kids reads this in rucks' voice
The first things you'll notice upon starting up Bastion are the vivid colors, the rustic tune playing in the background, and the polished nature of the starting menu. These characteristics are present throughout the entire game and come with appropriate and impressive shifts in tone in certain areas and levels.
Bastion tells the story of a kid who wakes up to find his entire world shattered by an event referred to as the Calamity. Buildings, people, and the very ground itself was ripped away into some kind of freak void. The people of Caelondia built the Bastion at the highest point of the city in the event any kind of catastrophe occurred. Now it's your turn to guide the kid to the Bastion, fix it up, and figure out what caused the Calamity.
Of course, no talk about the game's narrative presentation is complete without talking about the game's "euphemistic and keen-eyed" narrator Rucks, voiced by Logan Cunningham (no, really). The game's reactive narrative holds hundreds of voice lines that can be triggered by various actions in various areas for a natural and fleshed out feeling.
you can click to enlarge images
I've talked about games that build cultures and Bastion is definitely one of them. Bastion explores cultural themes like ethnic strife and even genocide alongside themes of forgiveness and rebuilding. Everything in the game gives you a glimpse at what life was like in Caelondia and the surrounding areas before the Calamity hit. The folk songs, clothing, and building styles presented to you convinces you that the Cael culture was strong. Cael customs and beliefs are revealed as the story goes on and Rucks explains various areas' history and purposes. Soon enough, the Bastion universe becomes so much bigger and livelier than it looks.
The gameplay behind Bastion is smooth and chalk-full of different options you can choose from. New zones unlock new weapons and as you level up, you can upgrade those weapons to custom tailor them to your liking. The Distillery allows you to unlock and utilize all kinds of passive effects. You carry two weapons and a special ability, all of which can be swapped out at an armor found in various places in the game, lending itself to a flexible and dynamic combat system.
is that...?
Integrating Cael culture into gameplay, difficulty level is determined by the number of gods worshiped in the Cael pantheon. Gods are portrayed as retributive and malevolent in Bastion and only makes the game harder for the player. Simple idols give simple buffs: enemies hit harder, enemies are faster, etc. The more interesting idols give exotic effects: enemies become invulnerable for short amounts of time, enemies explode on death, etc. You are rewarded with more experience points and eventually you'll need to use the shrines if you're going to maintain a consistent difficulty level: your weapon upgrades become insanely powerful towards the late game.
Bastion is a game that has won numerous industry awards and for good reason. Everything from the menu to the ending is finely refined and tuned. The visuals and audio effects brings the world to life like never before. The talented and dedicated team at Supergiant Games gives players a chance to explore a unique world. Supergiant Games have witnessed incredible success out of their hard work and I wish them only the best in their future games. Besides, we're all expecting it at this point: Bastion is where it all began.
the start of something great
You can also download Bastion's rustic soundtrack straight from Supergiant Games' merchandise store! Check it out!
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