The way the Ura stop shooting in awe, how the one person who killed most of them - killed all who opposed him... Sacrificed himself for the man who caused it all. And then when a cross-bow-woman starts shooting she is struck down for her disrespect. And the way Rucks says "Probably dealt with Zulf by now" implies that Rucks assumed Kid would kill Zulf... Jeez, dats powerful.
A bit of trivia: they actually did separate Ura voice recordings for this scene. Before the audacious crossbowman shoots, you hear a female Ura yell something. She says the same line again after striking him down for disobedience; she was ordering a cease fire. Besides that, you can hear several voices reacting with awe.
Like some of the best antagonists in fiction, Zulf's motives were completely understandable. You just can't be mad at the guy for what he went through.
I know this comment is old, But what I think zulf represents is people or person who cannot let go of the past and is always seeking VENGEANCE While zia is those who forgive and move on with life
@@r3ll282 I disagree on Zulf seeking vengeance part. He didn't start hostilities towards the Bastion until AFTER he learned the truth of the Calamity Superweapon from Zia's father's journal. Bear in mind his You-Know-Where segment, where he was adopted by a Cael Missionary in the Terminals, and became a voice preaching for peace between the Ura and Caelondia. He managed to convince many of the Ura to also advocate for peace, and was making inroads in Caelondia itself. ...and then he discovered the truth about the Calamity, the result of a Caelondian WMD intended specifically to wipe his people out. It was only the fact that it was sabotaged that stopped his home from being completely obliterated, and even then the blowback from the sabotage still turned his Caelondian girlfriend to ash. When you've spent your entire life advocating for peace with a nation that your people were at war with long ago, only to discover that the enemy nation seemingly STILL intended to commit genocide on your entire race, I imagine that is going to hurt A LOT. And I imagine it hurt for the Ura too once Zulf got word back to the Terminals - that the people they were trying to make peace with still intended to kill them all. The war may as well have never ended, and the intervening years of peace may as well have just been to let the Ura lower their guard. And once you've had your trust shredded like that, it's no wonder the remaining Ura chose to counterattack. After all, if they tried to destroy you once while your back was turned, there's no guarantee they won't try to destroy you again, and it feels like the only thing you CAN do is destroy the enemy stronghold before they get the chance to do so.
I couldn't leave him. It's very touching. Despite the fact that they try to gun you down at the beginning, they stop attacking you.. they even strike down one of their own for firing at you.
Still one of the most emotion driven sequences I've ever played in a video game. Not even the triple A titles could bring such a deep, emotional response. It was truely hopeless, but you felt like you where doing the right thing, even as your taking arrows left and right, downing your last heal on a road that is far to long for you to survive. You made your choice and it's time to walk it. This moment will be with me for a good many years. Just pure badass and epic writing
Barely any story? Thats not how I remember it. I mean, its not a freaking intrigue plot but its definitely pretty story rich. You just have to be paying attention to get any of it. Besides, this scene makes me cry as well and Im not going to be ashamed of that for you. Say what you will. Its a sad scene and to some people it just hits the sweet spot. I mean, imagine if I said to someone crying at Up, "Pft. Its just an animated movie. Why are you crying?" I bet they would have a whole load of reasons why an opinion like that could be wrong.
I had one potion and the perk that made them less effective. I accepted my fate and walk forward. Realise I wasn't getting attack anymore, but it's at the point of the ura hitting her friend that I truely realise how beautiful that section was.
Truly, as the Kid braved the gauntlet, it crossed his mind that taking Zulf might've been his last mistake. The end had been in reach, and he left behind his only weapon, all so he could drag a traitor home. The Bastion was lost. He'd failed. Then they stopped. The soldiers stepped aside. One kept going... and got cut down by the commander. They let him go. They must've seen it at that moment. He wasn't no murderer. He wasn't the same as the ones who caused the calamity. He was just a kid.
My first playthrough of the game, I saved Zulf. It wasn't personal... He was just doing what he thought he had to. Hell, he even tried to save my ass by warning me before I went back to the bastion, and when I saw him getting hit by the Ura... The grudge I had against was just... Gone. I picked him the hell up and made my run for it. I knew hell was about to rain upon me, I didn't have a weapon anymore. (And thank god for that, I hated the Battering Ram. It was so slow I just couldn't HIT ANYTHING AND GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE SHITS SO I CAN END YOU ALREADY!) Then the music kicked in... And as I was slowly gunned down, I was determined to make it through. I used the cover to my advantage, as I kept an eye on my health elixers, and slowly trudged through. I downed my second elixer, as the arrows slowly came to a halt. I kept going on, another archer. WHAM, down it goes... Downed by another Ura. And that's when I realized what was happening, and smiled. I'd made the right choice. We made it back to the Bastion, I wasn't TOO concerned, I had 3 elixers left after all. (Thank you tonics.) And then I made my choice... I evacuated. After all, if we turned back the clock... What was stopping the calamity from happening again? Hell, I didn't even use the Calamity Cannon as a weapon. It was just sickeningly WRONG, as I forcibly brought the calamity into the remains of the Ura town. I despised the thing, it was disgusting to use. Needless to say, when they let me get rid of it for my Dueling Pistols, I was relieved.
I love how they left the low HP special effects and potion reserves untouched in this sequence. I tried to progress unharmed as long as possible, drinking a potion whenever it prompted me. After I had chugged the last potion, I said to myself "Huh, so this is where it all ends... wait, hold on, they're no firing O.O "
The decision to save or leave zulf was one I had to stop think about for at least 10 minutes, pacing around my room weighing the moral and practical implications of either choice. It came down to a very real "I would want him to save me, and he's probably learned his lesson." No other game has ever stopped me like that.
Just finished playing this game for the first time... This part was incredibly powerful. Definitely on the list of reasons why I love this game. I played through both options, taking and leaving Zulf, and the comparison between the two made this option super special. I love it.
Such a profound profound moment. It made me cry the first time and it nearly made me cry again then. Although lots of games have moved me, this is just such an incredible, redemptive moment, accentuated by the way Rucks assumes that you must have killed Zulf.
even though this was a beautiful moment, i thought the only reason i was getting to the end was because the npc's were bugged, until the one woman killed the shooter attacking him
i think thats what that scene is for. to let you know the ura are making a deliberate choice to let you leave instead of trying to gun you down right there.
Anyone else believe the Old Man is just a grown up Kid? Like, if you choose to save the world instead of living in the calamity? And the old man just remembers after so many times of saving it?
The Calamity had left a crater in the planet, but there was still a whole world left. You can see this if you choose to evacuate. The Bastion was never guaranteed to fix anything. All it does is turn back time, but we lose our knowledge. There's nothing preventing the Calamity from happening again. Maybe if it got used enough times, we'd eventually get a future with no Calamity.... but what if, in the process of trying, we ended up with one where The Kid failed or died IN the Calamity?
I've never regret taking Zulf. Strongest moment in the game, the music, the Ura stopping their attacks at one point...I've could not shed a tear seeing Kid limping through all that mess, with Zulf's body on his shoulder. Such a marvelous game, so cleverly structured, it's a gaming masterpiece!
I remember I was so touched and humbled when my enemies stopped attacking me out of respect, and even attacked the guy who tried to attack me after all. And that last song... just beautiful
I used to play the shit out of the demo for Bastion on my older brother’s Xbox 360 when I as a kid. Something about the game’s art, music, story, and mechanic effortlessly captured my attention. So when my brother finally bought the full version on his laptop, I of course watched him play it. The image of the Kid carrying Zulf to safety as Ura soldiers pelt him with arrows had been burned into my mind as a core memory ever since. This was the first time I truly saw how video games can be used as a powerful storytelling medium unlike any other.
Just finished this. So much depth in this scene, even in the tiniest details. The one part after they stop firing when one person fires and the one behind them hits them to stop him from attacking... that got me. It is such a small detail but shows how they went above and beyond to not just make a scene of them letting the kid go, but how they won't even tolerate their own members attacking him. Idk why it got me. But it really showed their character and respect they had for him in that moment. Those details are where make good moments great.
I love how they mix story with gameplay here. I really thought I was going to have to fight my way through all those Ura. And then they stop shooting me, and I was like... what happened?
This was the moment I fell in love with Supergiant Games. Before making the choice to save Zulf, I thought our actions were meaningless, that the two choices were a façade, that we'd either kill Zulf or both die trying to save him. When the archers stopped firing I inhaled sharply as the realization that the game was letting me choose compassion hit me like a ton of bricks. I had to pause the game and take a break before I could continue. What an emotional trip.
this is undoubtedly one of the best games i've ever played, especially on an emotional level. when the ura shooting you around 1:56 was struck down by the ura behind him, it had one of the biggest impacts any moment in gaming has ever had on me. this game is a masterpiece.
Really one of the best experiences I've had in a video game.... it's simple looking but has some nice emotion behind it. I did leave him behind once to see the difference but it didn't feel right at all. I also did the restoration ending in that run. So when I played through again I chose differently on both choices. Save Zulf + Evacuation really feels like the good end.
God this was an amazing moment. I don't think I've ever had any game bring out such strong emotions before. This was just incredible. Then it gets to the part at 1:57, where that one guy starts shooting, and the officer behind him just goes into a complete rage and beats him into the ground. I had thought it couldn't get more awesome than when they stopped attacking you, and then I was proven wrong at that part. By the end of that scene, I was just speechless.
I then evacuated, eliminating the possibility of going back and saving him. Time went on. Zulf, he went to a happier place. Life isn't all dandelions and lollipops, and this game showed me that.
I almost cried. I dont wear my emotions on my sleeves, and i cant remember a time when i was this close to tears (never lost anyone close to me, thank god)
He may have betrayed us, he may have done considerable harm to the bastion, but seeing him lying there, turned upon by his own countrymen, it was just too much. I couldn't leave him there, so I lifted him gently over my shoulder and spoke softly, saying only what needed to be said: "Let's go home, Zulf."
I just noticed that the Ura stop attacking the Kid after a while. In the top that one archer starts shooting the Kid, until the other one stuns him. They just let him go. Damn those invisible ninjas cutting onion...
The ura were nothing more than a dangerous opponent up until this point, but giving them this scene... It completely changes your perspective on them, it's an amazing scene for many reasons. But after it's all done... Well, why on earth would you want to go back to fighting these people?
Still remember the first time I did this. Have never in any replay been able to make myself go down the other path. I started bawling when they finally stopped attacking.
I played the game through a second time just to see what would happen if I chose to leave Zulf behind. When I got to that part a really powerful emotion hit me I can't explain and I chose to rescue him again. This game is a fucking masterpiece
Man, when I was playing I had a whole army shooting at me and 2 guys spearing me. I had to heal up 3 times and by the end, my health was red. Then that 1 douche started shooting me and I thought I was done for sure....a very touching scene, to be sure
Where would he go? No-one would have him but the very place he tried to destroy, the very people he betrayed. Revenge is a poison. And the hardest thing to ever do, is to forgive. So I forgave him. I dragged him through hell, on my shoulder, under fire by his kin, to get him to safety. To get him back home. Where he would be accepted. It's not about what is just. It's about what is right. Zulf needed my help. And I provided.
I also chose to save Zulf, and god dammit, that was such an powerful scene... was pretty sure the Kid wouldn`t make it when they all started shooting...and then they all just...stopped. I´m guessing it was respect, but who knows. The music suited the scene so well, it was just magnificent.
I would object, however. Don't get me wrong, I love the storytelling of Bastion. CoD's(by the time: namely, CoD4 in 2007) is nothing short of stellar.They both set milestone for gaming industry.
I took 5 minutes to make the last choice in bastion, in LA Noire I sat in my seat just shocked for 15 minutes. LA Noire also had character development done fantasticly, and that really increased the impact
I love how the Ura eventually are just stunned that the Kid risked everything for Zulf, and just let him pass. Even there leader smacks down the guy shooting at him out of respect. God I love this game
I went with saving Zulf and Evacuating the Bastion on my first playthrough, deciding I'd test out the other ending in the New Game Plus. That's probably my biggest regret when playing this game. Not because Zulf didn't deserve to be saved, but because this scene deserved to be the finale proper. You always save the best for last.
I think they stop trying to kill him out of respect more than fear,since they kept pummeling Kid all the way when he started walking towards them,but then stopped when they see Kid won't budge and drop his friend to fight back. Note the guy who tried to snipe Kid on the second floor platform got shafted probably to punish him for trying to do something that they viewed as unhonorable.
I don't know when you're given the last two choices in the game some wont think twice usually about the first choice, but the last choice I myself sat there for a while debating it out in my head for what felt like a good while. That's pretty emotional I think when a game has you seconds away from finishing it and you have to decide on what your last action is going to be.
You know you'll reach the end of the story very soon. The whole world is in ruins and you had to kill many people to survive. You bear a massive weapon of sheer destruction, getting ready to face what could have been the "antagonist" in another game. You're expecting some kind of Climax, an adrenaline-pumping fight or race to death. Then, this. Then you feel miserable, then you cry. Thanks, Bastion.
I think the even deeper part is how the Ura responded. When they realized that this Kid chose to save him, even though he was not the same as him, they stopped attacking and watched in a silent vigil. And when one soldier had the audacity to attack, he was cut down for his disrespect. Never lose respect for your enemy, because by disrespecting them, you bring dishonor upon yourself.
I've just finished the game. This indeed is the most powerful moment in the game, and I haven't felt such thing playing a game yet. I'm totally blown away.
Instead of respect, I felt the Ura let Kid go out of (mostly) absolute fear. Kid just leaves bodies everywhere in the Ura streets, proceeds to wield a battering Ram like a club (holy shit...), then... just stops killing as soon as he takes back Zulf... Takes arrows and bullets while shouldering Zulf and just keeps marching no stop. You do NOT fuck with this one kid. Ura shuts the door behind him hoping he never has a reason to come back, I'd be scared too If I wasn't the main Character there
I'm glad it doesn't go with the adrenaline-pumping fight or the race to death as you said. I prefer this ending, it came to me as a shock. It brought the game to an even higher level of emotional connection (if that makes sense) and therefore made the story even better. I'd prefer it if the saving of Zulf actually changed the outcome of the options though. 10/10.
I don't know why the Ura let them go. Maybe it was because they were all gathering in their last effort to survive against this attack from this Monster that has been killing them left and right. Maybe they don't attack an unready person, maybe they didn't attack him because it was dishonorable. Maybe they heard so much about this "monster" coming to kill them all, But when the final stand came, what did they see. Not a monster. a Kid. a Kid carrying a man who sold him out to safety.
