On 03/09/2011 10:16 PM, Slime wrote:
>  > This final level also has some pretty steep difficulty. Quite apart from
>  > the fact that the last 3 sublevels are basically endless jumping
>  > puzzles, there's a hitherto unseen level of close combat involved. To
>  > describe it as "challenging" would be an understatement.
>
> I found the last level rather trivial, but that's because I had upgraded
> the Calamity Cannon all the way.

The Ura are fairly easy to kill. The problem is more that they tend to 
surround you, and you can only shield yourself from one direction. I 
ended up dying a lot.

Oh, and the jumping puzzles. Given that the controls only let you move 

(Although usually not fatal.)

>  > Completing the game also actives a "special new game option". I haven't
>  > tried it, but apparently it lets you do things like start a new game
>  > with level 10 skill, all weapons available, all upgrades unlocked, etc.
>
>
> This option doesn't start you at level 10, it leaves you where you are
> and lets you continue to level up and upgrade your weapons.

Just hitting "continue" after the credits finish rolling does that.

I was mildly annoyed to discover that you can't start a new game without 
discarding the old one. Still, I guess it makes the game design easier. :-P

>  > I've yet to complete either of the other two main challenges. (Mainly
>  > because I've yet to discover a way to kill Anklegators.)
>
>
> Run or roll over them to make them pop up, then turn around and do some
> damage quickly.

It's slightly tricky to get them to pop up yet miss me. However, what I 
can't figure out at all is how to have them miss me, yet still be close 
enough to injure them. The War Machete is great in that it continues to 
deal damage after they go back underground. But you have to be *really* 
close to use it.

The only thing I can think of is to use the Brusher's Pike. But then, 
how to stay alive long enough to get to that part of the challenge?

>  > (Interestingly, I'm short of two idols. No idea
>  > how you get those, given that I've searched every level...)
>
>
> I think they're in the shop.

Some of them are. But I've cleaned out the shop now. Apparently I didn't 
pick something up along the way or something...

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> The ending provides absolutely no sense of closure. You get given two
> options at the end of the final level. Once you complete the level, you
> get given two options back at the main hub. I picked an option, and I
> saw a freeze-frame painting and heard some lines of dialogue. Then the
> image faded to black, and the credits roll.
>
> As best as I can tell, if I'd chosen the other way, exactly the same
> thing would have happened. (I haven't scientifically verified this yet.)
> I would probably have got a different painting, and a different set of
> lines. I doubt I would have got any more closure.
>
> In short, a disappointing (but not disastrous) ending to a really cool
> game.

I tried this. Turns out both of the two choices you have to make right 
at the end do have a small impact on the final end sequence. But given 
that this sequence is just a slide-show anyway... not much sense of 
achievement there.

Then again, it's such a great game to play in the first place...

> I had assumed there was much more of the game remaining because I
> haven't completed more than a fraction of the optional stuff.

> I guess having unfinished stuff gives me a reason to keep playing the game.

I have now upgraded almost everything to maximum. I've completed every 
single one of the proving grounds - eventually - although I only got 1st 
place on a few of them.

> I found the easiest challenge, and then activated *all* the available
> idols. At the same time. (Interestingly, I'm short of two idols. No idea
> how you get those, given that I've searched every level...) I fired up
> the easy challenge. I lasted 12 seconds. Literally. Damn!

> Completing the game also actives a "special new game option". I haven't
> tried it, but apparently it lets you do things like start a new game
> with level 10 skill, all weapons available, all upgrades unlocked, etc.

Apparently "special new game" lets you restart the game from the 
beginning, but with all the weapons and XP you've already collected in 
your current game. Needless to say, walking around the opening levels 
with a level-7 calamity cannon and level-7 fire bellows means that any 
enemy that wants to take you on is going to get their stuff messed up. >:-)

Also, I never did find those last two idols. But restarting with the 
"special new game" option gives me the last two.

There's an achievement for completing each of the three dreams. There's 
another for completing each dream with any 5 idols activated. I now have 
all of those achievements. ;-)

There's also an achievement for completing a dream with all 10 idols 
activated. Now that I've *got* all the idols, I can attempt that. 
Unfortunately, one of the idols turns off health tonics, making the 
dreams impossible to complete. So I can't obtain the last few 
achievements. Even so, I've had a lot of fun playing Bastion, and 
wringing every last drop of gameplay out of it.

> I wonder if there'll be a Bastion II? I'd buy it...

I still stand by that assessment. ;-)

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