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Bastion (360)

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After finishing Rayman, I found myself without a “currently playing” console game. Sure, I have a few that I’ve finished but not 100%ed, that I could have returned to (like Lego Harry Potter 2, Skylanders, or more Rayman), and yeah, I’ve Luigi’s Mansion on the go for “on the go”, and sure, I have The Wonderful 101 sat there unplayed… but I thought I’d play Bastion.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I’d been told it was good, and I’d read it was “a bit like Diablo” (which I’ve never really played), and some people said Heroes of Ruin was quite similar and I have played that, but I didn’t expect it to be exactly like Skylanders.

OK, that’s an exaggeration. But it is very similar. Levels set in the sky. A narrator. A hub world you gradually built on using items called “cores”. Lots of barrels and chests and boxes in each level to smash and get money from. Upgrades to your weapons that you spend money on. Characters that gradually populate the hub world. Similar weapons. No jump button. Similar enemies. Similar graphical style.

You may say it’s all coincidence. You may say it’s a disservice to say Bastion is like Skylanders. But the fact remains – they are very, very similar. In a good way. Because I liked Skylanders and I like this.

I’m not terribly far in yet, having only just rescued the first guy and built the first building on the east half of the Bastion itself. I’ve currently settled on the bow and machete as my weapons of choice, with a mirror shield as a special. I’m really enjoying plowing through all the enemies, and the narrator is brilliant (and doesn’t interrupt what you’re doing so much as on Skylanders).

Rayman Legends (Wii U): COMPLETED!

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raymanlegendsBy “completed”, I of course mean, I’ve got to the end credits. See. I don’t have all 700 teensies, or a million lums, or have done all the Origin levels (I haven’t even unlocked most of them) or opened Living Dead Party, but I’ve completed the story.

I played about 60% of the game in co-op with my daughter, which was fun. She generally took on the role of Murfy for those levels where he’s a part, and she did a pretty good job too – even on the harder levels. The last 40% of the game, though, I played through myself.

It’s a great title. It’s better than Origins (not least because it contains Origins), plays fantastically, looks beautiful, and is challenging without being impossible. It is somewhat easier than Origins, however, with the final boss being something of a walkover. This was only slightly disappointing though.

However, despite all the fun and greatness, there’s a niggle that it isn’t quite as good as lots of people have said. I’m not sure what. It feels much bigger than it actually is, which might be it. Or it could be the lower difficulty. Or maybe the shortage of the excellent music levels. I don’t know.

I’m glad I got the Wii U version, though, as the 360/PS3 versions would really be missing out with the lack of proper Murfy levels and two-screen co-op. And everything said, I haven’t actually paid for it, so that was a bonus too!