“Bastion” is an indie effort of such sheer visual beauty that you wonder what the big guys’ excuse is. In an industry where it takes hundreds of people to produce ugly, generic experiences, this game — developed by a core team of just seven — is an embarrassment and a threat. And a badge of honor for those who made it. It’s also, I’m afraid, despite its sincereness of emotion and one really neat gimmick, a little thin.
“Bastion,” available strictly through the Xbox Live Arcade download service, casts you as a cartoon kid fighting through a world that’s equal parts Old West, medieval times and anime dreamland. This world is not the static place we’re used to in video games; your surroundings fall (or rather, rise) into place as you walk around, perfectly matching the story’s focus on the cyclical nature of reality, and rebutting those of us who say Japan has a monopoly on artistic inventiveness in gaming.
| ‘Bastion’ |
| » Systems: Xbox 360 |
| » Price: $15 |
| » Rating: 3 out of 5 stars |
“Bastion’s” bigger innovation, though, is a narrator almost unceasingly commenting on the action. As someone who dreads the boilerplate inanities in sports games, I was girding for “Boom!” and “This kid is a machete maestro!” But the narrator is more a storyteller than a play-by-play man, waxing on lore in a low-key, low-voiced drawl that’s more Vin Diesel than John Madden.
The narration lends a sense of consequence to everything you do, which is good because without it, the game might get old fast. Flashes of excitement appear at regular intervals — “This is the coolest shotgun ever!” “This is the best sledgehammer in video games.” “You get to fight with a mortar?” — but it doesn’t take long before you fall into old patterns of simply smashing buttons to neutralize the hordes of enemies coming at you.
“Bastion” is deeply customizable, with all sorts of weapons, special abilities you can choose among as you level up, and options for an increased challenge. But it kind of feels like half a game. Last summer’s excellent “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” had exciting overhead action too, but punctuated it with puzzles and platforming. Perhaps the Bastion — a place you return to between levels to heal up — will serve as the basis for tower-defense levels in the sequel.
And there will surely be a sequel. The seven folks at Supergiant Games want to “make games that spark your imagination like the games you played as a kid.” They list among their influences “Super Mario Bros. 3” and “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.” If this maiden voyage is any indication, such classics are within their grasp.
