Bastion, I salute thee!

I’m going to take a moment to go on a tangent and talk about an amazing game for PC and Xbox giving me warm and fuzzy feelings right now. A game that many of you have played and loved for it’s undeniable charm and that game is Bastion. Holy shitballs, this game is good!

Bastion is an action RPG available via steam, miscellaneous clients and XBL, which holds a torch toward our brighter future of utopian video gaming. The gameplay is solid, the artwork sublime and the music sets the tone perfectly but where Bastion really stands on it’s own is in it’s storytelling. Now, Bastion is no Lord of the Rings when it comes to scope or scale but the story is told in such a unique and rewarding way that you can’t help but love it which brings me to the crux of my sentiment.

In almost every game released over the last few years, achievements have been available for players to complete, acting as a way for players to show off or blow their own horn and to be perfectly frank, they’re stupid. Achievements have become the norm in video games and if you want to spend extra time completing them, good for you, but I can’t be arsed and would rather play something else instead but when it came to Bastion, with it’s own blend of storytelling and achievements, I was completely hooked.

Bastion has no introductory video to set the scene and no scrolling Star Wars text to set the tone but rather tells it’s story through narration linked directly to the actions you perform in game. Every time you encounter a new enemy or find a new weapon, every time you explore a new area or even when you double back to check if you’ve missed anything the narrator is right behind you explaining how our methodical and dashing hero has reclaimed his trusty hammer and takes the time to thoroughly check he’s left no stone unturned before moving onward. All of the voice acting is original and unless you have to repeat a section or replay one of the “who knows where” mini games you will never hear the same comment twice.

In addition to unlocking segments of the story as you progress through the game, Bastion lays the icing on thick with a set of about twenty traditional achievements that can be unlocked and completed in game to gain additional currency used to upgrade your weapons and abilities.

Bastion is a well polished game that is fun to play, goes for just the right length of time and is good value. For about $15  you can feel like you are living out the fable and experience the future of gaming achievements. Congratulations Supergiant Games! You have done well.