Bastion

Bastion is an isometric action game that drew attention especially for its manner of storytelling. The world fell apart in a catastrophe called the Calamity, and the player, in the role of a silent boy, walks through its ruins to collect the cores needed to rebuild a refuge called the Bastion. Every one of his steps is commented on by a gravelly narrator who reacts to what the player actually does; when he falls, when he starts smashing crates, or when he chooses an unusual weapon, the narration adapts. This creates the impression that the story is being composed directly as you play.

Combat is fast and direct; the player carries two weapons at once from a fairly wide selection ranging from hammer and crossbow to rifle or throwing spear, plus a shield to deflect attacks and special abilities. Weapons are upgraded at a forge, and the player can adjust their own attributes using tonics, giving a decent amount of room for building a character to taste. Optional challenges, and above all a shrine that empowers enemies in exchange for better rewards, let experienced players fine-tune the difficulty themselves. The visual style is hand-painted and rich in color, and the environment assembles itself from pieces of terrain right under your feet, one of the most memorable visual ideas of its time.

The music, which blends acoustic guitar, American folk motifs, and electronics, is one of the most frequently praised elements, and together with the narration it sets the overall mood, which is melancholic but not hopeless. Reviews were very positive, and Bastion became one of the foundational titles of the new indie wave; studio Supergiant built further successful games on its foundation. Today it remains excellently playable, since it's short, fluid, and its main strengths, sound and atmosphere, don't depend on technical power.