Bastion Reviews

Bastion is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Jul 19, 2011

Bastion's only visible flaw is that it takes a little while to show its true colours. While it's not at all slow or plodding in its opening stages, its most powerful assets - the many imaginative and useful array of weapons, its challenging side activities, and a story far more interesting and thought-provoking than what first appears - aren't obvious from the outset. A demo might not reveal these strengths, but give Bastion a chance - it's a whip smart action title that's satisfying through and through, and gets the Summer of Arcade off to an absolutely rollicking start.

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Apr 8, 2015

Bastion stood out as one of the best titles when it first released years ago, and it stands just as tall this time around.

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5 / 5.0
Apr 6, 2015

All in all, Bastion manages to maintain its shine. The game is still stunning in both its art direction and writing.

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10 / 10
Aug 17, 2011

I found Bastion to be a great game. The visuals are beautiful, the narration is well done, the story feels solid and the soundtrack is so good that I even purchased the album to listen to when I'm not playing the game.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Jul 19, 2011

Bastion is the epitome of why XBLA alone is worth owning an Xbox 360 for. The game defines what passionate developers can accomplish on the platform, and if you appreciate old-school design with a modern twist, not playing this game could be considered a crime. It has so much to love and is one of the few games I was not ready to be over when the credits rolled. The Summer of Arcade starts off with a massive bang, and I suggest everyone give this one a go when it lands this week.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 10, 2018

The Switch release plays just as smoothly as any modern game. No frame drops are present and it works beautifully in handheld mode. While there is no new content with this release, it still feels right at home on the Switch. If you've played Bastion in the past or if you've missed out on the previous releases, I wholeheartedly recommend Bastion for anyone looking for a fantastic action RPG.

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9.3 / 10.0
Jul 19, 2011

A fascinating journey into a mysterious world has all the hallmarks of a future classic

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92%
Sep 16, 2011

When I close a good, long book, I always feel a little sad, as if I had just said good bye to an old friend. I want to know what happens to the characters that I grew to love, but I have to accept the end and move on. Bastion is a short game, which will run most people around five or six hours. Nevertheless, I feel that same kind of loss. Although I truly believe that Bastion could have doubled its length in terms of gameplay, I’m glad that the story didn’t risk imploding on itself. Don’t let anyone tell you this is a Diablo clone—that would cheapen Bastion; it needs to be heard to be believed.

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9.2 / 10.0
Apr 27, 2015

Bastion is a joy. It's a game that has all the pieces in place. The key to the game's immense entertainment value is how unbelievably well each piece marries to the next; the result is a smorgasbord of color and action, and one you will undoubtedly appreciate.

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IGN
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Aug 22, 2011

When I beat Bastion for the first time, I reloaded my save and played through for the second ending. When that was done, I started my new game plus. I'm not the repeat type of gamer, but Bastion's leveling, weapon upgrades, and difficulty tweaks are just too gosh-darn addictive. The story could've been better, but it doesn't matter. This game is amazing and you owe it to yourself to download it.

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9 / 10.0
Dec 20, 2016

I now know why people fell in love with Bastion. It's a perfectly proportioned, well packaged, beautiful escape into a foreign world with compelling music, art, and narration. There's no real added benefits to playing it on the Xbox One besides a few more achievements, but then again, it doesn't really need any upgrades. It's fairly perfect as it stands.

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Jul 22, 2011

Bastion advances video games as art. In the same breath, it can challenge your thumbs and make you wonder about the possibilities of its world. It feels like a retail game; it feels like a straight shot to the summer gaming drag; it feels like the beginning of something bigger. If Limbo is any sign of things to come, you'll probably be hearing a lot of positive things about Bastion over the next few weeks.

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9 / 10
Jul 19, 2011

Bastion is the perfect game to kick off Microsoft's Summer of Arcade, capturing that certain something that Limbo and Braid had in previous years.

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9 / 10
Apr 5, 2015

When we played Bastion for the first time a few years ago, we literally gave it an instinctive standing ovation as the credits began to roll, and our pleasantly surprised reaction remains justified. This game is a testament to the type of human creativity, innovation, and wonder that are sometimes only possible with indie games, and now that it has graced Sony's systems, you can understand why it will continue to entrench itself as a classic for years to come.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 19, 2011

It's not always about the adventure you go on, but sometimes it's the way the story is told. Bastion weaves an incredible story that goes places I wasn't expecting. The game's narrations are unlike anything I've experienced before; improving what could have been an otherwise mediocre dungeon crawler. With some clever twists and turns, Bastion stays interesting from beginning to end!

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Aug 5, 2011

Bastion is an intriguing and eclectic action-heavy RPG with great audio and visuals, and it mixes some interesting mechanics with tried and true gameplay. $15 might be a little steep for some gamers given its length, but this is a game you ought to play, particularly if you care about replayability.

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9 / 10
Sep 11, 2018

Bastion is an unforgettable and enjoyable piece of software that stands as a strong example of how games can also be perceived as art. A charismatic narrator, beautiful visuals, intense action gameplay and heavy character customization make this a fairytale that you'll want to dive into again and again, and while the isometric view sometimes gets in the way of the gameplay, the other aspects of Bastion more than make up for this slight misstep. We'd highly recommend you give Bastion a try if you haven't played it elsewhere already; though this Switch port brings nothing new to the table, Bastion is a memorable modern classic that is an absolute must-play.

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9 / 10
Dec 4, 2018

Bastion on the Nintendo Switch brings back a successful RPG that is full of marvelous details, including a brilliant art style, a very involving narration technique and some very accessible gameplay mechanics. Continuing with the practice of bringing major, successful games to the Nintendo Switch, Bastion is worthy of all the attention it gets.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Apr 5, 2015

This PlayStation release pretty much completes the rounds for Bastion. Chances are that you own at least one of the platforms it is available on, and it's a game that simply needs to be experienced. It's a game that breaks the traditional rules that we're used to, giving us an experience that is still doing things that most other games are not, even four years after its original release. Depth in simplicity. A basic melding of ingredients. A heart. A soul. These are the elements that make Bastion transcend time, being a relevant and necessary release regardless of the year or platform.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 13, 2018

Simply put, Bastion is an indie masterwork. It fits right at home on the Nintendo Switch, being exactly the type of game suitable for mobile play. The gameplay’s simplistic nature makes it an easy game to hop in and out of on the go. And the optional challenges highlight the game’s thrilling and addictive combat, making it easy to come back to over and over again. My only regret is that I didn’t acknowledge this game sooner. Any gripes I might have towards Bastion seem nitpicky at this point. Seven years ago, Supergiant Games delivered a solid action RPG title. Now, it gets another chance to bask in the sun thanks to the Nintendo Switch.

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