14. Hearing The Narrator Comment On Your Actions - Bastion
Supergiant Games' first title that really made a dint was 2012's Bastion, a gorgeous little isometric blaster that mixed Diablo-esque combat with ice-cool production values and above all, a sublime soundtrack. The whole thing was tied together with one Logan Cunningham's perfectly gravelly pipes, telling the story of "a boy and his hammer" as you journeyed from place to place, thwacking all and sundry with everything from hammers and twin pistols to spinning special-moves and charging bow n' arrow shots. Cunningham narrates the whole thing, going from loading screen to game, but the really great part is near the beginning where as plenty gamers do, you're taking part in a jolly bit of scenery-destruction. After doing so for a little while and indulging in such a weird thing all gamers tend to do, Logan will remark with something like "The boy just thrashes around for a while", bringing together the idea of a story being told and making your actions have a repercussion for whoever the narrator is talking to in the present. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXxIghpHWLE#t=13 It might not sound like much, but Bastion remains one of the shiniest gaming gems you can seek out, and this is just one of may little touches the developers put in to let you know every inch of the experience is crafted with the utmost skill.
