Analysis and Redesign of Bastion (Mobile)

Bastion is an adventure RPG that revolves around the player navigating around a post-apocalyptic world. The game utilizes a unique feature of generating the level as the player moves. The game also includes a large and varied arsenal of weapons and skills.

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To begin my redesign of the game, I analyzed key areas of the game:

- The Gameplay Loop

- The Mechanic Systems

- UI, Visual Language, and Design Principles

- Game Design and Flow, Immersion, and Engagement

Within the documentation is the gameplay loop and breakdown of each mechanic present in the game. 

From my analysis, I identified three substantial problems to the game itself.

The first problem is the UI for enemy health bars. Within the game, the health bar wraps around the bottom of the enemy. This becomes confusing in large-scale battles where multiple health bars overlap with one another. 

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The second problem is the skill mechanic system. Within the game, the player is allowed to choose one powerful ability as their skill for combat. What makes this systems problematic is the wide range of perks available to the player. Since the game focuses on using multiple different weapon combinations, the skill system seems limiting with only one possible option. Increasing the possible skill count to two will benefit the player's ability to experiment with new combinations.

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The third problem is weapons within levels. Within the game, the player comes across and picks up various weapons to add to their arsenal. The problem with this system is that players can walk past these weapons. This results in players missing out a major portion of their arsenal until a challenge or building can provide a way to obtain the weapon which does not occur until late into the game. Changing or adjusting this ability to walk past weapons can help prevent players from missing out on content.

 

The full analysis, documentation, design recommendations, and presentation are included in the document links below.