YDCBITYA: Bastion

It seems like most websites that specialize in reviewing computer games have some type of fancy name for the title of their review posts.  PC Gamer uses a simple "Game Review", where "game" is replaced by the title of the game.  Rock, Paper, Shotgun used "Wot I Think" as theirs.

I'm not a computer game review website by any means, but nonetheless I've decided I need a moniker for when I review a game.  Therefore, I have decided I will be using "YDCBITYA".  You Don't Care But I'm Telling You Anyway.  I was going to go with "YEASRPTG".  (You Elitist Assholes Should Really Play This Game)  But, I figured the elitist assholes are too elitist to read my blog anyway, so that's a bit of a moot point.

And so, I will christen YDCBITYA with a Bastion review.

The first exposure I had to Bastion was the sale ad for it on Steam about a week before the game's PC release date.  My initial thought was, "Oh, it looks like an anime.  Ew."  If ever there was an example of never judging a book by its cover, there you have it right there.

I didn't buy the game right away, and I didn't really know anything about it.  I heard a couple of mumblings from game critics that it was rather good.  But lately, I've been ignoring most game critics and reviewers.  Mostly because I don't like them.  But that's another story in itself.

Anyway, the day before the game was set to release, I was in the mood to play something new.  Not necessarily different -- just new.  Bastion was still there on my Steam sales page, so I decided to just get it and try it out.

The first two things I noticed about the game were the art and the sound.  After reading about the game, I learned that all the levels were hand drawn, and it provides the game with this unique and charming design to it.  Add in the style of the levels forming themselves as you walk through them, and you're left with an experience unlike any other.  The soundtrack amplifies this even further.  It is one of the greatest computer game soundtracks I have ever heard.  To go along with the soundtrack, the voice acting is excellent as well.  The narrator adds so much to the game while you play.

The gameplay itself is rather basic.  Anyone who has played Diablo, Torchlight, or any other hack-and-slash style games will feel quite at home.  There's nothing new here, and nothing new is needed.  If you're playing this game solely for the combat, you're doing it wrong.  All of the things mentioned above -- the soundtrack, the narrator, the art -- it all enhances the game as you play.  Groundbreaking gameplay simply isn't necessary in a game like this.  The combat is NOT boring -- it's just basic.  In any other game, that would be a detriment.  Not so in this one.

The story is top notch as well, and there's little I can find to complain about here.  One thing I will mention is that there could have been more story-defining moments of choice.  To avoid giving any major plot points away, there are basically two occasions near the end of the game where you, the player, must make a choice.  I think it would have added a lot to the game if there were more cases like that throughout the whole story.  For example:  During the battle on the Bastion, all the little creatures you saved help you fight.  Well, I think it would have been interesting if you were given a choice when it came to saving each creature.  Or, alternatively, each had its own mini-challenge, and if you failed then the creature didn't come back with you to the Bastion.  The results of those would determine how many creatures you had during that fight, making it easier or harder depending on what you did.  That's just ONE simple way they could have added depth, just off the top of my head.  I'm sure someone a lot more clever than me could come up with many other ways this could have been accomplished as well.

To round things off, the upgrade system added much needed depth to the basic combat, making it fully tolerable.  The constant supply of new toys to play with coupled with the aforementioned details above, and you have this lovely little game that keeps you interested all the way to the end.  And with the addition of a New Game+ mode to add a bit of replayability, and you have quite the solid game.

All that being said, it begs me to mention this is an Indie game.  If it doesn't win Game of the Year, I hope it is runner-up to only Portal 2.  I say this because big name game developers need this kind of wake-up call, when you really get down to it.  This game is only $15, and it's a hell of a lot more enjoyable then many mainstream games that have come out this year for $50 or even $60.  Perhaps if we continuously put games like these up on top, where they deserve to be, then maybe the big companies will take notice and be much more willing to stray away from their guaranteed successes and money-makers, and we'll see more gems such as Bastion.  Maybe.