Bastion
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Bastion narrator takes a hilarious journey through other games
What happens when Bastion's ever-present contextual narrator lands in some of gaming's most famous titles? Pure hilarity, as seen in the Dorkly-crafted video above.
Bastion half-off on Steam today and tomorrow
Supergiant Games' lovable action-RPG Bastion has won over the hearts of many -- though folks who aren't willing to dish out $15 for a downloadable game have remained, as ever, non-plussed. If you're in this camp, act fast: The game's half off on Steam until November 3.
These gaming pumpkins are a real treat, no trick
When planning a fun way to celebrate the fall season, we believe the early settlers tried a variety of creative, yet failed, traditions: Asparagus-eating contests The entire town acting out Hamlet at the same time, with their own grandfathers' skulls playing the part of Yorick Jumping off a 60-foot cliff into a pile of dead leaves Grave-robbing (that one stuck, but it became year-round and highly lucrative in a non-spiritual way) Eggplant, leek, corn and lentil carving Most of these died out with the maypole, but that last one may have led us to the modern fascination with pumpkin carving, which has now led us to these beautiful video-game-inspired pumpkins from ceemdee. This year's pumpkins feature Bastion, Doom 2, The Dig, Worms, Oregon Trail, Outlaws and Magicka. Apparently ceemdee has been doing this since 2009, and the squashy backlog is just as impressive.
OnLive is putting six new indie games online this fall
OnLive is feeling the indie love at Indiecade 2011 this weekend with the announcement of six new indie titles landing in its library this fall: Orcs Must Die Limbo Magicka Bastion Space Chem Avadon: The Black Fortress OnLive already offers popular-indie games such as Braid, Trine, World of Goo and The Maw. OnLive veep of games and media John Spinale said, "OnLive has long been a supporter of independent publishers. Simply put, they're making some really great, innovative games these days," because that's true, and the more exposure for the talented underdarlings, the better, at least in our book. Er, website.
Report: August XBLA sales favor Fruit Ninja, Toy Soldiers
Specific Xbox Live Arcade sales data remains elusive, so we turn to Gamasutra's analysis of leaderboard information to gain a rough idea of how August's new games performed. Diminutive soldiers proved to be the most popular icons, followed by the ingenious pearing of Kinect and ninjas. Tower defense and shooter mash-up Toy Soldiers: Cold War appears to have sold 160,734 units by August's end, earning 115,448 players during its first week at the conclusion of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion. Gamasutra notes that this rate is actually slower than the original game's launch, which was paired with last year's "Block Party" lineup. Fruit Ninja Kinect had 148,507 players for the month -- impressive in the context of Kinect-only downloadable games. And while it might not be as financially lucrative, the game's sure to expand its total player base in September while it's offered as a free bonus to owners of The Gunstringer. From Dust and Bastion continued to do well in August, while Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet registered 48,389 players by the end of the month. Microsoft announced a DLC add-on called "Shadow Hunters" earlier this month, but it appears to have missed its (tentative) release date.
Bastion's Rucks has a problem with Cave Johnson
Rucks, a.k.a. the narrator from Bastion, is a learned man, capable of technological wizardry and spinning a good tale. He's not the only one of his kind, though, as proven by this video in which Rucks takes none other than Aperture Science founder Cave Johnson to task.
This is not a test: Portal turrets light up Bastion via Steam
If the humble hack 'n slash game Bastion needed one thing to take it from great to awesome, it was more Portal turrets. In a quest exclusive to the Steam version of Bastion, The Kid uses a Gel Cannister marked with the Aperture Science logo that contains "a viscous substance of unknown origin" to portal friendly sentry turrets into battle. The result is pretty glorious, as you can see in the video above. If it's any consolation, the turret at the end seems just as confused about its existence in Bastion as we were, but it's not nearly as giddy with excitement. [Thanks for the video, Michael!]
Summer of Arcade games top XBLA sales
In the first half of the year, whenever you ask an XBLA developer when their game is coming out, you'll almost always get the same answer: "We're shooting for summer." It's not just that downloadable games look great with a base tan. Their creators are hoping to get on board with Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion and all the promotion that goes with it. As the XBLA activity readings (based on purchased versions) for last week demonstrate, it's a profitable plan. The top three titles between August 1st and 8th were the current Summer of Arcade offerings: From Dust, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet and Bastion. We don't have specific numbers, but when you see a high-profile, high-quality July release like Ms. Splosion Man (which wasn't part of the promotion) way down there at #15, it's hard to deny the Summer of Arcade bump.
Bastion coming to PC on August 16, soundtrack available right now
Xbox Live Arcade's Bastion has gotten its launch date on the PC. Bastion will be available as a $14.99 download on Steam August 16, one day before From Dust debuts on the platform. You're getting two Summer of Arcade goodies in one week! Additionally, we'd like to point out that the Bastion soundtrack is currently available as a $10 download, replete with a new narration intro and bonus track, "The Pantheon (Ain't Gonna Catch You)." If you're looking for an actual physical disc, maybe to clutch against your bosom tightly as you fall asleep at night -- hey, no judgment here -- then you can shell out $15. The actual CD comes in a custom wallet, featuring original art by Jen Zee and (optionally) signed by composer Darren Korb. If you're really distrustful of your mail man (or don't want to wait until September when the disc ships), you can snag the album at PAX Prime in Seattle at the end of the month. Before you go diving into those beautiful tunes, take some of our advice: the songs are definitely best heard first in-game.
Bastion's Squirt made plush, adorable
The Kid had seen merchandise before, but it paled in comparison to the handmade Squirt plush doll sitting before him. He asked the lady how much, but she told him it wasn't for sale. It was the worst news he'd heard since the Calamity struck.
The Joystiq Show - 004: The Toys of Summer
It's summer, and that means a wasteland of retail releases, but never fear, there are plenty of great smaller titles on the way. XBLA has turned the Summer drought into a veritable smorgasbord of great downloadable releases, and the indie scene is looking to bring their goods as well. Twisted Pixel delivered Ms. Splosion Man last week, and Richard talks with Twisted Pixel's Frank Wilson about the follow-up to 2009's XBLA hit. Indie games are also getting their due with an interview about the Indie Games Summer Uprising on XBL. Supergiant Games's freshman effort and Summer of Arcade 2011 opener, Bastion, gets an audio review from Ludwig and a review roundtable featuring MTV Games's Russ Frushtick. Part 1 (1:27) - Twisted Pixel interview Part 2 (10:56) - XBLA Indie Games Summer Uprising interview Part 3 (30:58) - Bastion audio review and roundtable Thanks to Chris for the hot new Joystiq Show artwork. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes [Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Host: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM) Guests: Frank Wilson, Dave Voyles (@DaveVoyles), Kris Steele (@kriswd40), Russ Frushtick (@RussFrushtick) Producer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily) Production Coordinator: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM) Music: Trash80 and Broke For Free. See the full guest list, and stream the show, after the break.
Get The Maw free with Bastion purchase at Microsoft Store
Maw? Maaaawwww? Where is that little purple guy? Oh, there he is -- as part of a free Summer of Arcade promotion on the Microsoft Store. Those who pick up a copy of Bastion via the Microsoft Store will also receive a free copy of Twisted Pixel's adorable adventure, The Maw. As we mentioned only a few words ago, The Maw is positively adorable and a decent game to boot, making this an attractive deal for those interested in Bastion. Strangely, the site notes that the deal applies to "any" Summer of Arcade purchase, though a footnote claims that the deal is valid solely for Bastion. Considering Bastion is currently the only Summer of Arcade title available, it's possible that the deal will be applied to the rest of the Summer of Arcade lineup as each title is released.
Bastion review: Classic composition
If Bastion had been made by hundreds of people instead of just a handful, it would have started with a big-huge bang. The city of Caelondia would go from an everyday murmur to a cacophony of toppling buildings and panicked, immolated citizens while a tutorial told you to quickly crouch here, jump there and look at all this stuff we spent 10 million dollars on. The land would shake itself to rubble, the screen would blur and black out, and the logo would appear alongside a crass, Hans Zimmer honk. BASTION This much better version starts with you getting out of bed. All you know is that a calamity has wrecked the world -- and that you must be a heavy sleeper. A warm, attentive narrator identifies you as "The Kid," a character so central to the story that the world literally reforms beneath his feet, step-by-step. For reasons that I'll leave you to discover for yourself, The Kid and a handful of other apocalypse survivors are drawn to The Bastion, a floating island that may offer safety, answers, and perhaps a roll of duct tape large enough to put the world back together.%Gallery-124482%
Bastion launch trailer is part prologue, briefly anti-log
Bastion's hero smashes a couple of logs with such ferocity in this launch trailer, we couldn't help but draw attention to it (not to mention our ability to conjure up eye-rolling headlines). Writer and designer Greg Kasavin describes the creative process behind the video in sincere detail on the Supergiant Games site. While footage of the vividly drawn action-RPG would have sufficed, the small development team created original art, music, writing and narration specifically for today's presentation. "We iterate until the level of our nitpicking makes us want to kill each other or ourselves, which is when we know we're done," writes Kasavin. Bastion launches this Wednesday, July 20, on Xbox Live Arcade as part of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion.
XBLA Summer of Arcade releases dated, buy them all for free Crimson Alliance
We knew which games were going to be part of this year's XBLA "Summer of Arcade" -- but not when. Today, Microsoft shared that information, allowing you to plan your season around buying video games. The Summer kicks off with the isometric action-adventure Bastion on July 20, for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15.) Eric Chahi's volcanic god game, From Dust, follows on July 27 for the same price. On August 3, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet will be available, also for 1200 MSP. August 10 brings a refreshing virtual fruit salad in the form of Fruit Ninja Kinect, for 800 Points. Finally, Toy Soldiers: Cold War arrives on August 17 for 1200 Points. Like previous years, there's a bonus for buying all five Summer of Arcade titles, and this year it's a free copy of Crimson Alliance when it's released on September 7 (for 1200 Points). Fruit Ninja Kinect's inclusion in the promotion means that you must have a Kinect in order to take advantage of the free bonus. That's a bummer of Arcade for those who haven't picked up Microsoft's camera yet.
Spiritual Guidance: Priest healing tips for tier 11 heroic mode raids
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. Dawn Moore covers healing for discipline and holy priests, while her archenemy Fox Van Allen is busy looking in the mirror instead of playing a proper spec. Dawn also writes for LearnToRaid.com, produces the Circle of Healing Podcast. In previous weeks, Spiritual Guidance has tackled how to heal the various raid encounters in tier 11. This week, we're going to revisit each boss on heroic difficulty. Once more, I'll be examining which spec is better equipped to handle the fight while also examining the differences in the new encounter and how to deal with them. We have a lot to talk about, so let's get started. First, I want to point out that a major difference between any heroic and normal mode encounter is that abilities in heroic do an increased amount of damage. In order to avoid being redundant, please keep in mind that when I point out the differences between modes that the need for more healing will be assumed. If the increased damage significantly impacts the strategy of the fight, however, I will explain how.
Xbox Live Summer of Arcade 2011 kicks off July 20
Can't have summer without hot new Xbox Live games, right? Microsoft has announced its line-up for the warmer months, kicking off July 20 -- strangely, in an email and not, you know, during its E3 2011 press conference. Regardless, a total of five games will be on offer. No exact time table for the games was announced nor prices but, hey, at least we know what's coming. The first game listed is Toy Soldiers: Cold War, a sequel to one of 2010's most lucrative Xbox Live Arcade games. The next game listed is Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Fuelcell's stylish UFO simulator, followed by Fruit Ninja Kinect, a flail-tastic port of Halfbrick's darling mobile (and soon, Facebook!) title. Next we have Bastion, a game we suggest you all should keep an eye on. Finally, rounding out the list of games is From Dust, Eric Chahi's god game. An impressive list, to say the least. It's important to know that this is simply how Microsoft listed the games in its press email and not indicative of when each title will launch throughout the promotion.
Bastion preview: Under construction
Hewn handholds and knee-high hedges are there for a reason. Think of them as the worldwide baby-proofing done by game designers, who must ensure that their protagonist is able to make it from one side of the adventure to the other without getting lost, or fatally slamming against an unbeatable obstacle. It's an unrealistic tweaking of life, but there's no fun in Lara Croft going home because that one chasm was just too wide. The hero of Bastion treads literally upon this convenient truth, with a path rising from the earth miles below and solidifying his journey, piece by piece. From a purely selfish standpoint, it's awfully nice to have proof that the world does evolve around you. It's unclear what force has shattered the world, but its savior-to-be, The Kid, isn't in danger of getting lost amid the floating fragments that remain. If the quest expects you to go in a certain direction, an incomplete piece of land will signal you to approach and trigger the rise and assembly of a new environment. Acting as more than just a clever visual effect, it's an effective and immediate way to entangle you in the core of the story. It seems that nothing exists and nothing happens without your presence.%Gallery-101176%
Spiritual Guidance: Priest healing strategies for Cho'gall in The Bastion of Twilight
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. Dawn Moore covers healing for discipline and holy priests, while her archenemy Fox Van Allen dabbles in shadow. Dawn also writes for LearnToRaid.com and produces the Circle of Healing Podcast. I've had this idea for a social experiment in my head for the past few weeks, where you lock five priests together in a room with nothing but Highland Spirits and force them to have a round table discussion about Lightwell. While I work on my hypothesis and proposal -- and find a way to bait Fox Van Allen into this possum trap -- you guys can finish reading up on the finer points of healing Cho'gall as a holy or discipline priest. Seeing as this is the last boss of The Bastion of Twilight, this will be the final installment of Spiritual Guidance's priest healing guides for this tier.
Spiritual Guidance: Priest healing Ascendant Council
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Spiritual Guidance for discipline, holy and shadow priests. Dawn Moore covers healing for discipline and holy priests, while her archenemy Fox Van Allen dabbles in shadow. Dawn also writes for LearnToRaid.com and produces the Circle of Healing Podcast. During the past couple of months, Spiritual Guidance has tackled priest healing in Blackwing Descent and taken a peak inside The Bastion of Twilight at Halfus Wyrmbreaker and the twin dragons, Valiona and Theralion. This week, we'll be heading back into The Bastion to take a look at how to heal your way through the next encounter, Ascendant Council. This encounter is extremely chaotic and will be sure to keep discipline and holy priests busy.
