Posts tagged ost

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So it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to write about any video games; let’s change that, shall we?

This week I’m taking a look at an Xbox Live Arcade game and recent Windows convert called Bastion. Bastion is a top-down, isometric action game where the player is placed into the role of the Kid, a lone survivor of a land called Caelandia. After a great cataclysm known as “the calamity,” the world is shattered into floating pieces; the Kid must band together with a number of other non-playable survivors in order to gather materials which will allow him to reform the titular Bastion, where life can begin again.

The Kid has a number of weapons at his disposal, each with their own playstyle: the hammer, for instance, has more powerful strikes when standing still, while the war machete is built for quicker strikes and can be thrown. The Kid can choose two weapons and a “secret technique” to bring along for the ride, which allow him to be pretty destructive. He can also heal at any time, drawing from a reservoir of health potions - a “black tonic” analogue allows you to use secret techniques. The Kid can also drink tonics for passive bonuses, which can be switched out freely.

This game is great because it adapts to your playstyle and allows you to make it fun in the way you want it to be; don’t like fighting up-close? Choose a long-stabbing pike and army carbine and kill enemies from afar. Like to explode things? Unleash hell with a mortar and grenade combo. You eventually figure out what works and what doesn’t, and it doesn’t hinder your gameplay experience at all.

What I like the most, however, is the storytelling power of a relatively simple game. Nearly everything you do is narrated from a third-person’s perspective with the smooth voice of a mysterious stranger. They could not have picked a better voice to play the narrator, as it seems to put the mighty Morgan Freeman to shame.

I’d like to compare Bastion to a more light-hearted Braid; the environments are beautiful, the story amazing and the mood isn’t quite as morbid. I definitely recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a great title to play through in chunks, and replay when you’re feeling in the mood for a challenge.

You can pick up Bastion for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15), or on Steam for $14.99. I’d also like to recommend the soundtrack; it’s great for work, play, gym or anywhere. Here’s the first 15 minutes: enjoy!

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Matt Demers is a Toronto columnist who throws out columns for NGP about comics, video games, tech and other nerdy things. You can find him on Twitter, or follow him on Tumblr.