For those with 360s at your disposal, I can't recommend trying the demo for Bastion enough. I can't necessarily recommend buying the game, since I'm not even sure its right for me yet, but I can sincerely say that everyone who can, should play the demo.
Bastion is a blend of old school RPG, mixed with a sort of contemporary action oriented combat. Set in a 45 degree view, grid like layout, the player will navigate the world, all while seemingly create it. The world seems to be falling apart at the hinges, but is also reconstructing itself all the while. I'm not a huge RPG guy, so this one would probably be a bit of a stretch for me, but the gameplay wasn't really what drew me in.
Bastion uses narration in a really interesting way, at least in what I've seen so far. Narration seems to drive the story forward most of the time, at least in a traditional storytelling way. If the narrator says something, it happens. In Bastion, the narrator responds to the player, describing in real time, what he is currently doing, in the past tense... almost. Although it's a pretty simple concept, it really does a tremendous job of drawing the player into the narration almost forcing them to actively listen. I found myself trying to anticipate what the narrator was going to say, but was usually caught off guard by him. He seems to know what's going to happen before it happens, and the smug delivery of the dialogue even sells this home more.
It's just such an intriguing concept to me, that the gameplay, the parts the player is solely responsible for, is what drives the story. This is a method that active participant media can employ that traditional storytelling mediums (Film, books, etc.) just can't - without putting the power of progress into the participant's hand, the story will always be driven by the author, in the exact way that the author intended it to be. Games grant a unique level of involvement, and as a result, a higher possibility of immersion.
If there is a case to be made as "Games as Art", this element needs to be a part of the discussion. Games copying styles from other mediums isn't going to be what convinces the naysayers and storytelling elitists of the world otherwise.
Anyway you would like to look at it, give the demo for Bastion a try. I think you'll enjoy the few minutes you play, even if you know it isn't going to be for you in the long run. And while you're there, check out "From Dust". That one is looking good as well.
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I played the demo right after our previious Limbo post and thought it was incredibly fitting. At first, I wasn't all to impressed and found myself getting bored. Then, as I kept playing, the use of the narrator completely changes the experience and starts to draw you in. It's a very interactive story that actually made me want to find out how it ends. I doubt I'll buy it for the same reason that I don't know if it's the game for me, but it is definitely very unique.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that really stood out was that it had an almost identical visual style to Braid. It even had me asking if it was made by the same guy.
Very true about the art style. It has sort of a pastel look to it, and the way it breathes and evolves makes it almost feel alive, which compliments the construction mechanic of the level design and the 'reconstructive world' element of the story.
ReplyDeleteI thought the narrator was gonna be a cheesy gimmick at first, but it really does grow on you. I'll definitely be getting one of these incredibly unique arcade games (part of XBL's Summer of Arcade promotion), but will wait until Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is out. Lead Salad got me looking at that one, and now I'm really torn.
I played it this past weekend and then forgot to post, of course. I liked it, too. The colors, the world, the narrator. I liked the design of the character, the weapons. Even in the demo, it had a nice variety of weapons and pick-ups. The gameplay was way more varied than I thought it would be. Multiple attacks mapped to different buttons, a roll, a shield. I guess I just liked the emphasis on strong, varied gameplay as opposed to looking at a bunch of stats in a menu, which is what I always expect when I hear "RPG" nowadays. I wanted to play more when the demo was over. This is one of those "I'll-buy-it-when-it-goes-on-sale-games."
ReplyDeleteSaw Bastion got some decent reviews... and I have my eye on From Dust but on the PC.
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