Kid isn’t sure how he
should start his next blog post on his own 2 bit website. Doesn’t wanna start
it off like a typical IGN article, thinks imitating the game’s narrator is
creative.
Kid struggles to find
a Segway. But it’s okay, no squirts’ll be reading this for a while.
It’s easy to see Bastion’s presentation through its narrator
to be a pretentious affair. A sultry, subtle southern voice that’s maybe been
forced out a little too deep for the voice actors liking. Rucks is his name, in
Bastion that is. He’s grating sometimes, but his vocal omnipresence never
becomes a strain on the convexities. Its
more what he says that is pleasing to hear rather than what he sounds like, at
least from the viewpoint of an intrigued gamer such as myself.
Pretentious I said, but so unique and charming that it doesn’t
even matter. Rucks is a brilliant way to
present character and setting exposition when there are no characters to speak
to, no texts to read. Unlike Dragon Age for example, admittedly a much deeper
universe that is littered with thousands of words in codex entries and
character dialogue that attempts to explain the physicality of the world. It’s
hard to escape the grasp of forced exposition, but in a game such as Dragon Age it is
to be expected. Conversely, Bastion is refreshing in how it allows you to maintain the action while soaking in the deeper meaning of on-screen events and the substance
of the world.
This is no passive voice that bludgeons you repeatedly with
random and obvious factoids either, well… maybe sometimes. But Rucks is so
active in telling his story to the detail. Perhaps I decided to use one weapon
or ability over another, perhaps I fell over the edge of the level one too many
times, or maybe I like to eviscerate every piece of interactive object in a
level. Rucks will tell it like it is depending on whatever it is you do. In my
thought process it almost acts like a reward. ‘Thank you game, for allowing me to use the shotgun instead of the bow;
but thank you also for acknowledging my play style with your sultry man voice.’
As a result no matter how repetitive the action can become sometimes, there is
always Rucks to provide something different, something extra. I actually want
to play the extra-curricular challenge rooms (or ‘proving grounds’) because I
know he’ll have something interesting to say and then some. Whether it’s about
the history of the place or to comment on the Kid’s perseverance.
Whether the narrator as a character himself has any
non-linear sway over the actual events or ending of the game, I’m not sure of
yet. In Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, the narrator is the player and the
prince himself; but he knows the eventuality of the story. On the other hand
take The Stanley Parable, where the narrator’s hand is forced by the player’s
actions whether the player decides to be obedient or not. I haven’t completed
the game yet, so it’s unclear to me whether Rucks has good intentions or
autonomy over the plot. We’ll see.
Bastion’s style oozes from its narration, but more so from
its art direction and music. It is a world with no shortage of extravagant
colours and cluttered mess. As the player, The Kid, traverses along pathways,
the space beyond him is unknowable; but not for long. Tiles and set pieces fall
into place around him as he pushes onward, ever so faithful he must be that a
pathway will actually reveal itself to him from the stratosphere. It is so
unlike anything I’ve ever laid eyes upon before. It has the color palette and
the feel of an overly high fantasy setting, yet looks nothing like your typical
fantasy setting. The music totally follows this trend, mixing and blending
middle-eastern with western acoustics and synths. Utterly unique.
Utterly unique probably isn’t what you would describe
Bastions gameplay systems. This is in no way a terrible thing though. The combat is perhaps best compared with Diablo or any similar action-RPG. There is a
decent selection of weapons, all unique from each other and some with alternate
fires. Melee or ranged or even both, take your pick; you’ll find yourself
amidst different groups of enemies wishing you had a different load out while
at other times you’ll pat yourself on the back. There is no ‘wrong’ way to
play. A shield adds defensive capabilities and timing your blocks just right
will counter your enemy’s attacks, especially satisfying to pull off in the
midst of chaotic combat. A fairly vast selection of special abilities, upgrades
and even halo-like ‘skulls’ are all available to flavor the action.
Annoyances are minor compared to the overall experience but
make themselves known very often, especially on PC. You’ll find yourself trying
to balance on extremely narrow paths with one misstep leading to death on
either side. Walking diagonally and accurately on a plank is not easy on a
keyboard and is a clumsy elementary experience. Additionally the ground beneath
you often likes to conveniently collapse as much as it likes to conveniently appear.
It’s great for adding tension and challenge, but there were a couple of times
where I’d be stuck on an isolated tile whilst being attacked by a floating
enemy, leading to repeated death with almost no escape. It’d be nice if the Kid
could respawn on the main landmass not three centimeters away. Occasionally the
Kid will fall into the abyss below when you could have sworn he was quite
clearly on solid ground or just skirting it.
That’s all for now. I hope to finish the game soon and
update the blog with another entry. Moving houses doesn’t allow for a lot of
game time.
