I covered Bastion a small bit a few days ago in our run up to PAX. Back then I knew little about just what the game was and what it was going to offer beyond some small details given by developers Supergiant Games. Luckily for you (and me) I’ve just returned from my first play through preview of the game and have come away not only impressed, but also with many more details than I originally had.

To begin with, Bastion is not an action RPG like Deathspank or Torchlight, like I had originally assumed it would be. While the perspective is the same, the combat, items, loot, and everything in between is all different. This is an action RPG that plays completely different from the archtypes we’ve been given over the years by the bigger developers.

But before I begin explaining the combat, item usage, leveling, or anything of that matter, I have to explain the narrator a bit. The narrator in Bastion is unique. While he explains things as you go throughout the story, the way which the game uses the narrator is quite astonishing. You see, the narrator, while scripted, is not necessarily bound to any sort of path. He’ll explain things as things happen depending on whether you do them or not. It’s a really fluid narration experience and one that the developers promise will be included in an integral way to shaping the world.

Speaking of shaping the world, if you’ve yet to read my introductory post, you’d be interested in knowing that the world of Bastion has been completely destroyed. In fact, when you wake up, you’re on a lone island surrounded by nothing. It’s only as you walk (which the developers hinted at is a special property of you) that the world gets rebuilt. Eventually you’ll make your way to the town where you can actually rebuild the town yourself, deciding which buildings go where.

Anyway, back to the combat. While Bastion looks like it would probably borrow many ideas from Diablo, in reality the game is not quite as fast as that. It’s a much more methodical type combat filled with various weapons and combos you can perform (although I didn’t get to see any). Additionally, the game’s enemies aren’t loot laden, as with other action RPGs. In Bastion, the enemies drop crystals instead. Crystals are sort of currency which can be used to upgrade or enhance your weapons, and skills.

Finally, when you level your character up, instead  of receiving a simple stat upgrade or a new skill, you’ll instead be offered something called “perks.” Perks are unique skill enhancements that can have a number of good and bad effects depending on what you get. I wasn’t able to see very many of these perks, unfortunately, but it’s still a unique system that deviates from the traditional action RPG, which, in a way, makes Bastion all the more desirable.

Bastion is not set to be released until 2o11, unfortunately, however the developers are currently looking to partner up with Microsoft, Sony, and all of the various big name PC digital distributors for a release later next year. Until then, you’ll have to survive off our own previews.

PAX video