Bastion

[Craymen Edge]

I'm enjoying this, but not to the extent that a lot of people seem to be. I can't see it figuring in any of my game of the year lists.

The art is nice, but the levels appearing before you for the most part feels like a gimmick. There are a couple of times when it affects the gameplay - like bigger enemies destroying the ground - but not many. The main character's animation is a bit off too, which makes moving him around look and feel jerky and slower than it should be.

I do love the music though. along with the atmosphere, and the way the story is fed to you in drips and drabs by the narrator; will keep me playing it through to the end.

[Hendo]

Bought it yesterday, same as Craymen - it's pretty good so far but I can't see why all the fapping.

Is it a short game? I get that impression or is it just that the stages so far have been really short?

[pickled]

I played the demo, wasn't really feeling it to be honest and the narrator really started to grate on me even after only about 10 minutes into the demo. It does look pretty though but it's not for me!

[retroed]

Some (almost) free DLC coming soon.

Bastion fans to receive the gift of DLC this holiday season

Supergiant Games have previously insisted that there would be no DLC for Bastion, stating that it was designed to be a complete, stand-alone experience. Well Bastion fans rejoice, for today it has been announced that those sly old dogs Supergiant Games decided to put a little something together for the holidays as a show of thanks to their fans anyway. Set your diary for December 14 as the new DLC entitled Stranger Dream will be released for XBLA.

The Stranger’s Dream DLC will include a brand new, fully narrated sequence, said to give players more insight into Ruck’s story plus two new gameplay modes. The first, Score Attack Mode, is designed to be a challenging new way to play through the story where your combat performance is rated for efficiency. No-Sweat Mode on the other hand is for those who just want to experience the story of Bastion, providing unlimited chances to carry on if you’re defeated in battle. Player’s will need to have completed the main story at least once in order to play Score Attack Mode and the new Stranger’s Dream sequence.

So how much will this set you back? Only 80 MSP. Yes that’s not a typo, Supergiant Games wanted to gift this to their fans for free unfortunately Microsoft policy doesn’t allow it but at 80 MSP it’s about as close as you could get.

http://www.xblafans.com/bastion-fans-to-receive-the-gift-of-dlc-this-holiday-season-32747.html

[Hendo]

Started this again from scratch yesterday, I came on to find out what people's ultimate set-ups were.

Defect with shield, smack with Hammer, follow with Musket - every body dies.

Same as me, not long got the shotgun thing, upgraded it's width over range I think. Also I have a friendly squirt as my special move as I like having assistance in these kind of games. I'm hoping though that I can either upgrade him later on or swap him for a more powerful enemy type.

Fair play, I'd forgotten just how gorgeous this game is.

[Hendo]

Just finished it, had a read through the plot synopsis on wikipedia and I still can't figure out why the story is highly regarded.

I was expecting some major twists....

at one point I thought that Ruck and The Kid might turn out to be one and the same, but with time travel involved.

Also there seemed to be nods of it being a game but didn't seem to make it clearer.

Maybe it's because I chose the ending that makes the NewGame+ slightly more defunct as I went for everything returning back to how it was - I should've gone for them leaving Caeledonia just to see how different (if at all) the new location was.

I'll keep on playing but I value the art style and the gameplay is brilliant but not sure it deserves the nods for best story of the year or whatever.

[HandsomeDead]

I think with regards to the story is, like say Half-life 2 or Silent Hill 2, it's in the way it's told rather than the story itself. It's just quite a standard post-apocalyptic tale to be honest. I thought the ending was awesome, as I genuinely wasn't expecting that to happen in game like that.

Awesome game, I think. Got all the 'chieves too.

[Hendo]

I think that the clever thing about the story itself....

is that it's pretty much Groundhog Day. Or at least it is for my ending of choosing to send things back to how they were before - I'd be interested to know how different it is if you choose the "leave this place" ending and then do NewGame+.

Combat's brilliant though, the thing that's really making me come back, especially to see how buffed up I can get with my weapons and skills.

[Hendo]

On my 3rd playthough now, only got a couple of upgrades left. May not bother doing much more though - I've pretty much not bothered with the proving grounds either.

I still say the story isn't as clever as people made out it was. There's bits that I like (one where it revisits an earlier moment and puts what you did into another perspective) but I was expecting more from the different choices and NG+.

Amazing game to play though, I'm such a powered-up beast that it would be hard going to a completely new game.

[hinn888]

I've just done that level where you see it in a different perspective, adds a nice twist into the game, seemed to easy going at first

I'm currently favouring the bow and war machete, might change them all around soon and go for the vigils

[Hendo]

I'm currently favouring the bow and war machete

Completely different to me, those two are the weapons I've least likely to use!

I go for the cannon thing and either pike or flame thrower.

I was thinking about this last night on how I always end up playing these kind of games a certain way so I tune my stuff accordingly. I tend to button mash and rarely properly defend myself so I put spirits into getting health back when I hit enemies, extra health tonics, extra health (on the bar) and spec the weapons to do as much damage as possible, also quick reloads.

[hinn888]

Finished my 2nd playthrough, ended up sticking with the hammer, breaker bow & squirt lure.

Having the lure is a pretty decent decoy.

I never realised how short the game is when you run through it, its crazy! Either way im done with this for now.

[DANGERMAN]

I finished this last night, I never really took to this. Without spoiling things too much, when the tone shifts about halfway through it got more interesting, and the music is amazing, but I'm surprised everyone else seems to have enjoyed the gameplay so much. It does get better when you learn to parry, but I was still mainly shooting, then swording, then rolling or blocking.

Which I guess is a point, I can see that the game varies a bit depending on your weapon set. I kept the war machete, early on it was the quickest weapon, by the end I had a perk that continued to do damage, so I took to throwing the sword more and keeping my distance.

I didn't hate it or anything, and it reminded me of Limbo in that I wasn't taken with the core gameplay but it was the atmosphere that made it, only it never clicked for me like Limbo. Consequently, when you get a choice I really didn't give a shit

[Craymen Edge]

Oddly, I find myself feeling much, much fonder of this game several months after I finished it.

Not to the same levels of some people discussing it for GotY, or the recent Cane & Rinse podcast love-in, but the atmosphere and general presentation seems to have stuck with me.

I've yet to do the the new game+. Maybe I'll really love it next time, or maybe it will memories back in line with how I felt at the time.

[Hendo]

I bought the soundtrack after I completed it the first time, it's brilliant.

Found this today, sound isn't great due to recording from the camera mic but a brilliant performance.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DGxgFxF47XY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[illdog]

That was awesome, especially the last two minutes.

Also, that bird has big tits.

[hinn888]

Been listening to the album preview on Supergiant Game's website, pretty good album, loving the album art work too.

My fave one has to be the one Hendo posted.

[halfagogo]

this is only 600 points & the dlc 80 points this week for gold members.

[Hendo]

Oddly, out now on iPad for 3 quid.

Apparently there's a simpler control method that uses auto attacking, as well as the normal one. Can't see virtual button controls being too good for a game like this but I bet it looks beautiful.

[radiofloyd]

Started this today on PC, played for half an hour as far as the Bastion.

Controls are fucking horrible on PC - WASD to move, X to block, F to heal, Q for ability, SPC to roll - I mean it works but...

Graphics and music are ace, gameplay is kinda shit so far. I mean it's an isometric action rpg and it looks like Torchlight but it doesn't really play like Torchlight. It seems like dodging and blocking are an integral part of the game yet the keyboard controls pretty much box those away.

Will I just get a wired Xbox controller?