Talk about the Bastion

Recently another game was cast down from my Hall of Shame: Bastion!

After playing Adventure games for the past few weeks it was welcome change to return to the RPG – wandering around a world that gradually (and in this case literally) opens up before me, bashing some heads and looting gold to build even greater weapons. Funny thing is, I never saw this game as an RPG – I was far more invested in building up this thing called the Bastion and exploring this world before me to notice stuff like stat increases and the like.
And what a world it is. I was really impressed with the art direction and the hand-drawn graphics. I thought hand-drawn graphic would be a craft on the way out but that does not seem to be the case here. Each environment is beautifully rendered and it was impressive to see the Bastion being built up with the progression of the game.
Also impressive is the music, with its use of slide guitars and Middle Eastern vibes. I read it was intended to provoke a ‘frontier’ sense and to that it end it was successful – although for me, it reminds me of a Tea Party-lite.
Indeed such is the technological achievement of Bastion that I’m finding it difficult to grasp that was made by a team of seven people. But I suppose anything is possible….

As for the narrative, Bastion stands as a giant. I enjoy stories where there is an unreliable narrator but I don’t think there’s been a game that employs such a technique (Final Fantasy Tactics could disagree but I haven’t played it). Sure there have been games that pull the rug out from under the player but never has there been a game where the narrator seems to see things differently from what the player is witnessing. Also pleasing is how the story is conveyed through a very small cast of characters – I always enjoyed small casts of characters as it provides time to get to know them and see how they develop. And to that end Bastion succeeds with flying colors. 

So yeah, Bastion provide to be true treat and definitely something I will return to in future – And the presence of a New Game Plus feature will make sure of that.