An all-time classic reworked to the modern era, but still bearing the hallmarks of a game that is more of a continution rather than merely reinvented. The game is so simple at its core, with the all-too-familiar environment, but the depth is astounding. Indeed, some have it down to a science, others, grand strategy.

The soundtrack and voice acting are, as expected from a Valve game, more than passable, though the in-game voice system is still subpar at best. Graphically Valve could have done more with the enhanced Source engine but they have done a good job to keep the graphics clean and crisp rather than overly bedazzling and confusing. However, these do not detract from the complexity and dynamism of the game itself.

Very unforgiving to new players of the genre, however, and a steep learning curve is almost entirely necessary to avoid being left in the dust. Players who have little or no skill in micromanagement will certainly take it on the chin like Tori Black.

85/100, A

This highly inexpensive gem of a game comes from the same creators of Super Meat Boy and Gish, and they have definitely met expectations with this indie title. Inspired by old-school roguelike games in a sidescrolling quad-directional shooter, this game is excellent and very replayable, often rewarding itself with unpredictability. Detractors will point to lag due to its Flash structure, and ridiculous difficulty for new players, but these points do not ruin the overall experience. A steep learning curve is in place.

Music - 8/10 : Danny Baranowsky has really outdone himself with some of the phenomenl tracks in this game.
Gameplay - 8.5/10: Very slick, and tight control scheme coupled with a solid character development.
Replayability - 9/10: Many randomized items to get which will mix up the experience every single time, and as a short roguelike, hits the nail every single time.

Highly recommended, definitely one of the top indie games this year.

86/100, A

Absolutely fantastic game which shows that you neither need a large budget or a great engine to create a spectacular game. Again, the main draw as is mainly the case with indie adventure games is the story, combined with spellbinding narration, Spike Best Video Game Music, and very tight controls. Shows a surprising amount of depth with different weapon builds. If only there was a co-op mode... but we can keep dreaming on Bastion 2.

Storyline: 9/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics and Art Style: 8/10
Sound and Music: 9.5/10
Replayability: 5/10

Overall: 85/100, A-