Kombo.com (I USED to work there) kind of imploded... This happened right after PAX and right after I worked my self to the bone writing up preview after preview. So, even though none of this is relevant any more, I will be posting these previews for you lovely Bitmobers (and to link to in resumes). Enjoy!
Super Giant Games' Bastion was part of this years PAX 10 (A collection of 10 indie games that are displayed at the Penny Arcade Expo). This indie action-RPG features The Kid after he wakes up to find his world destroyed. He quickly sets off in search of his people's emergency meeting place, the Bastion. This, and the rest of the story, is explained by a narrator as The Kid advances.
The Kid sets out wielding a hammer, bow, and shield. The combat is extremely basic, if not a little tedious, and there wasn't a moment during the demo that actually felt challenging. “It's not about slugging it out with enemies,” Said reg Kasavin, Creative Director. If that is the case, then there might as well not be enemies in Bastion. The only moments when combat proved engaging were when quickly switching between hammer, bow, and shield was required to survive a wave of enemies-- something that didn't happen very often.
Combat definitely takes a back seat to the visuals of Bastion. “The graphics are high-rez 2D because we wanted to capture the classic look of older games,” and because of this, the game looks somewhat like Braid. These graphics are used to depict a world existing high in the sky with ground that appears as The Kid approaches. This is possible the best way a game can direct a player that I have ever experienced. The game feels both extremely limited (when the path before you resembles the cover of “Where the Sidewalk Ends”) and infinitely expansive (when the world continues to come to life and unfold in front of you). This, combined with the visual style, makes staring at Bastion captivating.
The ending of Bastion's demo leaves The Kid standing in the Bastion after having met Stranger (the man who has narrated the story thus far) with many questions to be answered and a mystery to be solved. It is revealed that The Kid will have to quest to the corners of the... sky and bring back crystals in order to bring the Bastion to life. In doing so, he will be able to “save everything,” and bring back his people and land. There's a definite sense that there is much more world to form beneath your feet; however, if Bastion is simply more of the PAX demo, I can't imagine the game succeeding. Without engaging combat, The Kid is basically walking through the world-- Granted, its a beautiful world. This holds up for a fifteen minute demo, but I can't see myself just walking throughout an entire game.
Super Giant Games does plan to add more features to Bastion. “We do intend for their to be co-op in the game. They wont just play together as two though: we want them to really collaborate to make it through the world.” This collaboration could be exactly what the game needs. Honestly, any thing that would make Bastion more engaging is welcomed. Hell, if they turned it into a 2 player puzzle game I would still be on board!
I really like Bastion and I want it to be a success. So please, Super Giant Games, make Bastion into more of a GAME. As captivating as it is, and as entertaining the story alludes to being, a game isn't much if it doesn't feel like a game-- especially if it isn't fun, and right now Bastion isn't very fun. Luckily, Bastion is still “about a year in and a year out.” I'm hopeful that Super Giant Games will be the next big name in indie development because of Bastion.
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The other previews:
