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These variations on the gameplay, these carrots at the end of the stick only become available the deeper you get. Was my loadout the best? How hard could I make a level and still have it be fun? What loot would the next seemingly dead end yield? I loved coming back to answer these questions. All of this made me want to keep playing - and play in different ways. As I played, I unlocked new weapons like a six shooter and a machete, I found new elixirs that increased the damage of my attacks, and I even unlocked idols that made levels tougher - made enemies unable to be beaten by normal attacks but that gave me greater rewards. I hacked and slashed my way through these levels, but I got to choose my loadouts before I set out. However, those are just the accoutrements. Toss in some fantastic music and sound effects, and Bastion is a blast to experience.
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Bastion's a single-player game, but the narrator was my companion through thick and thin. The narrator entertained me as he announced what I was doing and why it mattered, but his sultry tones also kept me company.
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The graphics are amazing I can only describe the scenes as a watercolor painting with stained glass influences. Still - and this is the rare occasion I say this about a story - it didn't matter. By the time it reached the branching ending, I didn't have strong enough feelings to really care one way or another about the outcome. Like I said, not that different from your average RPG, and it never hooked me. To do this, you'll need to dive into levels, best foes, and collect shards. You awaken as "the Kid," and set off to restore the Bastion - a spot where everyone was supposed to meet if bad stuff went down.
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In Bastion, something called the "Great Calamity" has rolled in and taken out your entire civilization.
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