There's nothing quite so humbling as checking an online leaderboard. I've played this game for 20 hours, beat it twice, and my score attack rank was 17,445th. It kind of undercuts one's sense of accomplishment to see that something you struggled to achieve has literally been done more times than you can imagine. It's not that big a deal. It is simply part of the price of living in the modern world - you can never escape the truth of your own smallness.
Of course, that's just an idle thought. I never really expected to be one of the best of the best at Bastion. I could barely manage having five of the ten shrines active (the story levels were pretty easy, but the "who knows where" levels stretched me to my limit - it is difficult to overstate the frustration of dying after the Stranger's letter z wave). Maybe with another 20 hours of practice, but, while Bastion is an undeniably beautiful game, it probably does not have enough meat for it to become an obsession.
So, while I am not going to go for the 10 idol challenge, I don't feel like I'm leaving Bastion with unfinished business. It gave me a simple, yet enjoyable story and simple, yet enjoyable gameplay that kept me thoroughly engaged for the whole 20 hours. I can't really ask for more than that.
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