Bastion has a beautiful art style that really works
As I do most summers, I’ve bought into the XBLA Summer of Arcade hype. The problem is, all these games retail for $15 these days so it’s tough to choose what to get. I decided to pick up Bastion, an action RPG with a strong narrative element. I’ve put what feels like 3-4 hours into it, but it doesn’t feel like I’m near the end (a good thing), so I decided to just do some impressions.
The Narrator
The first thing that jumps out about this game is the narrator. A man with a deep voice narrates your every move in the game. Whether it’s the weapons you choose, elements of the story, or gameplay tips, he is always talking. It might seem like this is overdone, but the narrator is hands down my favorite part of the game.
It’s tough to explain, but the narration lends a certain amount of gravitas to the proceedings, and it also gives the game that feels very unique. The narrator is important, because the game starts without you knowing anything. There has been some sort of calamity, but you don’t know why or how you survived. The narrator slowly reveals things as if he is telling a story, but he is not an omniscient narrator. It’s a lot of fun to hear what he has to say.
The Action
Luckily, the game’s strength isn’t only in its narrative elements. I generally don’t like action RPGs because they feel like button mashers. But proving grounds, which are used for training, and the narrator actually help to reveal a relatively deep combat system. You get to choose two weapons at a time, usually a combination of a melee and ranged weapon (although you can choose two melee weapons if you’d like).
As you progress through the game, you can upgrade your weapons and unlock special abilities. Different weapons are good for different situations, although it seems like people will choose the weapon combinations they most prefer. There don’t seem to be too many enemy types (just variations on a couple themes), so it can get a little tedious at time.
The Bastion
I’m still not quite sure what the Bastion actually is. The graphics and the music are great and really contribute to the overall feel of the game. Super Giant Games has done a great job designing and creating a package that fires on all cylinders: I’m really enjoying this game.
We’ll see how the rest of the game turns out, but it is pretty promising. I definitely think XBLA is starting their Summer of Arcade on the right foot.
Have you finished playing through this? Is it worth getting?