![]() Suddenly that final choice seems very significant. Bastion succeeds in this regard in my opinion. telling what needs to be told to achieve certain goals, such as an emotional connection to the world or the characters, or establishing the antagonist and his/her motivational drive. Word economy is appreciated in writing, and I likewise appreciate storytelling economy in video games, i.e. Enough to establish an emotion connection to their situation through the rising tension of Act 2, leading towards the game’s climax. In order to understand this choice we need to jump all the way to the ending of the game, and the main narrative choice the player is offered.īastion is by no means a long game, and it does not supply full back-stories to any of the characters, but tidbits of information – just enough to leave an impression of who they are and what motivates their actions. In other words, the narrative devices used in Bastion allows the player freedom to take particular interest in Kid and his companions, or in the world and its former (and current) inhabitants. Should the player accept the inevitability of coming events, it allows for us to pay further attention to the world Kid inhabits – looking and listening for clues that can explain the present and future states of Caelondia (World name). The game is also narrated by Ruck, with many passages told in past tense, suggesting that whatever we are playing has already happened and a final predetermined outcome is inevitable. This comes down to individual experience – as is so often the case when discussing narrative experiences. It either detaches us slightly, limiting the player from connecting with the protagonist, or it leaves space for the player to project him or herself more into the character of Kid. Even though we learn partly about his past, the lack of an actual name may achieve one of two things. The protagonist’s name is merely Kid, and so he remains a bit of a mystery. However the developers, Supergiant Games, have gone to certain lengths to ensure that the emphasis is not on the characters alone. Usually in this type of game I would expect particular emphasis on the characters and their journey together. But also explores the world, how the Calamity came about, and what may be done to fix it. It explores Kid and the people he meets, such as Ruck, Zulf, and Zia. Bastion , I would argue, hangs in the balance between the two. That is a simplified version, but covers the basics. ![]() Is the world in place simply as a backdrop for your characters journey? Then this is a game about the characters. Video game narratives tend to focus on either characters or the world. And Bastion does explore narrative interestingly. ![]() Let us first touch upon a central point this classic narrative structure, and the use of the hero’s journey, works excellently as a foundation for interesting narrative exploration. ![]() The dramatic arc can be seen below: Model 1 The main character Kid wakes up in a much changed world, discovers what has gone wrong, and takes it upon himself to rectify it. It is essentially a hero’s journey that follows the five-act dramatic structure. In terms of the game’s narrative structure, we are dealing with a typical piece of video game storytelling. The following may contain minor spoilers. Significant not just for your character, but for the entire world of the game. Many simple choices concerning your preference of weapon – call it play-style flavour – and a couple of major choices. That choice can be significant and life changing, or simply on what type of filling you would like in your sandwich today. Sometimes in life you are given a choice. ![]()
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