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GKick Review: Bastion
January 3rd, 2012 by Steve Perry
(Bastion review cont…)
GRAPHICS:
The game has a very slick art style to it with some really slick animations and colorful characters. I’m a big fan of the design choices and the way it all visually comes together is impressive. It may not be life-like graphics but in a game like this, you wouldn’t want it. The cartoony style does downplay the tone of the game a bit, but it’s a pretty nice balance.
AUDIO:
This game hits a home run when it comes to audio. The music is beautiful, the voiceover work provides an awesome amount of flavor to the game world and the sound effects are clean and have the right amount of kick. I can’t complain at all about the story-telling style of voiceover work in this game as it’s a really nice touch without being overbearing.
FUN FACTOR:
Oh, it’s fun. You can hop in, blow up a bunch of Gasfellas and turrets, grab a Core and then hop out. You don’t need to dedicate hours and hours of your time to playing the game but you just might, it’s worth it. From the regular story mode to the Proving Grounds which let you test your skills with certain weapons to the sub-story areas, you’ll find plenty to do in Bastion for a really affordable price.
REPLAY VALUE:
You can get through Bastion fairly quickly, but with all of the other content as well as the New Game+ feature, you’ll get plenty of life out of this. For $15 or less, you’ll get more enjoyment out of Bastion than many $50+ titles, so don’t worry about that.
GAMEPLAY:
The game works really well. There are a few glitches here and there – such as being able to trap Gasfellas on one side of the screen to pick them off easily – but it isn’t enough to be frustrating. Some frustrating elements, such as falling off the edges of the world, certainly aren’t the fault of the game and will be easier to deal with the longer you play the game. As far as everything else goes, the game is well-designed and doesn’t try to be more ambitious than it has to be. The controls are simple and easy, the AI is simple but still challenging to deal with, and the world layouts and puzzles are fun and interesting.
OVERALL:
It isn’t a big surprise that so many cheaper “indie” style games are the ones that really shine most of the time in this AAA marketplace. Bastion is no exception. It’s charming, it’s fun, it offers unique gameplay elements that you don’t see in many other places, and it’s only $15 (US) at the most! Heck, most of the time, you can get it for far less, so no good reason to pass on Bastion.
OVERALL SCORE: 8.7/10
BUY IT IF: You’re a big fan of fun action games that actually do things differently and don’t require an inordinate amount of time investment per play session. Or, hell, if you just want something cheap and awesome to play.
TRY IT IF: You have any doubts, of course, or if you’ve been burnt by cheap games in the past. Try the demo on Steam and see what you think, but you may find it worth the money.
PASS ON IT IF: Well, if the game isn’t your style. Try the demo at least if you aren’t sure, but of course if you’re not a fan of this type of game then you probably won’t be suddenly turned by Bastion.