I recently participated in a public play test for Red Storm Entertainment, an Ubisoft subsidiary. One of the survey questions was: "What are you 3 favorite games?" One 19 year old's response tilted my head a little. He said, "I just put the last three I remembered clearly, because if I remembered them, they must have been good." This fairly off-hand comment really made me think about the games I play vs. the games I remember.
Bastion highlighted as one of XBox Live's Summer of Arcade releases. As a third person action/RPG/adventure/brawler, Bastion is a weird egg. Its art style is perfectly tuned to the game's themes and mood. Throw in a dynamic narration system with a killer soundtrack and I'm hooked. The weapon customization, tons of passive abilities to manage, and achievements inside and outside of the game(what? achievements that actually mean something to the gameplay?) are all perks as far as I'm concerned. Everything about this game oozes of the desire to be remembered.
The story isn't Oscar worthy, but it doesn't need to be. The narrator tells it like it is, literally. If you lean on certain weapons, he'll be sure to tell you all about the story behind those weapons. You stand still for a while, he talks about your pensive mood. If you want to get deeper into the story, feel free to read more and listen more to his rambling. Bastion doesn't waste your time trudging through long dramatic cut scenes. There are occasional panning view animations accompanied by the narrator's continued monologue, but they are brief. Most of the story is told through his narration of your actions. You'll hear about the history of the two people groups and why every living thing seems to be trying to kill you, but it is all happening during game play. The story is perfectly unobtrusive while still being memorable.
The combat has a little something for everyone. If you want to keep away from the action protected by distance and your powerful ranged weapons, so be it. If you want to be a tank with the hammer and machete, feel free. I found myself enjoying the Pike and Mortar combination that gave me a nice balance of speed and an unstoppable ranged attack. Be sure to adjust your passive abilities(different spirits and liquors) to fit your needs. Heck, if the game gets too easy, you can even petition the gods to make the game far more difficult with bonus rewards to your in game currency.
I don't think the game is perfect. The "New Game Plus" mode is simply playing through the game again. I wish there were more enemies or upgraded enemies the second go round, but this is a good chance to finish leveling up your weapons and character. If you're not careful, you can cruise through the game. I was nervous to turn on too many "gods" the first time through and it ended quite quickly. The campaign itself is quite short.
For all of its negatives, however, Bastion is sure to set itself apart. I'd recommend it to anyone. There is simply nothing forgettable about this experience.
Bastion highlighted as one of XBox Live's Summer of Arcade releases. As a third person action/RPG/adventure/brawler, Bastion is a weird egg. Its art style is perfectly tuned to the game's themes and mood. Throw in a dynamic narration system with a killer soundtrack and I'm hooked. The weapon customization, tons of passive abilities to manage, and achievements inside and outside of the game(what? achievements that actually mean something to the gameplay?) are all perks as far as I'm concerned. Everything about this game oozes of the desire to be remembered.
The story isn't Oscar worthy, but it doesn't need to be. The narrator tells it like it is, literally. If you lean on certain weapons, he'll be sure to tell you all about the story behind those weapons. You stand still for a while, he talks about your pensive mood. If you want to get deeper into the story, feel free to read more and listen more to his rambling. Bastion doesn't waste your time trudging through long dramatic cut scenes. There are occasional panning view animations accompanied by the narrator's continued monologue, but they are brief. Most of the story is told through his narration of your actions. You'll hear about the history of the two people groups and why every living thing seems to be trying to kill you, but it is all happening during game play. The story is perfectly unobtrusive while still being memorable.
The combat has a little something for everyone. If you want to keep away from the action protected by distance and your powerful ranged weapons, so be it. If you want to be a tank with the hammer and machete, feel free. I found myself enjoying the Pike and Mortar combination that gave me a nice balance of speed and an unstoppable ranged attack. Be sure to adjust your passive abilities(different spirits and liquors) to fit your needs. Heck, if the game gets too easy, you can even petition the gods to make the game far more difficult with bonus rewards to your in game currency.
I don't think the game is perfect. The "New Game Plus" mode is simply playing through the game again. I wish there were more enemies or upgraded enemies the second go round, but this is a good chance to finish leveling up your weapons and character. If you're not careful, you can cruise through the game. I was nervous to turn on too many "gods" the first time through and it ended quite quickly. The campaign itself is quite short.
For all of its negatives, however, Bastion is sure to set itself apart. I'd recommend it to anyone. There is simply nothing forgettable about this experience.
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