New enemies that appear will have stories attached, delivered in the laconic drawl. Hang back to smash up all the crates and bottles in an area and he may remark, “Kid hangs back to smash things for a spell.” Fall of the edge of the level and you’ll likely hear, “Doesn’t matter how many times he tries, the kid can’t fall far,” as you’re deposited back on the ground with a small dent in your health.Īlongside that, Rucks also describes what’s coming, and what’s happening when things get weird. Rucks, for it is he, delivers his narration on the fly. And that’s not least thanks to the narrator. Not necessarily in terms of what you do, but rather how you feel as you’re doing it. You can only carry one of them at a time, so which you take quite significantly defines how you approach a level.īut there’s so much more going on here. Maybe a technique that lets you spin on the spot, attacking many enemies at once. Perhaps you’ll take with you the ability to raise a friendly Squirt, the strange tadpole-like creatures that would otherwise attack you. And on top of all this you have special abilities that give you bonus tricks. There’s also a dodge, that lets you roll quickly out of the way. As well as obviously being a block, good timing allows you to deflect attacks back onto the attacker. Fragments of the old world, before the Calamity.Īlong with the two attacks you also have a shield, which lets things get more tactical. Each of these weapons can then be upgraded in the Bastion using items you find on travels, paid for by Fragments, the tokens dropped when enemies are killed or objects smashed to bit. So perhaps you’ll have a giant hammer for one, and a shotgun as the other. As you play you’ll find new weapons, two of which can be equipped at a time. That’s not to say the action is a problem at all. It’s a real case of the important success of style over substance. But the environment in which it’s set, the atmosphere created, and the purpose behind your playing is what makes this so compelling. The closest genre would be an ARPG, the kid equipped with a range of weapons and abilities, collecting drops and fighting many, many enemies. The core of the game itself isn’t enormously original. A gorgeous cartoon world, glowing with colour, creating itself as you explore it. The narrator makes a wry comment about the kid’s nonchalance to this. The world fills itself in as you approach it. As you run forward on floating tiles the pathways fall down from the sky to build themselves around you. He’s your only friend in the Bastion, that hub between the danger of levels.įrom the opening seconds it’s obvious this is something special. His only company from the start is the narrator, a deep, throaty voice of a Southern gentleman, discussing the events as you play as a detached third party. You don’t know who he is, why he’s there, who he was, or why he persists. A bare few people survive, and amongst their thin number is a kid. The Bastion is a floating land of peace in a broken world, the only safe place left after the Calamity. Sure, you don’t know what type of game it is – nor did I when Jim said, “Hey, I think you should review this one.” It’s £11.50, go to it. I recommend you don’t read this, but instead just go and buy Bastion and play it. Going into a game completely blind is a rare treat. I've been weaving my way through its enchantingly morose worlds, and although still a good way from the end, I am absolutely ready to tell you Wot I Think. As you journey through the game, the world literally drops into place and you unlock a secret history, finding out just what went wrong here and how you can play a role in building a different future.Action RPG Bastion was released on Steam yesterday. The result is a beautiful looking game, with a razor-sharp wit and a fascinating backstory. As you progress you can revisit levels and choose tougher challenges for higher rewards. As you journey you need to collect cores, shards and fragments that enable you to add structures, buy materials and upgrade weapons. To complete each level, you must defeat a variety of enemies using an array of weapons, which must be found and enabled before use. This provides a unique way to engage with the game's silent hero, as he journeys through his own history. This change is driven by a mysterious and often hilarious narrator, who offers witty commentary and insights into game play. What starts as a familiar exploration quickly becomes an engaging and interesting game. Bastion is an action role playing game, where you explore a series of floating, fantasy-themed levels.
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