Bastion Torrent is an action game developed and published by Supergiant Games. Bastion quickly captivates those who grew up with titles like Secret of Mana, embodying the essence of a conventional action role-playing game replete with abundant hack-and-slash encounters and intriguing weaponry to uncover. Players assume the role of “The Kid” in a realm torn asunder by an occurrence known solely as The Calamity. The silent protagonist becomes entangled in a mission to mend The Citadel, a secure refuge that holds the potential to revive a world left utterly fragmented.
The Kid must battle through an array of dungeons suspended in the sky. Each dungeon molds itself around his every step, and an assortment of creatures — endeavoring to cope with the Calamity themselves — obstruct his path. Throughout the odyssey, an elderly narrator recounts The Kid’s movements, infusing the tale with a parched toughness reminiscent of classic cowboy films.
As the narrative unfolds, The Kid acquires diverse close-quarter and ranged weaponry. These span from weighty mallets and fire-spewing bellows to repeating pistols and muskets. Each weapon is modifiable — using crystals gleaned from defeated adversaries and materials acquired or purchased — offering an array of distinctive and captivating advantages. For instance, you can opt to amplify the damage inflicted by your Bellows or broaden the flame’s spread. At each tier of enhancement, only one upgrade can be chosen from a possible two, though corrections can be made if an erroneous choice is realized later on.
Players can select two weapons (though the discovery of a new weapon in the field automatically and regrettably replaces one of the existing choices), a clandestine technique, and a reliable shield, adept at countering attacks when appropriately deployed. Countering evolves into a pivotal method of dealing with projectiles in the latter stages of the game, with redirecting a missile back to its sender proving an expedient approach to overcoming troublesome adversaries.
The essence of the game revolves around exploring dungeons, locating items crucial for The Citadel’s restoration (the nature of these items evolving as the plot deepens), and reconstructing the central hub area. With each completed dungeon, various establishments can be erected — a Forge for enhancing weapons, a Shrine to activate Gods, a Distillery for tonics, and more. Rebuilding The Citadel unfolds as an oddly compelling and gratifying undertaking, even though the primary responsibility entails situating pre-set buildings in predetermined locations.
At its core, Bastion Torrent embodies a collection of captivating concepts brimming with potential. Regrettably, it grapples with glaring issues and frequently falls short of the lofty aspirations it has established. Despite its stylish presentation and attempts at profundity, Bastion’s gameplay lacks the finesse of an average browser-based free-to-play MMORPG.
Even the aesthetic allure, no matter how enchanting, evokes thoughts of the casual RPGs commonly featured in website banner ads, a sentiment amplified by the rudimentary animation. Close-quarter combat devolves into rudimentary button mashing, and the auto-targeting system operates with minimal efficacy. Ranged attacks are as prone to miss as they are to hit, while melee engagements often feel haphazard at best.
Bastion Torrent System Requirements
- OS: Windows XP/7/8/10/11
- Processor: 1.7 GHz Dual Core
- Memory: 2 GB
- Hard Disk Space: 1.0 GB
- Video Card: 512 MB DirectX 9.0c
- DirectX: 9.0c
