Bastion's Narrator

[Masakari]

Simply doing scientific research as to whether I'm the only person who found Bastion's narrator annoying by the end of the game. Now, I exaggerate with the statements (I mean, plot development stuff was good to hear), but generally him talking so much was just distracting and lost its novelty super-quickly for me.

If you haven't played the game or played it for more than a couple of hours, please abstain. And feel free to discuss.

[Peahats]

I voted "ZOMG THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER AND ANYONE WHO THINKS OTHERWISE IS WRONG" but I don't think he was that good. He never got annoying, and I would say he added to a relatively short, and kinda repetitive game. What I liked was when he would say certain things depending on what happened in the story or during combat. His narration certainly made the gauntlet extra levels more interesting, he would go into more detail about the characters backstory the further you got.

[ketchuo]

I know we had this chat already masa but I'll say it again for the people who don't talk to us. I enjoy the narrator in bastion just because must games that I've played, the narrator starts to be something I don't care about but bastion's narrator was always nice to listen too. I actually turned off my music while playing this game just to listen to the narrator.

[Plinko]

Are you complaining about getting annoyed by the voice acting or the omnipresence of the narration itself?

It would have been a considerably less moving experience to play the game and appreciate it as a work of art if they'd scaled back or cut the narrator. I do not toss that around lightly, most games are utter crap as works of art.

The ending is where it really comes together as that's where the dissonance between the narrator's version of events and the events in gameplay starts to emerge. It also invests a ton of weight to the ending portion because it's clear, especially on replay, that up until that point you really don't get much choice in how the game unfolds at all. The narrator is driving the story, but in the end level he's clearly telling you what he assumed must have happened, because the Kid doesn't say anything.
And then the narration ending as you come across Zulf and get to choose yourself, now with no narration, what happens, really means something. It ranks up there with the most compelling sequences I've ever seen in a video game.

[The Domer]

I like his voice. For the first playthrough, his comments were very nice compared to most in-game narrators. I imagine it might get wearisome for second (or more) playthroughs.

[abiscuit]

+1 to Masa's hipster cred

[Masakari]

I like the narrator for the story, but his commenting on EVERYTHING that happened in the game I just felt was distracting. I don't know if it was the voice necessarily, or just the most of it.

Narrating the story was fine (Reflections, last chapter, etc.) But when everything like falling down, killing enemies had some kind of commentary, it was getting annoying. Again, I can accept that I might be the only person who thought as much.

[Earthworm James]

The narrarator made me feel like I was cappin fools and pwnin bi***es. So satisfyingly masculine.

[Cpt._Keyes]

I voted, but I will not say where. I haven't played the game, I want to corrupt Masa's scientific study

[Buzzy Beetle]

I didn't vote because of the polarizing options. The narrator was really good but not the BEST THING EVR.

[ShiftyDevil]

How about not best thing ever but added nicely to the game?

[Earthworm James]

I didn't vote because of the polarizing options. The narrator was really good but not the BEST THING EVR.

[Guardian]

Masakari I've disagreed with you in the past but understood your reasoning but this I do not understand!! The Narrator's voice was awesome, he added so many details to a simple story and his voice is just awesome!!!!

I've played through this game 3 times (2nd new game plus, 3rd score attack so I could do any level) and have done a lot of levels just for fun and to try new weapon combos. I thought after a while I'd get annoyed by him but I didn't, his voice sits nicely in the background like a good song. Maybe it's just that you can't focus on someone talking and playing a game at the same time Masakari, I sure can