Designing The Apocalypse
- Thread starter Marc N. Kleinhenz
- Start date
It's a nice article; I always like reading more about Bastion. However, the questions strike me as a bit odd. Perhaps it's just the difference in cultural experiences or baggage, but I would have never made the connection of Bastion's world or themes to either the Matrix or the Iraq-Afghanistan wars. It expresses much more universal and timeless ideas about opression, rebellion, and the fallout of war (ecological/social/demographic) that the questions coming down to a USA centric view diminish the impact of the world that was built in Bastion.
Quite frankly, I have made similar connections to the Iraq war and I'm not even from USA. Either way, I don't see how those questions diminish the world of Bastion? I loved the complexity of the politics in Bastion and I fully realize that it is its own breathing and amazing world, but is it wrong to see similarities to the real life?shiajun said:
Either way I am glad to see what the author's intent was and how this game was built. Only wish the interview was a bit longer.
Nice article. I really liked Bastion, and I was happy with the choice at the end and the conflict that was presented.
Wasn't surprised when there was no final boss, though, I don't think there were any bosses along the way. Which I think is weird for a game that's all combat.
Wasn't surprised when there was no final boss, though, I don't think there were any bosses along the way. Which I think is weird for a game that's all combat.
I think that's an extremely valid criticism. In fact, Greg and I discussed this head-on during our chat. Here's an excerpt from the full interview:shiajun said:
Me: "I tend to look at everything, I hate to say, through this prism of American foreign policy."
Greg: "Yeah, it's so pervasive now, you can't help but see that in things, I think. I definitely didn't want the story to be an allegory..."
The conversation then continues on as you see it in print.
There are many, *many* such exchanges that just had to be cut due to space constraints; I had to get a 7,100-word document down to just 1,600.
And thank you for the kind words, by the by. =)
~M.
I totally get initially posting the highlights of the interview, but is there any way you could post the whole thing?? I love pretty much any musings by Kasavin (though, admittedly, I never heard of him until Bastion, heh), and I do think your summary of your questions really diminishes the interview. Though, I get that those summaries may have been required, or necessary in some way.
I get the biblical influences thing; the architecture, clothing and music all had that Arabian desert or Eastern Mediterranean feel to them. Whereas the combat and dialog had more of the Old American West. I suppose that the aesthetics are really a mishmash of cultures, which is probably why the world feels so vibrant.
Oh, and the ending was fantastic! Conflicted at first, I turned back to save the traitor, simply because I knew it was the right thing to do. The fact that I got to make that choice made the story infinitely more meaningful.
Oh, and the ending was fantastic! Conflicted at first, I turned back to save the traitor, simply because I knew it was the right thing to do. The fact that I got to make that choice made the story infinitely more meaningful.
Very interesting. I have to say I didn't connect Bastion with the modern wars going on today. It was a terrific game though, I'm eagerly awaiting Transistor.
