Jetlag is not nearly as difficult to shake as having to leave your home to travel halfway across the world again. Vacation was a very good experience but it also reopened memories I had cauterized over the past few years. Unfortunately, my life situation is not one such that I can immediately pick up and move again and I have an entire life with friends and, more importantly, a job waiting for me here in Hong Kong. Having income and prospects for the future goes a long way.
All in all my vacation was a good one. I was able to visit family members, friends, and even relax a little bit at the beach. I discovered a whole new world of craft (i.e. expensive) beers that actually taste pretty good and don’t give me a migraine after drinking just a small amount. I also had to go through some very strenuous times when we received news that our dog was not doing well and was in the hospital. Luckily, everything turned out well and she’s living comfortably again even though she is still quite old.
What was most affecting about the vacation is that returning home lifted a huge weight I had forgotten about off my shoulders. Even now I still feel breezy and able to face just about anything… or maybe that’s just fatigue from jetlag. In any case, I have hope that I can reduce my stress levels and live a comfortable life with fewer worries as I move along. In combination with that I am also very happy that the next game I will be tackling for the blog is the independently produced action game Bastion.
Bastion
Bastion is a game I became very curious about in the past few years when I heard such rave reviews about it. Coming at an early time in the recent indie explosion, the game was renowned for its unique storytelling, good soundtrack, and narrator. I know next to nothing about the game and am looking forward to going in fresh with no expectations.
Bastion was released by Supergiant games in 2011 and received almost universal praise from many reviewers and podcasters I read and respect. It is billed as a single player action role-playing game wherein the main character, named “The Kid”, wakes up in a world that has been destroyed by an apocalyptic event known as The Calamity. As the kid explores the world, it reassembles itself around him and is inhabited by enemies who offer many unique challenges that require different strategies and weapons to counter. It is up to The Kid to travel to the Bastion to find the secret that will enable the world to resume as normal, whatever that may turn out to be.
Expectations
I know literally nothing about the game except that the art style is very interesting and the narrator is lauded for his performance. I anticipate a wealth of storytelling techniques and metaphorical imagery to explore and pontificate about, but I also am looking forward to a solid game experience. I am not usually into games such as Diablo or Torchlight, although I do get the urge to play them from time to time. I hope that Bastion will offer me a tight experience with opportunities to customize The Kid to be the kind of character I enjoy playing as.
If you have any tips or things to watch out for before I begin please let me know. This may include useless skills or weapons to avoid, things that may enhance my experience, or any other tidbits you wish me to know (excluding spoilers). I am very interested to know what any of you think about Bastion, this type of game, or any general discussion you may have. I look beginning.
It’s good to be back.
--Backlog Killer