I love stories. A good, well told story can make or break a video game regardless of graphics or special features. And Bastion delivers on story. Oh, boy does it deliver on story.

The gameplay mechanics are a super fun hack-n-slash with a unique platform element. The world literally comes up around you as you move around and fight your baddies. It’s great fun and makes navigating what would have been a complex world a complete joy. There’s a great weapons library and unlocking new weapons requires collecting materials to do so, which works very well and doesn’t feel like a burden or too monotonous.

But the story. The story shines. The deep history and world comes to life through some of the best narration I’ve ever heard in a game. As you play through the story and accomplish the next objective the narrative kicks in and more of the story is revealed. It’s definitely one of the best story mechanics I’ve ever played. And the soundtrack is fun, fits the game and propels the story and emotions forward. Seriously. The soundtrack is amazing.

Bastion is a gem. If you haven’t played it yet, pick it up today. If you have played it already, drop me a comment and let me know what you think of the game.

Bastion is available on PC, Xbox 360, iOS, Mac, Linux and Chrome.