Friday, October 21, 2016

—Game Review— Bastion

I've known about this indie game for a while but it wasn't until Steam had a sale that I finally opted to give it a chance. I'm really, really glad I did.


***Bastion***


Published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developed by Supergiant Games
Released 2011 | Action, RPG
For Xbox 360, PS4, PS Vita, PC | Review: PC
*Rated E10 for Everyone 10+*
Animated Blood | Fantasy Violence
Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
(Click HERE for more ESRB rating details.)

HGG Score: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 9/10


Synopsis? 
You survived the Calamity. You must search the remnants of the world for the cores and bring the Bastion back to life. Bring back any other survivors you find too. Kill anything that gets in your way.

First impressions? 
A little more intense than I expected. It starts off with an overlying sadness that works well for the story. And that doesn't fade. It just gets worse.

Graphics and voices? 
Cute graphics. Cutscenes are nothing more than a series of still shots, but the artwork is beautiful.


There are only a handful of voice actors in this, the narrator being the main one. Come to think of it, there's only one other voice actor, the girl, and she only talks at the end of the game. I thought they were both rather well cast. I've posted one of my vidz in the Gameplay section below wherein you can hear the narrator at least.

One of the best things about this game is the soundtrack. And there's an item (a gramophone specifically, pictured here) you can find and place in Bastion that allows you to play whichever song from the soundtrack that you want. I really like that.

Gameplay? 
Action style with RPG leveling elements. Super easy to catch onto. There's a "no sweat" difficulty that was nice, allowing as many deaths as it takes to get through the level. That suited me just fine, as I have a tendency to die. A lot.


Storyline? 
The Calamity struck and Bastion was the safe haven for any survivors. Unfortunately, the survivors are few. And the Bastion is in ruins. The main character (you) has to rebuild Bastion, searching what remains of the world for the cores that will help with that.

As far as story goes, it's interesting. It surprised me from time to time, though there was one early twist I saw coming. Didn't matter. I still teared up as things were revealed. Good times.


Complaints? 
So short. Steam said I spent 9 hours with this game on my first playthrough, but in actual gameplay (I had to pause and walk away several times, and I'm pretty sure that 9 hr count included the time I spent  starting a new game +), it was more like 7, possibly 6. And I took my time. Had I blitzed it, I'd probably have gotten through it in 5 or less. And that's still taking into account how slow a gamer I am.


Overall? 
Great game! Well worth playing, though honestly, for how short it is, $15 seems a little steep. If you can grab it for $10 or less, totally worth it. Xbox offers a free demo, as does Steam (same page as the game; scroll down a little and look on the right-hand side for the "Download PC Demo" button). Give one of 'em a try if you're unsure. 

HGG score? 
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 9/10 life hearts.
Definitely replayable. I even think it's mild enough for kids.  

Where to buy?
Until next time...

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