Written by: Ian Davis

Interactive storytelling is the red-headed stepchild of the gaming world. Perhaps John Carmack (all devout of that ancient rite genuflect) was right: story is to games as plot is to porn. Despite how much we talk about it, only rarely is story the driving force that keeps gamers coming back. Strategy, socialization, acquisition, exploration, and sheer visceral thrill are gaming senses which seem more developed than storytelling. Outside of the decade-old Half Life and Bioware’s take on the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure formula, how far have we advanced from the static cutscene and babbling NPC?

Bastion takes storytelling out of the cutscene and dialog boxes (both representative of other mediums) and closer into gaming’s own. The Narrator, rambling in his gravelly tone, adds layer upon layer of context and innuendo to the player’s actions. The key here being actions, it is the player’s volition (albeit in the limited confines of each level) that cause the shifting of tones. The world builds around the player, piece by piece, in the story just as surely as it does on screen.

As central and innovative as it is, Bastion doesn’t rely on storytelling as solely as, say, Interactive Fiction does. Its isometric action holds its own against a heraldry of classic beat-em-ups.

Supergiant games is a southern homemaker, offering an ever-increasing choice of goodies and treats to even the briefest passerby. Weapons and upgrades continue to unlock even up until the final level. One cannot fully appreciate everything Bastion has to offer without taking advantage of the New Game+ option and going back to the buffet for seconds.

Bastion doesn’t showcase dazzling new graphical technology or a massive expanse of land to explore. It doesn’t involve Contemporary Combat or Rolls of Ancient Writing, nor did it have a live-action TV commercial. Yet, of all my gaming experiences this year, Bastion has lodged itself into the wrinkles of my brain unlike any other. For this reason, Bastion is my Game of the Year in 2011.