Sporting a beautiful anime-inspired style, an eclectic soundtrack, a unique way of story telling and isometric hack-and-slash action, Bastion is the kind of game that a lot of the core-type players would be definitely keep an eye out for. And it has some pretty good ideas, some good structures and does enough to show that Supergiant Games have a lot going for them. Had it not been for some nagging inconsistencies and unfulfilled ambitions, players would have had an undeniable gem on their hands. As it stands though, it’s still pretty good…
Story plays a pretty big role in Bastion, as it’s probably got the most expository and involving of any game recently released, and the most striking aspect of it is the delivery. It starts off simply enough, where you take control of ‘the Kid’, having woken up in a derelict building. Surrounded by the remnants of ‘The Calamity’, an event that seems to have brought about the end of the world, the Kid’s first job is to make it to the ‘Bastion’ – the supposed safe haven and meeting place following the Calamity. Upon arrival though, the Bastion is not even close to complete. So the Kid is sent off by an elderly gentleman (also the narrator) to find ‘cores’, which will be used to help rebuild the Bastion, and possibly find some survivors along the way…
"He gets up..."
The story starts off slow, but gradually branches into a sprawling tale around two waring races and the devastating consequences of the intolerances between the two, mixed with the steps taken to rebuild and rectify the mistakes of the past. And it’s all entirely driven by the narrator, whose involvement makes him more a commentator. The narrator will be at just about every turn; every time you discover a new weapon, a new enemy, something new, you’ll get the history behind it. Through the quiet periods, you’ll get the backgrounds of the story or the situations. Even at times when you’ve just been beaten down by enemies, you’ll get a comment that might have a subtle tip. It’s slow-burning, yet surprisingly accurate, well applied and manages to avoid repetition. While the narrator comes off well applied, the overall story is very heavy-handed and difficult to follow. Most will probably get the gist of it, and the ‘ending’ is satisfying and interesting enough, but there are often huge gaps when the ‘commentary’ tries to be too poetic and doesn’t always meld with the context.
Outside of the story and its delivery, the art style is beautifully distinctive and intricately detailed, while the animations are some of the best and detailed on the arcade and players will likely be wandering through the variety of environments in total awe. Adopting the hand drawn style certainly puts Bastion up with the best, if purely considered on its art style. The narrator’s voice is incredibly smooth, and every single one of his lines (and there are a lot) are delivered with aplomb, even if the voice doesn’t quite match the character. To complement the art style, is a soundtrack that is clearly compiled through a lot of emotion and talent. It sits solemnly in the background, with a couple of stand out tracks at important moments, and overall, sound is used to very good effect.
You could smash your way out?
Bastion spends a lot of its early time with a mix of introductions and allowing players to figure things out for themselves. The good ideas don’t start to shine though until you’re completely let off the training wheels though. An isometric hack-and-slash, there is a balance between surviving the treacherous paths through each level (often as it appears under you) and gaining gems through both skillful means and brute force. You’re blessed with a mix of ranged weapons, such as guns and bows, and melee weapons, such as a hammer and machete. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages, as well as an interesting scope for upgrading. There are up to five levels of upgrades for each weapon, purchased with gems, though each level has two options. Once purchased, you can flip between either option any time you’re at the forgery. Given your situation or play style, you can choose the appropriate mix if you’ve collected enough gems.
While there is some scope for exploration and discovery, the levels are a fairly straight forward affair, which can be blasted through quite quickly. However, this actually works pretty well for an arcade game, as you can get through levels at a satisfying pace, even if you don’t have a lot of time. That said, blasting through without stopping to smell the roses will leave players missing out on a lot. The best parts of Bastion include the Proving Grounds, the ‘Who Knows Where’ sequences and the whole aspect of tinkering with your weapons and abilities. Levelling up opens up slots for potions, which will modify and/enhance your character, leaving open a lot of different combinations. This tinkering includes some of the challenges issued through out the game and the ability to ‘Invoke the Gods’ to make the game more challenging, in exchange for more experience points. Overall, it’s clear that there has been a lot of consideration and acute design put into challenging the player to explore the game.
That's a long way down...
Almost everything comes together to form an enjoyable package that will be rewarding to those who are inquisitive and explore the possibilities. Let downs come in the form of an inconsistent level of design and challenge, particularly in the Proving Grounds, where some are very easy and others remarkably tough. But still, they all have ‘a way’. However, the ambition in the design is too easy to exploit, which exposes a false depth. It’s simply too easy blast through the game without giving too much thought into your weapon and ability combinations. It may be admirable that the game tries to allow players to make the choice, but at the same time, it doesn’t quite get to a level where it forces players to reflect what really is the best combination or weapons or abilities. You could probably complete Bastion in around six or so hours – which is still plenty long for an arcade title, but you’ll get so much more out of it if you take your time.
Bastion is an admirable title with a lot of great aspects going for it. It takes a bold and refreshing approach from the aesthetics and presentation, while presenting players with some interesting gameplay ideas. It’s a game that will reward you for being inquisitive and taking the time to see what’s on offer. While quite solemn and contemplative, the story is probably too heavy handed and convoluted in the middle, while the ambitious possibilities in the gameplay aren’t always backed up by what’s required of the player. Still, there is enough here to warrant a look in, despite the recent proliferation of isometric slashers. Heck, looking and listening will be enough for some…
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