Bastion Review

                   A Journalistic Review by DefiantParrot

This game was an unexpected replacement for another

                           *Warning: Contains Spoilers*
                        Originally Written: 04/29/2019
                                                                                           
Developer: Supergiant Games
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Genre: Action Role-Playing Game
Release: July 20, 2011


You guys have a backlog? Games that one way or another find their way into your collection and you just never get around to playing it? I do, and it's larger than I care to admit.

Games such as Uncharted, Persona 5, Zone of the Enders, Mirror's Edge the list is absolutely enormous for me, well today we scratch one off of the list as today I am reviewing Bastion.

Okay so this game, I've owned it ever since it became free to download with Xbox Live Gold. I'd heard good things about it. It was mentioned usually alongside Dust and I love that game. So is Bastion as good as Dust? Is this one I really should've kicked my feathery ass in gear and played sooner? Let's check it out.

The camera here reminds me of the X-Men Legends games

So in Bastion you play as a young kid who is never named as you explore this bright and colorful world that has been wrecked by a 'Calamity.'

As you try to survive this you attempt to restore the titular Bastion. Sort of a safe haven from the destruction that has impacted the rest of the world.

There's a variety of locales

Anyway the plot here is pretty vague, there was a Calamity and by finding certain items or progressing the story you can learn more about the world prior and the Bastions secret functions but it's never 100% elaborated on. Which didn't really bother me the story was interesting but a little mystery is good too.


One of the main elements of this game is the narrator. In game it's an elderly man named Rucks who details the events of the game and the players actions. He's got a story to tell or is just recounting the events of your gameplay. I could see where this could annoy or confuse a player, the combat here can get kinda hectic so maybe it'd be hard to listen and fight at once, but it never really hampered my experience.

The characters are engaging and likable

I always enjoyed it when I heard that smooth sophisticated voice, Logan Cunningham did a really good job I think, even more impressive when his voice is pretty much the only one you'll hear during the entire game.


As mentioned prior the gameplay can get pretty out of hand there's a variety of weapons to utilize for either long distance or up close and personal. Whether you enjoy swords, guns, bows etc. there's something here you'll like I'm sure and they all handle pretty well.

My only complaints with the weapons is thatwhen  you find them in the levels and when you grab one it instantly replaces one of the ones you're carrying with no way to switch until you return to the Bastion. Listen I will test out every weapon I get I promise but don't force me to switch.
 I utilized ranged weapons for most of the game, and with the camera being pulled back the way it is it could sometimes be annoying when aiming.

Aiming was a minor inconvenience

But every weapon feels good to use as I said, I had my preferences of course but none of these were terrible. I do like how there are training challenges for each weapon so you can test them out to your hearts desire.

Like any good RPG weapons can be upgraded as well as yourself when you level up, there are perks you can give to yourself and even challenges in the gameplay by invoking different gods, once you build the proper building in the Bastion first.

A seriously good soundtrack

The artstyle and music here are really good, the game is bright and colorful. The game has almost a watercolor asthetic to it, with The Kid almost looking cel shaded clashing against the background and distracting the fuck out of me for a while. But everywhere the game looks great the variety and design of the monsters, while odd to be sure is still really nice.

As I said the music is really enjoyable. very soothing with the song during the credits being very touching, sad and beautiful.


This game can be very gorgeous and fun to play with the branching ending and a choice near the climax, being a great way of intigrating story and gameplay.

The game sports a New Game Plus which I can definitely recommend playing this game again with everything. Especially since in the last level you get the ability to jump. Yeah that surprised me too!

So all in all, I did enjoy Bastion it's a beautiful game but... something about it still makes me want to recommend Dust more.

So I'm going to give Bastion my Bronze Seal of Acceptance

For when you're talented but unremarkable

I really don't think this game is for everybody, the story and narrator could be offputting and while the artstyle is quite lovely I could possibly see someone finding it unappealing, this is so hard to put into words. This game is really good, but something is off, it's hard to say what specifically, which is annoying because that's what I try to do here!

There's a DLC to this game that I was unaware of, I may give that a look sometime. It may help me express how I'm feeling right now. What I know for positive, is I would recommend Dust first, but Bastion is still a fine game worth your time.