Been a while since the last entry in this review - schoolwork has been keeping me busy. In this point, I continue with my analysis of Bastion’s story. Last post, I covered the Kid’s trawl through the city’s main areas, what I’d consider act 1 of Bastion. We left off when the Kid discovered Zulf, another survivor.
Before we get back into it: I forgot last time to thank this guy for taking the time to extract the narration and put it in a logical format. It’s been helping me a lot in organizing my thoughts, not to mention that I’ve been copy-pasting from it for the narration. Whoever you are, know that your work is appreciated.
Alright. Now, get yourself in that frame of mind. We’ve just come back from The Hanging Gardens, and Zulf is now a part of our little group…
Folks used to make the pilgrimage here to pay their respects to Pyth, the Bull. Well, the Gods are long gone now.
The Kid steps foot in Pyth Orchard. It’s pretty desolate here; seems that even before the calamity, the place wasn’t very well kept. There’s no core here, but you’re here for other reasons. On the way to your pilgrimage, you find a plush bull doll. In time, though, the Bull stopped being a symbol, and started being a decoration. The place is pretty quiet… At least, up until you get to the shrine. Pyth lights up like a rodeo. Kid breaks him to bits. Must have been guarding that Shrine.
The gods here, though… they’re not the kind to give you reward without punishment first. So what’ll it be? Invoke the Gods, or tell them off? You invoke the shrine, and the game tells you that enemies will be harder. Suddenly, the sky turns red; enemies spring out of the ground around you. Kid ain’t never seen Windbags that quick. Maybe old Pyth put a scare in them? Everything moves faster, hits faster; you must prove yourself to Pyth before he will reward you. Eventually, you battle to the end, and head back to the Bastion.
There, you show the plush doll to Rucks and Zulf. They… differ on their views. Zulf doesn’t touch the thing. Says the God of Commotion ain’t no children’s toy. Rucks has this to say: The Ura feared the Gods. We turned them into toys, put them on our walls.
In this level, you’re introduced to the pantheon of Caelondia. As everything else, they are as much a part of the game mechanics as a part of the lore of the game. We’ve already talked about the mechanics in the very first part, so we’ll focus on the lore of the thing. Bastion’s pantheon is interesting, to say the least. Instead of beneficial gods who provide to their people, as many religions have today, they rule by fear, and only reward those who prove themselves. In a certain way, this is just rule, and maybe even realistic; after all, if gods have aspects of humanity, they’d thirst for power just like any of us.
The writers could have left it at that. But instead, they chose to characterize the two factions by using the gods. The Caelondians treat the gods with disdain. They make plush dolls out of them, and disregard the shrine, leaving it to fall to ruin. It seems they’d rather ignore the gods than fear them; they’d rather just take the easy way out, thinking that everything is going to be alright afterward, without having to do anything.
On the other hand, the Ura think much of the gods. They revere and fear them and, as we’ll see later, they may have been justified in doing so.
There’s only one way into Cinderbrick Fort... The hard way.
Cinderbrick Fort is basically your last stop inside the city, and it’s crawling with windbags; you step inside and you’re attacked on every side. But… is that sympathy you hear in Rucks’ voice? The Calamity was mercy for normal folks. The Windbags ain’t so lucky. They been left to freeze or starve… or face the Kid. It was masked the first time you saw them, but this time, it’s apparent. Windbags ain’t much different from normal folks. All they want is a warm place to stay and a decent meal. But we need that core, and they’re the ones attacking us, so… who cares? You make it out, eventually, after smashing through every windbag in the fort. Kid used to dream of getting a Marshal’s badge, but not like this.
This level is fairly significant, but I’ve pretty much covered why, already, in the description of the level itself. This game is all about empathy, no matter to fellow humans or even just to animals, and this is the first you get that feeling. These aren’t just animals, or enemies to be crushed. They’re living beings. But… what is there to do? They’re attacking you, and you can’t reason with them, so you destroy them. No other choice.
Why go to Prosper Bluff? Used to take an enterprising man or a plain old fool to venture out that far. The City was the most beautiful place in the world, we all knew that. But on the other hand... Some folks just yearn to see the things they’re told they can’t. And that’s why you go to Prosper Bluff... ain’t it.
You head down the Langston river on a ferry barge, attacked on every side by Peckers, an aggressive bird-species that lives out here. Not much to say about this segment; it’s nice from a gameplay standpoint, but not much from a story segment. What comes afterward is much more interesting.
You escape down an abandoned shaft of some sort, and you land in Prosper Bluff. There the Kid hears something he ain’t heard in a long while. How’s it go again…? Yeah, that’s the one. You hear a haunting melody, coming from… somewhere. Where’s it coming from? You have no idea, but it’s got a kind of… otherworldly quality to it. You instinctively want to find out where it’s coming from. It’s a haunting tune, sung by a beautiful voice, and unburdened with Rucks’ narration; Well, no point explaining what happens next, right? Entranced, you barely take time to notice the enemies you’re battling through to get to it, and the hidebound journal you pick up.
Finally, you find the Singer - Zia - sitting alone out there, in the grass. She agrees to return with you to the Bastion. We darn near celebrated when the Kid got back didn’t we. Zulf never thought he’d see a fellow Ura again. We become fast friends. Calamity has that effect on people. You show off the hidebound journal; _A scientific journal written in Zulf’s native tongue. He learned so much from it… too much. _ Zia can’t read it; you find out she was born and raised in the city. Rucks knows the Ura language, but it would take him time to translate it. That’s all forgotten, though, as Rucks tells you the good news; your journey is nearly at its end. There’s just one more core left to find, out in the wilds. Just one more, and the Kid can rest.
To be honest, I can’t even talk about why this level is so good. The atmosphere and the song make this level; no mere words can convey the feeling. As for the journal, we’ll refrain from talking about that until it comes time.
The Wild Unknown. Place can eat a man alive. Place is so raw, even the Calamity couldn’t cook it. Not all of it.
Suddenly, you come upon a new environment. Previous levels all took place in or near the city; this place, though, is much less cultured. Jungle flora is everywhere; huge bushes obscure your view of the ever-present void below you. You find the core, but… Peckers got the Core, like they’re building a Bastion of their own. The welcoming committee scrambles to attention. Didn’t expect the Kid so soon. You find out the area is filled with exotic wildlife, too. you fight through needle-spitting plants, armored flowers that launch their fruit, and giant armored toads that attempt to stomp you to death. He digs his way out of the clearing, but the Wilds won’t let him go without a fight. Finally, you reach the end of the level, and head back home to celebrate. After all, he’s got the final Core. His journey’s over, right? Well no, it ain’t… not by a long shot.
You reach the Bastion, and you see Zulf in a black rage, standing over a frail Rucks, who is on the ground. See, Zulf and I were just wrapping up a… heated discussion. Zulf can barely muster the words. “The Calamity failed,” he says, “But I… will not.
It turns out Zulf, upon finishing the journal, was extremely angry, for reasons you and Zia don’t understand. Rucks doesn’t deign to explain, but to say that the last core is no longer enough. Zulf destroyed the monument. There’s still a chance, though; you just need to go get the Shards. The City brought the Shards to the Wilds. Now the Kid’s going to bring them back.
This level is significant in introducing the wilds to you. I feel that Supergiant deliberately did it before Zulf destroys the monument, so that you can take in the scenery without that event in the back of your head. It’s just as you were getting tired of the city and the enemies, too; while the environments are very well rendered, too much of anything can get tiring. This introduces a new breath of air into not only the environment, but also the enemies.
As for the events that take place upon getting back to the Bastion; I’d say this is the end of Act 2 of the game. At this point, you know something’s up. The calamity failed, but I… will not. Strong words, for a man in what looks like a dress, but you can tell there is heat in the words, even when conveyed second-hand by Rucks. He seemed like such a calm man; what would prompt him to do such a thing, to curse the Bastion in such a way? What was in that journal?
2/21/2013: Real life caught up with me after I finished this post. Even though I’ve got time now, I can’t seem to summon up the desire to continue this series. Hopefully someday I will write about the rest of this incredibly moving storyline, but for now, I’m going to put these posts on hold.