrading Bastion and the great weapons challenges give you hours of gameplay and enjoyment.
To put it simply, Bastion is amazing. The story could have been better but the accompanying gameplay, the visual and audio experience coupled with the huge replay value makes Bastion a must have title not only for PC, but also for the Xbox 360. From August 16th, Bastion is now available via Steam.
