Review: Bastion (Xbox Live)

Category: Action Role-playing
Developer: Supergiant Games
Released: July 20, 2011
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Price: 1200 msp ($15)
Also on: PC, Google Chrome

If you're looking for a simple, yet elegant experience that treads the line between comfortable game play and creative style with just the right amount of atmosphere, then Bastion might be an experience that will grab a hold of your attention for a brief and unique adventure.

Bastion is your typical isometric perspective action role-playing game (RPG), but from the start you'll notice something different that makes Bastion stand out in your mind; nearly every action you take in the game is verbally described by a somber yet genuine narrator. The narration is slightly dynamic for a smaller scale game such as this; on several occasions when I had to re-enter a level, the narrator vocalized that I was attempting my 3rd or 4th try to complete it. Another example is when you fall off a ledge (which happened to me a lot) the narrator takes notice and comments - it's a neat idea that really gives Bastion its own distinctiveness.

From the start of the game, you are introduced to the playable character only referred to as "The Kid" by the aforementioned narrator. The Kid wakes up to find that the world around him (known as Caelondia) has fallen apart due to the "calamity" and he must be the one to put it back the way it was. While The Kid is traversing the various environments, the ground literally forms up beneath him as if the world is being rebuilt as he moves. Guided by the narrator, The Kidd eventually finds the Bastion, a safe haven for the survivors of Caelondia; this area essentially becomes a home base of for The Kid as he goes out in search of a solution to put the world back together. While the overall story of the game is not terribly deep, I did found myself pondering what the final result of my actions would be, and the final conclusion left me with a few interesting choices to make.

The artistic direction of Bastion is what I would describe as a colorful, yet darker impressionist-like painting—similar in manner to what's being described about the more recent game Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The unusual creatures and the environments of Bastion are well detailed for a game that uses a distant, pulled back camera perspective. Visually, the game art reminds me of a much more recent version Final Fantasy Tactics, with anime-like character styles in the cut scenes while using a smaller and simpler character models for the main action of the game.

The soundtrack is another standout feature for this game. Bastion has a very crisp and diverse soundtrack; from the comforting sounds of the acoustic guitar pieces that play while The Kid is safely confined in the Bastion, to the high tension moments that resonate when facing swarms of enemies out in the wilds; the music just seems to fit the right mood at just the right time. Feel free to preview a few samples of the Bastion Original Soundtrack (Amazon MP3 Store) and start with track number three to see what I mean.

The Kid takes on various monsters with his trusty Carbine Rifle.

Game play in Bastion is fairly simple, but with some interesting changes as you progress through the game. Early on, you obtain a hammer and soon after a crossbow, which are assigned to the X and B buttons, respectively. The Kid also gains a shield on the left trigger which can be used to reflect some well-timed counter attacks. Opposite your shield on the right trigger you have a secret attack move (which can be swapped out with more than 20 others as you collect them) that have a limited number of charges until the meter is depleted or refilled. And of course, you have your standard health bar and experience point meter as you gain levels. As you progress through the story, you unlock more diverse and powerful weapons to swap out (Carbine Rifle, Machete, etc), and as you level up, you gain more access to "Tonics" which are applied status improvements, such as carrying additional health items or receiving less damage from falling, and so on. As if this wasn't already enough, the developers went the extra mile and made all of the weapons upgradeable, and they added specific challenges for each weapon to max out The Kid's arsenal. This definitely adds a true completionist goal for players that are interested in additional play throughs. Oh, and then there's a new game plus mode as well, which, in case you’re unfamiliar with the term, means that you can play the story again with all of your upgraded equipment and items. (Always a great feature for players who want to complete everything or just want to enjoy the story once more at a leisurely pace.) The developer Supergiant Games really went the extra mile with features, and it shows in the game quality.

A typical play through of Bastion may run you anywhere from 6-10 hours depending on how quickly or relaxed you play (I think I completed my first play through at around 8 hours with around 75% completion), but with the New Game Plus option and the incentive to collect all of the items and achievements, you could easily double that. Bastion doesn't fall in the "too short" mentality as it lasts long enough to tell a story and ends before it has time to become repetitive or before its charm begins to fade. Bastion is a game that can be appreciated for what it is: a fantastic little adventure with strong narrative thanks to a great team of developers.

Bastion is $15 (1200 msp) on the Xbox Live Marketplace (and on PC), and it's worth every penny. But if you're unsure, you can always try the free demo of Bastion on Xbox Live first.

My Recommendation: Very High