Pros: Bastion is an absolute masterpiece that makes a strong case for greatest indie game of all time, period. To begin with its lesser triumphs, the game features phenomenal music, near-flawless design, and a striking visual art style, particularly in the beautiful still drawings like the one you see near the top of this screen. As far as gameplay goes, it's hard to imagine a better-executed single-player action RPG; it's just fun to play. To name just one great design choice, the customizable difficulty/reward system is fantastic. But since the other reviews covered the gameplay aspect nicely, I'm going to focus on Bastion's single most glorious strength: the narration. In most games, that would be a strange thing to pick out. Narration is typically used as exposition if at all, and is not always welcome, though it has been used to great effect. The most exemplary experience would be the...

Cons: The other reviewers were correct in pointing out that it can be hard to tell when you're about to fall off an edge. That said, it doesn't hurt that much when you do, so it's not a huge deal. Also, a few of the god bonuses could be balanced better, and not every power-up or weapon available seems particularly useful. It's a bit annoying that you can't go back to old levels, but it does force the player to move forward and hear more of the incredible narration instead of just replaying old levels, which really wouldn't be that much fun. There just aren't any major complaints to give about Bastion.

Pros: Bastion is an absolute masterpiece that makes a strong case for greatest indie game of all time, period. To begin with its lesser triumphs, the game features phenomenal music, near-flawless design, and a striking visual art style, particularly in the beautiful still drawings like the one you see near the top of this screen. As far as gameplay goes, it's hard to imagine a better-executed single-player action RPG; it's just fun to play. To name just one great design choice, the customizable difficulty/reward system is fantastic. But since the other reviews covered the gameplay aspect nicely, I'm going to focus on Bastion's single most glorious strength: the narration.

In most games, that would be a strange thing to pick out. Narration is typically used as exposition if at all, and is not always welcome, though it has been used to great effect. The most exemplary experience would be the Portal series, but Bastion manages an even more difficult feat: while the Valve titles mix darkness with light humor and tell much of their story via environmental cues, virtually everything you learn about in Bastion comes from the rich voice of the narrator, who takes his world very seriously. Because of this, the game could easily have come off as ridiculous if the writing, the story, or the voice acting were of lower quality. But all three are top-notch, and each deserves separate consideration.

Bastion may be the only game I have ever played whose individual written lines have stuck with me. Not just mottos or plot points like "The cake is a lie" or "Would you kindly" either-- I mean the casual throwaways interspersed into everything else. This is the kind of thing that separates great writing from the middling and forgettable, or even the merely good. Not that every single line in Bastion is a work of staggering genius, but when the narrator tells you that stabweed "Hurts like a broken heart" or that one of the characters was "raised like a gentleman" learning "theology, history, and mercy," you sit up and pay attention, dammit. If the beauty of human language means anything to you, playing Bastion is an experience to be treasured. By the time I got to the huge Lunkhead boss, Sir Lunky, I was so enraptured that the name struck me as amusing and even a little badass, not ridiculous.

The brilliance of the writing isn't merely technical or poetic either. Bastion takes place in an original world with its own history, geography, and cultures. Most of the game involves the player learning about events leading up to the apocalyptic Calamity, meaning that a great deal of the narrative action has taken place before the start of the game. I won't spoil anything, but it's a story of war, exploitation, colonization, and human folly that miraculously avoids heavy-handedness. It's not a direct allegory, but it may be a cautionary tale, or it may just be a damn good story. Maybe the best example is its treatment of religion (minor spoilers): the gods exist and are hostile, but they've also been converted into children's toys, their altars ignored. The real-world parallel is there, but it's less important than the sheer beauty of the narrative. And at the very end of the game, when the protagonist known only as the Kid literally holds this fictional world's fate in his hands, you feel like you're making a truly momentous decision: not just about the future of the Kid and his companions, but about human nature in general. It takes quite a bit of thought.

As for the voice acting, there just isn't much to say other than that it's pitch-perfect. You really just have to hear it. And so, this is the point in the review when I tell you to stop reading this review and go buy Bastion. I have the highest hopes for the future of fledgling developer Supergiant Games, but regardless of what they do from here on out, Bastion will stand as a proud milestone marking what an indie game can be.

Cons: The other reviewers were correct in pointing out that it can be hard to tell when you're about to fall off an edge. That said, it doesn't hurt that much when you do, so it's not a huge deal. Also, a few of the god bonuses could be balanced better, and not every power-up or weapon available seems particularly useful. It's a bit annoying that you can't go back to old levels, but it does force the player to move forward and hear more of the incredible narration instead of just replaying old levels, which really wouldn't be that much fun. There just aren't any major complaints to give about Bastion.

Pros: Bastion tells the tale of a hero known only as "The Kid," who finds his world torn apart by some great calamity. It's up to the player to explore what's left and try to return things back to how they used to be. Bastion's most unique feature is it's use of an ever-present narrator, who will commentate on your actions throughout the game. It would be all too easy for this kind of gimmick to become tiresome and stale, but Supergiant Games has taken great care to make sure it stays fresh from beginning to end. You will never hear the narrator say the same thing twice, and as the story takes multiple twists and turns, the narration is used brilliantly to help color how you learn about the game's world and characters. Story aside, however, the game is all action. You control your character from an isometric perspective, and can equip any two of the game's many different weapons to pound,...

Cons: It would be unfair to call Bastion a short game, but it's not exactly long, either. However, the game does offer a high level of replayability, thanks to it's New Game Plus feature, and the ability to customize the difficulty to your liking by invoking various idols at the in-game shrine. Bastion uses a very brightly colored, almost otherworldly palette for it's painted backgrounds. While this is very aesthetically pleasing, the mixture of these colors and an isometric perspective sometimes make it difficult to determine where exactly the ground ends, or how far away an enemy projectile is. The latter in particular can make the game's "counter" mechanic much more frustrating than it should be. Even the game's greatest strength, it's narration, may still annoy some players. While I found it interesting and entertaining, your mileage may vary.

Pros: Bastion tells the tale of a hero known only as "The Kid," who finds his world torn apart by some great calamity. It's up to the player to explore what's left and try to return things back to how they used to be.

Bastion's most unique feature is it's use of an ever-present narrator, who will commentate on your actions throughout the game. It would be all too easy for this kind of gimmick to become tiresome and stale, but Supergiant Games has taken great care to make sure it stays fresh from beginning to end. You will never hear the narrator say the same thing twice, and as the story takes multiple twists and turns, the narration is used brilliantly to help color how you learn about the game's world and characters.

Story aside, however, the game is all action. You control your character from an isometric perspective, and can equip any two of the game's many different weapons to pound, slash, or shoot your way through the game. While that may sound simple enough, the game uses light RPG elements to add some much welcome depth to the combat experience. Not only will The Kid gain experience and go up levels, you may enhance and customize any of the game's weapons to your liking. There are also various "spirits" available at the game's distillery, which you can equip to gain various passive buffs and abilities. With all these options at your fingertips, it is very easy to try out many different play-styles, and find one exactly to your liking.

Cons: It would be unfair to call Bastion a short game, but it's not exactly long, either. However, the game does offer a high level of replayability, thanks to it's New Game Plus feature, and the ability to customize the difficulty to your liking by invoking various idols at the in-game shrine.

Bastion uses a very brightly colored, almost otherworldly palette for it's painted backgrounds. While this is very aesthetically pleasing, the mixture of these colors and an isometric perspective sometimes make it difficult to determine where exactly the ground ends, or how far away an enemy projectile is. The latter in particular can make the game's "counter" mechanic much more frustrating than it should be.

Even the game's greatest strength, it's narration, may still annoy some players. While I found it interesting and entertaining, your mileage may vary.

Pros: Bastion is an action RPG that takes place in a lush and beautiful world shattered by what is called the "Great Calamity". You play as "the Kid" who seems to be the sole survivor of this catastrophe, left to rebuild his broken world. However, he is guided by "the Narrator" who announces the Kid's every triumph and downfall. The Narrator brings storytelling in a game to all new heights and it is executed perfectly in this game. There is never a dull moment in Bastion with his witty commentary and sultry voice. This game is all about the action with a slight RPG element to it. Equipped with two weapons and a special attack, the Kid must make his way collecting shards to rebuild his world. There are a variety of weapons to collect and the ability to customize your load-out and upgrade them allows you to tailor-fit the game to your fighting style. Leveling up also unlocks passive abilities...

Cons: As beautiful the game is, sometimes the scenery blends in too well with other game elements and you'll find yourself rolling right off the level like a doomed lemming. Although the Narrator's commentary is neat and all, some may find it annoying at times. I know during some moments, I felt that he was mocking me... Also, the inability to play levels again is a letdown. You'd have to beat the game and play on a new difficulty to enjoy the game again.

Pros: Bastion is an action RPG that takes place in a lush and beautiful world shattered by what is called the "Great Calamity". You play as "the Kid" who seems to be the sole survivor of this catastrophe, left to rebuild his broken world. However, he is guided by "the Narrator" who announces the Kid's every triumph and downfall. The Narrator brings storytelling in a game to all new heights and it is executed perfectly in this game. There is never a dull moment in Bastion with his witty commentary and sultry voice.

This game is all about the action with a slight RPG element to it. Equipped with two weapons and a special attack, the Kid must make his way collecting shards to rebuild his world. There are a variety of weapons to collect and the ability to customize your load-out and upgrade them allows you to tailor-fit the game to your fighting style. Leveling up also unlocks passive abilities for you to choose from. There are also 'mods' to unlock at the Temple, which ramp up the difficulty in the game. The more mods you have turned on, the greater the reward in experience and in-game currency. With so many things to customize in the game, it's hard for any single level to be the same if you like to switch up your weapons.

The presentation of this game is simply superb. From the gorgeous menus to easy to pick up and play controls, Bastion is a highly polished game. I could not help but gawk at the detail and artistic elements of the world and its scenery. It can be best described as playing in a watercolor wonderland. As you progress through the stages, the world is built right before you and makes for some very breathtaking scenes. And what of the music? Bastion's soundtrack is also done very well! When the upbeat tempo of the background music starts raring, you know you're in for a brutal fight.

Cons: As beautiful the game is, sometimes the scenery blends in too well with other game elements and you'll find yourself rolling right off the level like a doomed lemming.

Although the Narrator's commentary is neat and all, some may find it annoying at times. I know during some moments, I felt that he was mocking me...

Also, the inability to play levels again is a letdown. You'd have to beat the game and play on a new difficulty to enjoy the game again.