I know it's been a long time since I reviewed a video game...and to be honest, with school, internships, and ComicCon I haven't had a lot of quality couch-sitting time.

So, I was really pleasantly surprised when the game: Bastion lived up to the glowing reviews and delivered some solid, enjoyable gameplay.



For $15 on XBL it's a relatively inexpensive title considering what it delivers. I'm a fan of simpler games that find the right balance of engaging story and gameplay without the aid of high-end graphics: games like Katamari and Odin Sphere. (Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of frackin' epic graphics as well. I just have to give a special credit where it's due to the more minimalist developers.)

And, really, saying "simpler graphics" isn't the right phrase because these graphics are beautiful watercolor-esque designs. They're just different from the realistic focus of the bulk of the next-gen games.

Often times, a game that's so heavy on narration can get real annoying real fast...and then controllers start flying. But, the sly dynamic narration never seems to get old for me. You'll notice it right off the bat as the story opens with you sitting on a bed and as you move the narrator begins the story in relation to what you're doing--and he does it with flair!

That narrator even cheekily notices when I can't help but stop to smash or burn everything in sight saying, "burning the brambles became an addiction."

With the narration following your actions, the gameplay is left open for multiple replays in order to see what alternative actions would produce. And, speaking of replay value, the game also has multiple endings. So, be sure to save accordingly (there's only one save slot) in order to experience them both.

With that out of the way, there's nothing more to say about this game other than it's a solid action-RPG (one of my favorite genres) that's sure to give you an engaging story and fun hack-and-slash action.

So, download it today and enjoy!





Edit: I'm not sure why Castle Crashers is up on everyone's radar based on this review. Castle Crashers was released in 2008 while Bastion was released 9 days ago. I played Castle Crashers when it came out; many, many times. I wrote several blogs about it. Everyone and their mother played Castle Crashers...and there was much rejoicing.

So, I'm a little confused why people think it's a relevant recommendation (the assumption being you're telling someone about something they haven't already heard about in the past three years).

But, just in case you've been living in a cave for a while here's a list of some of the top downloadable games that you've probably already heard about, downloaded, and played:

Castle Crashers
Fat Princess
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Shadow Complex
Puzzle Quest (all of 'em...even the space one)
The Secret of Monkey Island
Portal
Limbo
Braid (I hated it, but everyone else loved it. So, I'm including it because of peer pressure)
Geometry Wars

And, keeping the video game theme going, but adding some boobs to the mix. My Gears of War set is still in Member Review. (Talk about some EPIC graphics!) Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think:



lpadvent recently commented on the set; asking if I got to keep the lancer. And, the answer is yes. Everything in the set is mine: the lancer, the cog tags, the shirt, the boobs. Not only did I take it all home with me, but I carried it into the local movie theater after the shoot. I can't remember which movie I went to see, but the state governor was there (this was before he was governor) and let me cut in front of him in line...I like to think the lancer had something to do with that.