Hello, dear reader, I hope you’re having a good day. I’ve played Bastion and I will post a video reviewing it on my channel Lunar Nebula LLC Gaming. I’m not being paid to write this blog, and it contains information based on my opinion after beating the game. I think the game’s age rating is appropriate (12+ on the App Store). It contains fantasy violence, some alcohol references, and a heavy, poignant story which can turn out well. Depending on your choices at the end of the game, of course.
Disclaimer: I’m not being paid by Supergiant Games, LLC or anyone else to write this review. The only money I could make would be through advertising on this site or on YouTube at this point in time.
Parents should know- Bastion has an amazingly well told, but heavy, story of loss and perseverance. Some thematic elements exist such as the animosity, if not racism, between Caelondia and the Ura. The combat in this game features cartoonish fantasy violence against various monsters and the Ura. The violence is not graphic. The game features a variety of drinkable spirits, referencing alcohol. These spirits are upgrades you can equip in the game. You could make an argument the spirits might not be alcoholic, yet the narrator mentions aftereffects similar to alcohol. And alcohol references are included in the age rating. I don’t remember any outright explanation of the spirits as alcohol. The main character is called the Kid, yet his age is never explicitly stated. I couldn’t find any valid fan sites to pin an age to him either. My assumption is that the Kid is a young man. Religious references in the game include idols for the pantheon of gods in Bastion. The game never shows religious activities or really describes them other than Rucks saying he hasn’t prayed in a while. Rucks does describe the personalities of the gods when you activate the idols. Idols in the game are used to increase the difficulty of gameplay. If your child has seen a PG Star Wars film or read a modern young adult novel, they should be fine with bastion. Many young adult novels feature similar heavy subjects. I think the age rating of 12+ is appropriate.
Life Lessons- The game teaches players how determination in the face of overwhelming odds can get you through the hardest challenges life throws at you. Whether it’s a friend’s betrayal or an angry anklegator, just keep moving and things can get better. Even after Calamity.
Story- The story is slowly revealed by playing the game. The narrator, Rucks, will describe the Kid’s actions and explain more about the world as you progress. Extra challenges, the stages which share the name Who Knows Where, will reveal characters’ backstories and extra information about the world. Great pacing keeps you listening to Logan Cunningham’s narration as Rucks, waiting for one more tidbit of info as you listen to his awesome voice. I think the Story is the primary reason to play Bastion. This is why I've tried to keep spoilers to a minimum in this review of a game released in 2011.
Gameplay- Bastion is a fast-paced action RPG. Combat can be approached in many different ways with a variety of weapons and skills. The weapons have two upgrade paths. Players can choose individual upgrades and swap between the two paths. This gives the player lots of customization opportunities. The game’s difficulty can be easily changed with idols at the shrines. Bastion isn’t normally difficult, and, if any level is giving you trouble, you can turn on infinite lives. My playthrough had lag, animation skips, and delays. Still smooth enough to play and enjoy. I believe the amount of data on my iPad and the updates to iOS have affected the game. My iPad air 2 has always been a little funky too. My recording software probably didn’t help the issue. Honestly, I think the game will run better on someone else’s machine. When I first bought the game years ago I didn’t notice any lag. Please note Bastion saves the game after you finish levels. You may notice in my let’s play on Lunar Nebula LLC Gaming I had to reconstruct buildings and buy items a second time if I quit the game instead of continuing on to a new level after making these purchases.
Sound- Bastion features an original soundtrack. It often mentions you should wear headphones for the best sound for good reason. Gameplay sounds seem to be off-kilter at loading screens and at the occasional lag spikes. I enjoy Bastion’s original music and sound design so this hasn’t been a deal breaker for me. As I mentioned above, I think a machine with less data on it will run this game smoothly.
Controller- MFi controllers should work with Bastion. The Nimbus Wireless controller certainly does. I’m not certain about other controllers. The site, https://afterpad.com/mfigamelist/, seems to contain information on games which work with MFi controllers. I cannot verify their information. There wasn’t lag when I used the Nimbus off-screen. Auto targeting does seem to fluctuate. It doesn’t turn on or off during gameplay. When I first used the controller auto targeting was intact. When I recorded the game, auto targeting was off. I probably changed a setting unknowingly. I also didn’t flip between classic controls and touchscreen controls when I first tried the controller.
Price- Bastion gives quality content for the $4.99 price on iOS! It’s $14.99 on mac. The game is sometimes on sale, and I recommend grabbing it when you can.
iPad notes- Bastion doesn’t need high brightness. Using a controller does drain the battery more. The game takes up about 1.27 GB on your device.
Other reviews- If you Google Bastion, you will find it ranks highly among most reviewers. It has a 9/10 from IGN, 10/10 on Steam, and so on.
Would I recommend Bastion? Yes! The game is starting to show its age, yet it’s still one of the best examples of good storytelling through gameplay I’ve seen. It’s one of my favorite games. It combines action, story, and music beautifully.
by Brian Petrilli AKA Jalinon
Disclaimer: I’m not being paid by Supergiant Games, LLC or anyone else to write this review. The only money I could make would be through advertising on this site or on YouTube at this point in time.
Parents should know- Bastion has an amazingly well told, but heavy, story of loss and perseverance. Some thematic elements exist such as the animosity, if not racism, between Caelondia and the Ura. The combat in this game features cartoonish fantasy violence against various monsters and the Ura. The violence is not graphic. The game features a variety of drinkable spirits, referencing alcohol. These spirits are upgrades you can equip in the game. You could make an argument the spirits might not be alcoholic, yet the narrator mentions aftereffects similar to alcohol. And alcohol references are included in the age rating. I don’t remember any outright explanation of the spirits as alcohol. The main character is called the Kid, yet his age is never explicitly stated. I couldn’t find any valid fan sites to pin an age to him either. My assumption is that the Kid is a young man. Religious references in the game include idols for the pantheon of gods in Bastion. The game never shows religious activities or really describes them other than Rucks saying he hasn’t prayed in a while. Rucks does describe the personalities of the gods when you activate the idols. Idols in the game are used to increase the difficulty of gameplay. If your child has seen a PG Star Wars film or read a modern young adult novel, they should be fine with bastion. Many young adult novels feature similar heavy subjects. I think the age rating of 12+ is appropriate.
Life Lessons- The game teaches players how determination in the face of overwhelming odds can get you through the hardest challenges life throws at you. Whether it’s a friend’s betrayal or an angry anklegator, just keep moving and things can get better. Even after Calamity.
Story- The story is slowly revealed by playing the game. The narrator, Rucks, will describe the Kid’s actions and explain more about the world as you progress. Extra challenges, the stages which share the name Who Knows Where, will reveal characters’ backstories and extra information about the world. Great pacing keeps you listening to Logan Cunningham’s narration as Rucks, waiting for one more tidbit of info as you listen to his awesome voice. I think the Story is the primary reason to play Bastion. This is why I've tried to keep spoilers to a minimum in this review of a game released in 2011.
Gameplay- Bastion is a fast-paced action RPG. Combat can be approached in many different ways with a variety of weapons and skills. The weapons have two upgrade paths. Players can choose individual upgrades and swap between the two paths. This gives the player lots of customization opportunities. The game’s difficulty can be easily changed with idols at the shrines. Bastion isn’t normally difficult, and, if any level is giving you trouble, you can turn on infinite lives. My playthrough had lag, animation skips, and delays. Still smooth enough to play and enjoy. I believe the amount of data on my iPad and the updates to iOS have affected the game. My iPad air 2 has always been a little funky too. My recording software probably didn’t help the issue. Honestly, I think the game will run better on someone else’s machine. When I first bought the game years ago I didn’t notice any lag. Please note Bastion saves the game after you finish levels. You may notice in my let’s play on Lunar Nebula LLC Gaming I had to reconstruct buildings and buy items a second time if I quit the game instead of continuing on to a new level after making these purchases.
Sound- Bastion features an original soundtrack. It often mentions you should wear headphones for the best sound for good reason. Gameplay sounds seem to be off-kilter at loading screens and at the occasional lag spikes. I enjoy Bastion’s original music and sound design so this hasn’t been a deal breaker for me. As I mentioned above, I think a machine with less data on it will run this game smoothly.
Controller- MFi controllers should work with Bastion. The Nimbus Wireless controller certainly does. I’m not certain about other controllers. The site, https://afterpad.com/mfigamelist/, seems to contain information on games which work with MFi controllers. I cannot verify their information. There wasn’t lag when I used the Nimbus off-screen. Auto targeting does seem to fluctuate. It doesn’t turn on or off during gameplay. When I first used the controller auto targeting was intact. When I recorded the game, auto targeting was off. I probably changed a setting unknowingly. I also didn’t flip between classic controls and touchscreen controls when I first tried the controller.
Price- Bastion gives quality content for the $4.99 price on iOS! It’s $14.99 on mac. The game is sometimes on sale, and I recommend grabbing it when you can.
iPad notes- Bastion doesn’t need high brightness. Using a controller does drain the battery more. The game takes up about 1.27 GB on your device.
Other reviews- If you Google Bastion, you will find it ranks highly among most reviewers. It has a 9/10 from IGN, 10/10 on Steam, and so on.
Would I recommend Bastion? Yes! The game is starting to show its age, yet it’s still one of the best examples of good storytelling through gameplay I’ve seen. It’s one of my favorite games. It combines action, story, and music beautifully.
by Brian Petrilli AKA Jalinon