Bastion

 Switch
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 152 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 95 out of 152
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 152
  3. Negative: 13 out of 152

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  1. AllySky
    Sep 13, 2018
    10
    Bastion has an exceptionally beautiful story that will stick with you, and a fantastic narrative that will carry you through that story from beginning to end. Along with the near godly soundtrack and the plethora of challenges ahead of you, this game is sure to be unforgettable.

    However I must give this game a 10 for this reason. While Bastion practically basks in the spotlight of one    Bastion has an exceptionally beautiful story that will stick with you, and a fantastic narrative that will carry you through that story from beginning to end. Along with the near godly soundtrack and the plethora of challenges ahead of you, this game is sure to be unforgettable.

    However I must give this game a 10 for this reason. While Bastion practically basks in the spotlight of one of the best indie games ever made, it also paved the road for two other games I would consider to be even more phenomenal, the other two masterpieces by Supergiant Games, Transistor and Pyre. Without Bastions success these games may have never been made, and that alone makes Bastion a legendary title.    … Expand
  2. DigitalSchism
    Sep 9, 2019
    10
    Bastion delivers an engaging narrative, presented in a creative way, that maintains its charm till the end. The art direction for the graphics is wonderful and the soundtrack is exceptional. The gameplay is fast-paced and rewarding with a variety of weapons and enemies keeping the game fresh from start to finish. All in all Bastion achieves excellence on all fronts.
  3. weasleye
    Feb 6, 2021
    9
    There is very little to find fault with in this game that is over 10 years old.

    Pros:
    runs perfect on nintendo switch
    Controls are intuitive and buttery smooth
    action packed
    great narration
    one of the most original and catchy soundtracks of any indie game

    Cons:
    I just wish there was more to enjoy.
  4. Sijun
    Oct 3, 2019
    8
    Really good port of a really good all time classic. Worth every penny if you like action packed hack-and-slay adventure games.
  5. Kacek1996
    Sep 15, 2019
    9
    I double dipped with this game. I played it about 6 years ago on PC and I had a positive recollection of this game. Also, I wanted to see the second ending, so I bought Bastion for the second time and this time on the Switch.
    Bastion is (or rather was, since I finished it already) as great as I remembered it. Smooth gameplay with very nice soundtrack. It is a game that isn't very    I double dipped with this game. I played it about 6 years ago on PC and I had a positive recollection of this game. Also, I wanted to see the second ending, so I bought Bastion for the second time and this time on the Switch.
    Bastion is (or rather was, since I finished it already) as great as I remembered it. Smooth gameplay with very nice soundtrack. It is a game that isn't very challenging UNLESS you use shrines to make things more difficult. I played it with five shrines and it was satisfying and sometimes challenging (I didn't want to struggle, so I raised the bar of difficulty just enough). It's a pleasure, to play such an indie, action, RPG game with platforming elements. There are so many things inside: weapon challenges, memories/in game achievements (which are worth achieving), a lot of upgrades and a satisfying combat system (I was always using bow and I paired it up with machete or with the Fang Repeater (Yup, I played with two ranged weapons at the same time)).
    It's rather a short game but it's worth the money.
    Game that does age well.    … Expand
  6. BrownKnight
    Jul 15, 2021
    8
    Short and fun game, the voice acting really stands out, the soundtrack also deserves some merits.
    The whole game itself is very charming, but unfortunately the gameplay and the combat system is not the best. It actually has a good amount of weapons to try out and keep the combat fresh, but some are clunky and they don't always work out the intended way (i.e. weird hitboxes, uncomfortable    Short and fun game, the voice acting really stands out, the soundtrack also deserves some merits.
    The whole game itself is very charming, but unfortunately the gameplay and the combat system is not the best. It actually has a good amount of weapons to try out and keep the combat fresh, but some are clunky and they don't always work out the intended way (i.e. weird hitboxes, uncomfortable aiming) and in general it feels a bit too slow for an action/adventure game (I know it's very plot-centered, but the combat still exists).
    I'd recommend this game as it is very cheap but enjoyable, leagues above many other games that cost more or less the same.    … Expand
  7. telecaster23
    Dec 13, 2019
    8
    The game is excellent on the Switch. I've already played this on the PC, but never able to finish there, so good thing it went on sale for about $3 (I think). For the value I got, I could have paid more as the game is packed with content.

    The graphics, despite being an older game, is still excellent! The vibrant, beautiful, and strange world of Bastion is artistically done and rendered.    The game is excellent on the Switch. I've already played this on the PC, but never able to finish there, so good thing it went on sale for about $3 (I think). For the value I got, I could have paid more as the game is packed with content.

    The graphics, despite being an older game, is still excellent! The vibrant, beautiful, and strange world of Bastion is artistically done and rendered.

    The few cast of characters introduced is mostly all memorable, which indicates good character development and story-telling. Voice acting is also gold as if you're hearing a 'Morgan Freeman'-ish voice speak for most of the game.

    The gameplay is simple, yet very versatile by choosing different weapons of your preference. The content of the game, as mentioned earlier, is packed for its price. I've gotten a good 10 hours of it, before calling it quits. Note that I finished the story in five hours, and played for another run to another five to get another ending.

    Overall, this isn't a must-own, but it's really something you should buy if you see it on sale, as the game is well-crafted and beautifully done.    … Expand
  8. Gerdo
    Jun 30, 2020
    8
    Nice game, the best part is the narrative. It gets confusing sometimes but it remains creative, fresh and fun. Well recomended!
  9. littlestfinch
    May 12, 2020
    8
    Bastion is a wonderful game for its age. I've beaten it previously when it first launched on iOS but I really preferred the play through on my switch. To me, it felt much better with a controller!

    The gameplay of Bastion is quick and satisfying with weapons that allow you to mix things up. I really enjoyed the focus on your weapons with progression and challenges being great! The base    Bastion is a wonderful game for its age. I've beaten it previously when it first launched on iOS but I really preferred the play through on my switch. To me, it felt much better with a controller!

    The gameplay of Bastion is quick and satisfying with weapons that allow you to mix things up. I really enjoyed the focus on your weapons with progression and challenges being great! The base game can be on the easier side, however, there are ways to change this. Aside from the native difficulty settings you can also use New Game+ and the Shrine system to add more challenges for those who need it.

    Graphically the game is still gorgeous with a dream-like atmosphere that contributes nicely to the story and overall feel of the game. The narrator is one of my faves from a game and is implemented in a way that is not obtrusive or annoying. The soundtrack is A+ I personally really enjoyed the story, it's not anything crazy or groundbreaking but it fits nicely with the way the game formats it.

    Totally recommend, especially if you can snag it on sale!    … Expand
  10. Biberattacke
    May 18, 2020
    8
    Ursprünglich ist Bastion im Jahr 2011 erschienen. Es wurde damals durchaus als Indi Hit von der Fachpresse abgefeiert. Ich habe es nun im Jahr 2020 auf der 2018 erschienenen Nintendo Switch Version gespielt und kann folgende Eindrücke schildern. Das Spiel ist eigentlich ein Isometrisches Hack and Slay aller Diablo. Es hat ein nettes Comicartdesign aber technisch ist das Produkt auch 2012Ursprünglich ist Bastion im Jahr 2011 erschienen. Es wurde damals durchaus als Indi Hit von der Fachpresse abgefeiert. Ich habe es nun im Jahr 2020 auf der 2018 erschienenen Nintendo Switch Version gespielt und kann folgende Eindrücke schildern. Das Spiel ist eigentlich ein Isometrisches Hack and Slay aller Diablo. Es hat ein nettes Comicartdesign aber technisch ist das Produkt auch 2012 nicht mal in der Nähe von State of the Art gewesen. Muss es auch nicht so lange der Rest stimmt, denn für ein Hack and Slay braucht man viele coole Waffen, Charakterstats, Techbäume, Optimierbare Characterbuilds, Endbosse, hohe Gegnervielfalt und guten Gamefluss. Bis auf letzteres hat Bastion aber nichts davon. -Es hat weniger als 10 Waffen, die alle leicht modifizierbar sind. -Es gibt ein Levelsystem, bei dem man mit jeden Aufstieg EINEN passiven Skill ausrüsten kann -Die Gegner weder besonders schlau noch sind sie besonders Variantenreich. Thats it! Warum haben es denn dann alle derbe abgefeiert? Warum all diese wirklich guten Kritiken? Fangen wir nochmal bei den Spielmechaniken an: Der Protagonist, genannt Kid, wacht in einer völlig zerstörten Welt auf. Im Laufe des Spiels baut man seine vorher völlig zerstörte Bastion wieder auf. In diesem HUB wird der Character aufgewertet und man erfährt von sehr spärlich gesehten NPC Storyhäppchen. In den Missionen, schießt, schlägt und piekst man sich durch Monsterhorden um Splitter aufzusammeln, damit die Bastion wieder zu alter Stärke findet. Steuerung und Leveldesign sind gut aber nichts Besonderes, zumal die Levels sehr klein sind und max 10 min Zeit in Anspruch nehmen. Klingt irgendwie immer noch total beliebig, aber: Die Erzählweise ist wunderschön! Der Sprecher und die Musik sind wirklich fantastisch! Hier wird durch die Audiokulisse und die Art und Weise wie die Geschichte der Katastrophe (im Spiel „The Calamity“ genannt) erzählt wird so viel Atmosphäre geschaffen, dass man wirklich man nicht wirklich etwas vermisst. Der Sprecher kommentiert ungefragt viele Ingamehandlungen von Kid. Mal witzig mal tragisch. Man hat das Gefühl ein alter Cowboy erzählt seine Geschichte und ich erinnerte mich wohlig angenehm an den Cowboy aus dem grandiosen Film „The Big Lebowski“. Dies und eine Mischung aus Elektromusik mit Gesang, Hier geht’s dann Richtung Trip Hop. Irgendwie war es schön mit den wenigen aber sehr guten Musikstücken an Bands wie Massive Attack oder auch Portishead erinnert zu werden. Was machen die eigentlich? Notiz: Reinhören!!!! Zurück zum Spiel: Man folgt der guten Story, die wenigen Mechaniken greifen ineinander und man hat Spaß. Wenig Gegnervarianz und abwechslungsarme Missionen stehen dagegen. Bis hierhin wären wir bei der doch recht schwachen technischen aber schönen Designtechnischen Umsetzung bei einer 7/10. Dies auch weil das Spiel sich wiederholen lässt um irgendwann den Levelcap von 10 zu erreichen und es eine Onlineladder für den freigeschalteten Pro Story Modus gibt. Die einzigartige Erzählart und die fantastischen Musikstücke (von denen ich mir mehr gewünscht hätte) treiben die Wertung aber auf eine gute 8 /10.… Expand
  11. frederik1478
    Dec 27, 2020
    8
    Even 9 years after it's release is it still good game Then you can play in public now , Art style and Narration is why you playing Combat is so one so , The characters and world is engaging So if there is a sale buy it
  12. kraftw33rk
    Aug 5, 2021
    8
    Bastion ist ein wunderschönes Spiel mit herrlichem niedrigem Tempo. Die Grafik ist sehr ansprechend (Ich habe auf Nintendo Switch gespielt). Ein milder Soundtrack drängt sich so gut wie nie auf, ist aber äußerst angenehm mit sehr schönen, leichten Melodien.
    Besonders positiv empfinde ich, auf den Schwierigkeitsgrad während des Spiels selbst Einfluss zu nehmen durch sogenannte "Götzen".    Bastion ist ein wunderschönes Spiel mit herrlichem niedrigem Tempo. Die Grafik ist sehr ansprechend (Ich habe auf Nintendo Switch gespielt). Ein milder Soundtrack drängt sich so gut wie nie auf, ist aber äußerst angenehm mit sehr schönen, leichten Melodien.
    Besonders positiv empfinde ich, auf den Schwierigkeitsgrad während des Spiels selbst Einfluss zu nehmen durch sogenannte "Götzen". Denn bis auf wenige Ausnahmen ist auch "Bastion" wie alle Indie-Spiele die ich (!) gespielt habe, sehr sehr schwer schon im Normalmodus. Das gilt auch für die "Übungsgelände" im Spiel, wo man mit (neu erspielten) Waffen durch Geschickt und Zeitlimit Materialien für deren Verbesserung erspielen kann. Mir gelingt es selten mehr als eines von drei Objekten zu erspielen und ich habe noch niemals alle drei erhalten. Man mag jetzt vielleicht von Unfähigkeit sprechen, ich persönlich jedoch empfinde es als viel zu schwer!
    Der Levelaufstieg - das Wichtigste in Games - findet ebenfalls viel zu selten statt und damit bleiben Items, die mir das Spielen erleichtern könnten, verwehrt.
    zu guter Letzt bleibt noch zu bemängeln, dass es von dem Spiel keine physische Cartridge gibt. Ich bin absolut kein Freund von Streaming und hätte dieses tolle Kleinod gerne in meinem Regal :(
    Wen meine genannten Mängel nicht stören, rate ich dringend zuzugreifen und erleben. Ein echt tolles Abenteuer :)    … Expand
  13. EdwardG
    Nov 9, 2019
    8
    Bastion has a brilliant and unique approach to storytelling. A wonderfully voiced narrator details the exploits of 'the kid', the character you play as, as they occur whilst also painting a picture of what life was like before the calamity. The world building here is exceptional, and these factors elevate Bastion beyond just another action game and make it something truly special.

    The    Bastion has a brilliant and unique approach to storytelling. A wonderfully voiced narrator details the exploits of 'the kid', the character you play as, as they occur whilst also painting a picture of what life was like before the calamity. The world building here is exceptional, and these factors elevate Bastion beyond just another action game and make it something truly special.

    The combat is fun and the game is short enough for you never to feel it gets repetitive. The constant acquisition of new weapons also helps in this regard. Although the combat doesn't leave a lasting impression like the storytelling does, it's still enjoyable.

    Bastion is very memorable thanks to its distinctive style and great story that is interwoven with the game in such a way that it doesn't interrupt the action. This is a great indie title and one that's easy to recommend.    … Expand
  14. Denvers
    Feb 25, 2022
    9
    Bastion is, simply put, one of the greatest dungeon-crawling games ever made. It is intuitive, creative, and with a good narrative! Supergiant Games really knocked it out of the park with this one.
  15. Tiank
    May 31, 2021
    10
    For those who already played the game - the Switch port is great. Runs smoothly, and the game still looks amazing & beautiful.

    For those who haven't played it - it is a great game. But keep in mind it's different from other ARPGs around there. It's best to play with your headphones on and dive into the world and the story. You'll enjoy how the narrator is commenting on everything you    For those who already played the game - the Switch port is great. Runs smoothly, and the game still looks amazing & beautiful.

    For those who haven't played it - it is a great game. But keep in mind it's different from other ARPGs around there. It's best to play with your headphones on and dive into the world and the story. You'll enjoy how the narrator is commenting on everything you do, even when you fall. You'll enjoy the incredible music. And you'll enjoy the story of a world that falls apart and someone tries to do something about it. It's short enough (around 8-10 hours to finish it) for you to be able to do that over several evenings and savour it properly. Because it's not a typical ARPG. It's something more. Something you need to experience at least once. And something you'll remember for a long while after you finish it.    … Expand
  16. JAG7
    Jun 27, 2022
    10
    There’s so much hate out there. Can’t understand why anyone would give a below 9 rating to this jewel of a game! This is a masterpiece, an all-around amazing game. Everything is perfect: controls,gameplay,story, character building, music, graphics. Incredible amazing game . I bought it on sale but is well worth at full price . Very recommended!!
  17. micwideand
    Jun 28, 2021
    9
    Great visuals, very catchy soundtrack and the storytelling alone make this game great.

    An awesome game.
  18. rmw408
    Aug 28, 2021
    9
    My first ever rougeltie. I enjoyed the loop but the game ended just when my character got powerful. A little on the short side but still fun.
  19. chosen0ne
    Sep 22, 2021
    10
    Quite possibly my favorite Switch game of all time! This gorgeous animation and art style thrilled me almost as much as the perfect narration. The combat systems were detailed and fun to experiment with. I played for hours on end to get high scores in the new game plus modes. I recommend this game to everyone who owns a switch!
  20. Key19
    Jan 4, 2022
    8
    Pros:
    -Beautiful art design
    -Fun challenge rooms (both weapon proficiencies and combat gauntlets) -Wide variety of options for weapons and special attacks (a lot of opportunity for experimenting with a huge number of combinations to find the most enjoyable build) -Both a buff system and a nerf system (difficulty can be finely-tuned to personal preference) Cons: -Some people really like    Pros:
    -Beautiful art design
    -Fun challenge rooms (both weapon proficiencies and combat gauntlets)
    -Wide variety of options for weapons and special attacks (a lot of opportunity for experimenting with a huge number of combinations to find the most enjoyable build)
    -Both a buff system and a nerf system (difficulty can be finely-tuned to personal preference)

    Cons:
    -Some people really like the constant narration that fills nearly every moment of the game. I personally found it tiresome after the initial novelty word off. I ended up muting the narrator and just reading the captions because the guy's voice became very annoying. Not everyone will feel the same way, though.
    -Some people really like the soundtrack. I personally was not wowed by it at all. Some tracks are very overused and repetitive in my opinion. None of the tracks stood out to me, and I have already forgotten all of them despite just finishing the game.
    -Shield is overpowered. Being able to infinitely block nearly every attack rendered most enemies powerless. Even groups of enemies were stifled as long as they were all kept in front of the shield, and doing so often wasn't difficult. Shield, wait for the break in the attack pattern, attack once, reshield, repeat until enemy defeated. A bit braindead. Having the option to enable a shield stamina would have been a good balance feature that would give an extra level of customizable difficulty.
    -Loading time for the hub area took a surprisingly long amount of time despite the levels themselves loading pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the hub loading screen was, as you'd imagine, a very recurrent experience.

    Overall:
    Am I glad I bought the game and played it? Yes. Despite its flaws, it was a fun experience. I would recommend watching gameplay footage to get a sense of the combat, and if it seems appealing, grab this one. It's also easy to find a bargain on it if you're willing to wait for a sale. I paid $2.99 and would definitely say it was worth the money.    … Expand
  21. poggomobile
    Apr 7, 2022
    10
    I really loved playing this game. Pretty sure I'll play it again. The graphics and general gameplay just work really well on the switch I think.... I also love the narration (it's the sort of thing that could really mess up a game if done badly but I think it was perfect)
  22. rob4jen
    Sep 21, 2022
    9
    An excellent game. I missed this on previous consoles but I'm glad that it is available on Switch. Highly recommended.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Switch Game of 2018
48
#48 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Nintendo Insider
    Jan 14, 2019
    90
    It’s great to finally see Supergiant Games bring some of their great work over to a Nintendo platform and Bastion easily ranks among the best. From its eye-catching presentation to the mysterious story to the challenging but satisfying combat Bastion is an emotionally fascinating journey from start to finish and one well worth venturing.
    Read full review
  2. FNintendo
    Dec 4, 2018
    90
    Bastion is an involving and accessible adventure that brings its original successful formula back into play, this time on the Nintendo Switch. With a marvelous art style, an intuitive gameplay and a very appealing narration technique, Bastion is without a doubt a game that everyone should try.
    Read full review
  3. Switch Player
    Oct 23, 2018
    90
    Bastion is a thrilling action RPG. Supergiant Games' fans will love it, but it's definitely for those who want a story with incredible music, fascinating characters and incredible gameplay.
    Read full review
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