Well darn it all if the Steam Holiday sale is making the writing of this feature both incredibly easy and infuriatingly difficult. Easy because there is now a ton of games that fit into my under $10 price bracket, and difficult because now I have dozens of excellent games to sift through in order to pick just one to feature. But this frustration was short lived, as Steam managed to serve up one of my favorite games of the past few years and an incredibly reasonable price, only $7.49.And that game, of course, is Bastion. If you ever take anything from my blog, let it be three simple words. Go. Play. Bastion.
Coming as no surprise to anybody that has talked to me about gaming, I love Bastion. And not unjustifiably so. Bastion is an extraordinary gaming experience, a stylistically unique game that has a tendency to stick with you long after you've played it.
Bastion puts you in the role of The Kid, your typical silent protagonist, as you navigate the world after a catastrophic event known only as the Calamity. Bastion takes the form as a action-rpg from an isometric viewpoint, an excellent view for taking in the enthralling, almost watercolour-esque art style. The actual combat of Bastion is simple but well designed, allowing the proper timing of attacking, blocking and dodging to feel immensely satisfying when properly pulled off.
But what makes Bastion unique, and why it deserves your purchase, is the atmosphere. Bastion, for all its simplicity, is incredibly effective at pulling you in to its world. Perhaps it is the smooth and reassuring narration, allowing you to learn about yourself and the world around you as you move through the level. Perhaps it's the way the story and gameplay weave seamlessly together, never letting you know where one ends and the other begins. Perhaps its the way a game with only one speaking role can make you care so much for all its characters. Or perhaps its the jaw-droppingly good soundtrack. Or maybe its all of those things rolled into one that make Bastion an incredible game.
But I could sit here all day fawning over it, which would only be cutting into the time where you could be playing Bastion. So do yourself a favour and pick this one up, you'll get your $7.50 worth, and a whole lot more.
