Bastion, Supergiant Games’ acclaimed action role-playing game, was previously only available to PC and Xbox 360 gamers, but now it’s available to download through the App Store with a few little tweaks.
At the cost of $4.99, all the gruff narration, colourful artwork and equally stunning soundtrack that made us love Bastion will be included in the iPad version. Bastion will, however, only be available on the iPad 2 and the new iPad – no luck for owners of the original model.
The port will feature 20 Game Center achievements and a leaderboard which tracks story progression and lets you compare your progress against that of your friends.
The changes to Bastion from the PC and Xbox version to the iOS version are relatively small. The default controls are now touch-based, tap to move, double-tap to roll. The largest change is that the Kid (Bastion‘s weary protagonist) will auto-attack obstacles and monsters when they are in range. Some weapons can be manually fired and you can still choose when to use that all-important shield.
Alternatively, classic controls are available which utilise a virtual button layout.
Aside from a couple of new lines of narration which relate to “minor gameplay changes” and the inclusion of the ‘Stranger’s Dream’ downloadable content, Bastion remains the same. Some weapons have been rebalanced, along with the Proving Grounds (essentially challenge areas) and visuals and menu screens have also been altered to fit the iPad’s aspect ratio.
Supergiant Games still maintain that they have no plans to release Bastion on other platforms, despite the desperate cries of PlayStation 3 players. A full FAQ is available on their official site.
We reviewed the PC version of Bastion as part of the Humble Indie Bundle and gave it an A+. Having since played through Bastion again, we’re still more than happy to deem it worthy of that grade and recommend it to RPG and dungeon-crawler fans, and those who simply like a well-told story.
A simple but powerful teaser trailer gives a hint of the feel and aesthetic of Bastion and that soundtrack we can’t help keep waxing lyrical about.
Photo: Jen Zee, Supergiant Games
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