Bastion

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1641 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,311 out of 1641
  2. Mixed: 270 out of 1641
  3. Negative: 60 out of 1641

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  1. Rakka
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played in my entire life. Period. The graphics, the narraration, the gameplay, the story, THE MUSIC OH GOD THAT SOUNDTRACK IS AMAZING...everything is just perfect. Worth every penny.
  2. CorporateGreed
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    Didn't expect much from this one, but it does have a few layers of difficulty when you get involved. Narrator is really nice, makes the game feel like a story. Not the hardest game in the world, but you have the option of using idols to make things tougher yet more rewarding. Frankly it's the best $15 game I've ever played. May not stack up to a $50 triple A title, but it's a gemDidn't expect much from this one, but it does have a few layers of difficulty when you get involved. Narrator is really nice, makes the game feel like a story. Not the hardest game in the world, but you have the option of using idols to make things tougher yet more rewarding. Frankly it's the best $15 game I've ever played. May not stack up to a $50 triple A title, but it's a gem nonetheless and worth every penny. Family friendly.… Expand
  3. WesleyC
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    The fantastic narration really brings this game to life. Although the gameplay is linear it manges to be enjoyable without being too challenging. Well worth a look.
  4. Blackcompany
    Nov 9, 2011
    10
    Bastion is a great game. Perhaps the best game I have ever played. The story not only sucks you in; you come to care about the characters and their shattered world. The controls are tight, the graphics, though stylized, are beautiful. And the world builds itself around you as you go in a way you must see to believe....and then....then there is the narrator. He responds to your actions,Bastion is a great game. Perhaps the best game I have ever played. The story not only sucks you in; you come to care about the characters and their shattered world. The controls are tight, the graphics, though stylized, are beautiful. And the world builds itself around you as you go in a way you must see to believe....and then....then there is the narrator. He responds to your actions, fills you in on the story and is a constant companion. The voice acting is spectacular - on par with major motion pictures, and the writing is spot on as well. The world, music, combat, graphics...the game has no flaws and this from a guy who looks for flaws in his games. If you love RPG's with a great story, character development, balance and weapon and item upgrades, you owe it to yourself to play Bastion.… Expand
  5. schweinhundert
    Nov 9, 2011
    1
    Dunno what all the fuss is about, this is just boring and pointless. These kind of games should have disappeared a long time ago. So you walk around and shoot things, pick up loot, and repeat. Just about on the level of zelda from the olde days. Lame.
  6. FakeLies
    Nov 9, 2011
    10
    Bastion is what i would like to call a masterpiece. For its prize youll get something pretty dang amazing, and that goes for graphics,sound,story and gameplay. 1. The graphics are simply beautifull and fit the whole story pretty well 2. The soundtrack of this game is bombastic and one of the best i have ever seen...play this game with a headset and your ears will love you for sure 3. TheBastion is what i would like to call a masterpiece. For its prize youll get something pretty dang amazing, and that goes for graphics,sound,story and gameplay. 1. The graphics are simply beautifull and fit the whole story pretty well 2. The soundtrack of this game is bombastic and one of the best i have ever seen...play this game with a headset and your ears will love you for sure 3. The story is great...as you probably have heard yet, there is a narrator through the whole story to tell the story and to give tips. And this is unique and well done, so The story will suck you in for sure 4. I found the gameplay strange at first,but cot used to it pretty fast...using the shield,jumping around and the different attacks get intuitive pretty fast...This game is one excellent piece of gaming and the best deal i made on steam for a long time....although it´s a game with the biggest strength in story, its easy to start a second playthrough with more challanges… Expand
  7. Ravager
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    Amazing game. Great voiceovers, fantastic artstyle, gripping gameplay and a SUPERB soundtrack (I really cant stress how amazing the OST is)

    I'd like to say that it was too short, but... did I really want it to go any longer? Did I want it to drag out? No. It was the perfect length. My one complaint is how easy the first playthrough is. You don't unlock most the different totems for gods    Amazing game. Great voiceovers, fantastic artstyle, gripping gameplay and a SUPERB soundtrack (I really cant stress how amazing the OST is)

    I'd like to say that it was too short, but... did I really want it to go any longer? Did I want it to drag out? No. It was the perfect length. My one complaint is how easy the first playthrough is. You don't unlock most the different totems for gods (Which act as difficulty adjusters) until you finish your game and start a NG+. A perfect game nonetheless, I hope we will be seeing more from this studio in the future.    … Expand
  8. thekaas
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    The first development of the studio Supergiant Games was a success on the Xbox 360, so of course a port to PC would be a great idea. I don't own a console myself, so I can't really compare the two versions.
    The game starts out with the kid waking up to a world that is falling apart. The calamity is here. You are immediately greeted with stunning visuals. The hand painted backgrounds with    The first development of the studio Supergiant Games was a success on the Xbox 360, so of course a port to PC would be a great idea. I don't own a console myself, so I can't really compare the two versions.
    The game starts out with the kid waking up to a world that is falling apart. The calamity is here. You are immediately greeted with stunning visuals. The hand painted backgrounds with their many colors combined with the somewhat chaotic feel of a world in pieces, where the ground sort of rises before your feet give the game a great atmosphere that fits the game well.
    The sound is amazing and I recommend you go buy the soundtrack. It'll be worth it. It sort of has a western theme to it.
    The most important aspect of this game is probably that it's more the telling of a story than anything else. Sure, the combat system is fun and fast paced but there isn't really much depth to it. No, the most important thing is the story and how it's told, and that's the most interesting part. The game is narrated by a stranger you meet and his voice is just godly. It's like caramel running through your ears. He gives the story a whole lot of depth as you move along in the game while commenting on your actions in a way that I've never seen done before. The stranger is a character of his own, he's not just "the voice in your head". He actually has a purpose in this story.
    If you'd like to spend a few hours on a great story then go ahead, buy this game, you won't regret it. Just don't expect too much from the gameplay.    … Expand
  9. keefbaker
    Nov 7, 2011
    9
    Fascinating mix of a typical hack and slash RPG and well.. when you get down to it and take the atmosphere away, that's basically what it is. However it is pretty much the best out there and the atmosphere is nothing short of phenomenal with one of the best voice over voices I've heard.
  10. Nimgif
    Nov 7, 2011
    7
    An excellently crafted experience, good core mechanics and a narrator that will give even Morgan Freeman a run for his money. The setting is well done and overall the game has alot of polish.
    Id say that using a x360 controller is the easiest way to play it. Happy gaming
  11. GvS
    Nov 5, 2011
    9
    Nice story, beautiful artwork, great music and gameplay. I haven't played such a good game for a while, it's theoretically just hack and slash, but it's really well done, almost perfect.
  12. yloquen
    Nov 5, 2011
    6
    I can see why people like this game, but I just couldn't enjoy it. The biggest problem for me was the disparity between the solemn and gritty narrator and the joyful and colorful visuals. The narrator is very similar to the one in Fallout and supposedly in Bastion's world some sort of apocalypse has happened too, though you couldn't tell that from the way it looks. Another big problem isI can see why people like this game, but I just couldn't enjoy it. The biggest problem for me was the disparity between the solemn and gritty narrator and the joyful and colorful visuals. The narrator is very similar to the one in Fallout and supposedly in Bastion's world some sort of apocalypse has happened too, though you couldn't tell that from the way it looks. Another big problem is that the game is way too easy. Fall off the platform? - no problem you can go on from the same point. Die? - you can continue one or more times. Removing any challenge makes winning the game an inevitability and consequently any feeling of achievement and satisfaction is gone. On the positive side - everything in the game is polished, the game mechanics are sound and combat is fast and responsive. If you like the art style and the cryptic narrative going in the background, you'll probably enjoy this game.… Expand
  13. ripplechip
    Nov 2, 2011
    10
    Extremely original and unique game. Absolutely love the narration, music, and visuals, and I personally find the combat to be satisfying. The world they create catches you from the get go, and it is seriously difficult to put this game down. Definitely a must play.
  14. Saguro
    Nov 1, 2011
    10
    Absolutely amazing, never in my 15 years of gaming have I ever come across anything that has wowed me quite as much as this has, the combat feels smooth and fun, the graphics are unique and well-done, the narration is absolutely flawless, and the music completely drives home the mood at any given time, but the real kicker is the sense of choice as to how the entire story plays out, and theAbsolutely amazing, never in my 15 years of gaming have I ever come across anything that has wowed me quite as much as this has, the combat feels smooth and fun, the graphics are unique and well-done, the narration is absolutely flawless, and the music completely drives home the mood at any given time, but the real kicker is the sense of choice as to how the entire story plays out, and the satisfying conclusion to the entire game, all around perfection, i give a 10.… Expand
  15. lewekleonek
    Nov 1, 2011
    10
    It's an excellent game - this is the one you call - job well done, i.e. someone has really put one's heart into it. I'd be repetitive if I'd praise the graphics, the story, the sound etc. It's just a well balanced game with a lot of lasting appeal.
    If the developers of this gem are thinking about the sequel/or just another title, I would definitely put multi-player/co-op into the equation.
  16. Bahzell
    Nov 1, 2011
    10
    Bastion has an awesome Story and the best Music background and voice i ever heard ! And I love the graphics as well . Its a great game and a must play for everyone !
  17. eyEZix
    Nov 1, 2011
    6
    I played the demo and had a bit of fun. It's a cute game, I'd say if you never played a top down action rpg before it would be a great place to start so i will give it a six for some creativity and fairly smooth gameplay.
  18. grizzlebizzle
    Nov 1, 2011
    6
    Bastion borders on self-parody. I have never come across a game that is so steeped in its own "meaningfulness" and style while having so little substance. The narrator spouts vague descriptions and prophecies in a faux-homey manner as the ground builds around you as you move through each level (oh how symbolic! Err...) It is gimmicky and short...but enjoyable. Overall, the game seemsBastion borders on self-parody. I have never come across a game that is so steeped in its own "meaningfulness" and style while having so little substance. The narrator spouts vague descriptions and prophecies in a faux-homey manner as the ground builds around you as you move through each level (oh how symbolic! Err...) It is gimmicky and short...but enjoyable. Overall, the game seems disingenuous and doesn't have enough content nor a satisfying ending. The whole time you're playing, you're waiting for the game to live up to the art direction, the narrator, the music, and the critics' ratings. But it never does. The game is over fast and easy (I died only once.) It's a precious little enjoyable game, but the overwrought style gets irritating and laughable at times.… Expand
  19. gent
    Oct 31, 2011
    10
    This game is so good, so inspired, so overwhelmingly original, it nearly goes beyond words. The art is cartoon-like, but still mature enough to carry the story well. The story is highly engaging. The action is amazingly good, with narration for everything you do (or even don't do). In fact, the narration is what makes the story carry so well. You are never alone in this game. The narratorThis game is so good, so inspired, so overwhelmingly original, it nearly goes beyond words. The art is cartoon-like, but still mature enough to carry the story well. The story is highly engaging. The action is amazingly good, with narration for everything you do (or even don't do). In fact, the narration is what makes the story carry so well. You are never alone in this game. The narrator is always letting you know what is new and what is going on, even if you're the one doing it, and it manages to never be repetitive. Fantastic game!… Expand
  20. Nelson93
    Oct 29, 2011
    2
    Overall I believe this game stylistically and gameplay hide behind an extremely poor gimmick being the narration and when this realization happens is when I stopped having fun. Many people at this point would have stopped playing at this point however I am one never to waste an investment of time and money and I continued on hoping for something better; but it never came. If you look atOverall I believe this game stylistically and gameplay hide behind an extremely poor gimmick being the narration and when this realization happens is when I stopped having fun. Many people at this point would have stopped playing at this point however I am one never to waste an investment of time and money and I continued on hoping for something better; but it never came. If you look at his game without the hype and supposedly the deeper meaning or how artsy and different they're trying to be, you see that it make for a very boring game (in my opinion).… Expand
  21. Venomaxiv
    Oct 29, 2011
    10
    Cannot stress enough how good this game is.
    Awesome Music
    Awesome Narration and Story
    Really Amazing game and you don't know it all until you complete all the dreams and finish the game at least twice.
  22. Zartan
    Oct 28, 2011
    9
    Bastion is one of those few games that really tries to be different. You are the Kid, one of the few survivors of a disaster called "The Calamity". The Calamity shattered the land of Caelondia to pieces, and you must find other survivors, rebuild the Bastion, and try to find out what caused the Calamity to happen.

    + Good combat system: The fights and moves feel smooth and right +    Bastion is one of those few games that really tries to be different. You are the Kid, one of the few survivors of a disaster called "The Calamity". The Calamity shattered the land of Caelondia to pieces, and you must find other survivors, rebuild the Bastion, and try to find out what caused the Calamity to happen.

    + Good combat system: The fights and moves feel smooth and right
    + Great weapon system: You start out with a hammer, and as you advance through the game you'll find more and more weapons, all with their own abilities, pros, and cons.
    + Upgrades/Buffs/Achievements: Bastion comes with the ability to completely modify the difficulty you are playing. There are several buffs called "Spirits", which you can collect and aquire throughout the game. Also, you can invoke the spirits of the gods to create environmental effects, increasing an monster's lifebar for example.
    + Innovative Narrating: Bastion is all about the story. As you travel through the game, the narrator travels with you, monitoring your every move and decision. He tells you about monsters, history, landmarks, etc. A very nice add
    + A very mature cartoony look: The graphics look great, and totally belong to this sort of game.
    + Soundtracks: Nice!

    - Replayability: You'll probably need 3 or 4 hours max to finish the story. Then you can start "New Game Plus Mode", restarting the campaign but with all your weapons, upgrades and buffs from your previous game, allready unlocked and at your disposal.
    - No feature DLC: The developers wanna focus on their next game and see Bastion as a 1 time thing, there won't be any future DLC available and thats, in my opinion, a missed chance.

    Concluding: This is the best Indie game i have ever played! The story, the gameplay, the narrator, it all fits together perfectly. 15,- is truly a steal, this game is worth more then that.    … Expand
  23. Dom1nati0n
    Oct 25, 2011
    10
    This is a game that brings back a familiar feel of smash 'em up, combined with the unique prospect of a narrative driven game. There are elements in this game that will not only appeal to the casual gamer, but allows a critical gamer such as myself to sit back and ponder, Why are people that care this much about producing not only a game that is fun to play, and play again and again, butThis is a game that brings back a familiar feel of smash 'em up, combined with the unique prospect of a narrative driven game. There are elements in this game that will not only appeal to the casual gamer, but allows a critical gamer such as myself to sit back and ponder, Why are people that care this much about producing not only a game that is fun to play, and play again and again, but an honest and beautiful work of art, the underdogs of gaming production? You will step into this game, admiring the almost cartoon like graphics, and you will almost immediately begin to understand how the narrative will not only push you forward, but takes time to entertain you when you decide to step aside and spend your time exploring a level. At one point in the first level, I decided to just break everything, and after a few minutes of doing so, the narrator kindly applied the line to his story, "And the kid just raged for a while." And that, Is what sold me. This is not a cheaply done gimmick where you hear the same voice actor repeating lines and announcing for the 100th time that you've killed a baddie. This is effort. And that, I do believe, is all it takes to make the gaming community respond with enthusiasm. So put you big pants on EA, And stop trying to sell a game to the general masses, dumbing it down, and spoon feeding it to anyone you can impress with a new sims expansion, And take one out of the books from the little guys. All you need to focus on, Is making a game that is fun to play. In the age of information, marketing has no place in the development stage. When a game is good. We will hear about it, one way or another.… Expand
  24. Fastpoose
    Oct 22, 2011
    9
    Beautiful game, and the best narration I've ever heard. Indie games are really coming into their own at present and this is the reason why. $15 bucks for 6-10 hours of addictive gameplay, emotive story telling and lovely artwork.

    Well done indie developers, keep up the great work!
  25. Rusix1819
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    The game doesn't start out with much plot, but builds much towards mid game and end game. Very fun 2d game, with beautiful textures and art style. Sound track is just amazing itself. Looks like Supergiant Games made a great game introducing them into the video game industry.
  26. Todayshero
    Oct 19, 2011
    9
    This game is awesome, a great new angle on an old idea. I enjoyed the customizable difficulty, weapons and spirits, I played this game through twice, once on the new game and once on new game plus. I have two complaints on the game, the combat felt a bit repetitive at times and I just wanted the area to be done so I could hear the rest of the story, it was however good enough that I wentThis game is awesome, a great new angle on an old idea. I enjoyed the customizable difficulty, weapons and spirits, I played this game through twice, once on the new game and once on new game plus. I have two complaints on the game, the combat felt a bit repetitive at times and I just wanted the area to be done so I could hear the rest of the story, it was however good enough that I went through twice so it's not a huge complaint. The second is the challenges for each weapon, some were so easy I could pass them with no weapon upgrades at all and others were so hard I could hardly pass them with all weapon upgrades with different combination's. I don't care if they are easy or super hard, I'd just like to see some consistency between them… Expand
  27. Contmuscle
    Oct 16, 2011
    10
    I originally got this game because I just bought a new 1080p pc monitor and wanted play something with vivid colors to awe at and feel good about my two hundred dollar purchase. What I was left with after graphical gloating was a great story, superior gameplay, a mysterious world and more gloating at its amazing artstyle. When I played Bastion, I always had the feeling I was "creating"I originally got this game because I just bought a new 1080p pc monitor and wanted play something with vivid colors to awe at and feel good about my two hundred dollar purchase. What I was left with after graphical gloating was a great story, superior gameplay, a mysterious world and more gloating at its amazing artstyle. When I played Bastion, I always had the feeling I was "creating" the world because of how it builds up under your feet. I also felt this way because the game throws you into a seemingly hopeless universe as an all powerful hope to save against nothingness... and you do this by destroying every non human living thing you come in contact with. By the end of my experience I really just wanted to play it again on the hardest difficulty, not only to test my skill but to replay all the cool levels that make up this beautiful game. Perfect in everything it has set out to be, anyone who has 8 (first play) to 16 hours to kill should get this.… Expand
  28. Someoneudunno
    Oct 15, 2011
    10
    I bought this from Steam after hearing much of it. I cannot express this enough, this was possibly one of the best purchases I have made to date. The art style is beautiful, the concept is incredible and unique and the story is deep and engrossing with points where it was incredibly hard-hitting. As far as I'm concerned it's been my favourite release this year and I can only hope theI bought this from Steam after hearing much of it. I cannot express this enough, this was possibly one of the best purchases I have made to date. The art style is beautiful, the concept is incredible and unique and the story is deep and engrossing with points where it was incredibly hard-hitting. As far as I'm concerned it's been my favourite release this year and I can only hope the developers intend to continue this incredible storyline with either a sequel or DLC because I'd be more than happy to pay for it.… Expand
  29. choppy
    Oct 12, 2011
    5
    Signed up just to make this comment: there is a lot of hype, and this is a neat game, but so obviously a console port. The controls are wonky and hard to use accurately with keyboard and mouse. The game features a lot of quick-reaction timed button mashing (e.g., shield) which works well with trigger-style gamepads, but not with keyboard. Likewise, the WASD navigation is much lessSigned up just to make this comment: there is a lot of hype, and this is a neat game, but so obviously a console port. The controls are wonky and hard to use accurately with keyboard and mouse. The game features a lot of quick-reaction timed button mashing (e.g., shield) which works well with trigger-style gamepads, but not with keyboard. Likewise, the WASD navigation is much less sensitive than joystick, so you constantly fall off paths and die. Undoubteldy a great game for the XBOX, not so great for PC. Be warned before you buy.… Expand
  30. Nile3
    Oct 12, 2011
    8
    Good game overall, neat graphics, nice game play, cool story, challenging levels. In all this I still think there was a bit too much monotony to the game, and it was shorter than I expected. The character modifications were too few also. I enjoyed the idea of having special levels just to get a good challenge with the weapons. The overall western-dystopia genre is very polished in this one.
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PC Game of 2011
17
#17 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
23
#23 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. ActionTrip
    Jan 24, 2012
    83
    It's a highly polished, bug-free bundle of fun and at $15, it's a steal. Kudos to Supergiant Games.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 30, 2011
    70
    Visually stunning independent action RPG impresses you with a captivating world but will disappoint you with a dull and boring combat system. [Oct 2011]
  3. Everyeye.it
    Oct 9, 2011
    75
    Bastion hides a fun traditional gameplay under gorgeous and innovative visuals, that on the long run could come short in variety.
    Read full review
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