Yeah, feeling exactly the same. I think a lot of my issue is not really being in love with dungeon crawling in the first place, but pretty much every element, from the narrator to the visual style to the music is striking me as decent, but hardly exceptional. Maybe when I've beaten it my opinion will change but thus far, I agree.

Current year in review:
- Portal 2
- Bastion
- Else

I liked it at first, I thought it was alright. Then the weapon upgrades, the idols, and all the backstory opened up and I started really loving it. I'm totally into the world and collecting all the new weapons n tonics and whatever.

I enjoy the proving grounds and the arena challenges. I always feel like there's something cool I can't quite afford yet, and the other weapons would be cool if I would start usin em. I'm interested in what everyone has to say and I'm gonna be sad when I've ran out of dialogue.

Current year in review: - Portal 2 - Bastion - Else

I'm having the opposite experience, and am enjoying it much more than I thought I would.

Can't wait for the soundtrack.

I loved it.

I can definitely say it's much more enjoyable on new game plus with upgraded weapons. But it was a great game to begin with anyways.

@project343 said:

Current year in review: - Portal 2 - Bastion - Else

Yup. Portal 2 and Bastion are currently fist-fighting in my brain over which I preferred.

It seemed kind of generic at first (the gameplay, the production values are amazing). Then it really opened up and it just sucked me in; the weapons, spirits, challenges everything. I played it for 5 hours and am pretty much near the end (I think). Will probably finish it tonight.

Definitely a contender for my favorite XBLA game.

@Cwaff said:

I don't always have the urge to play it, but when I do I can barely put it down. Absolutely love it.

My exact feelings on the game.

I stopped playing about half way through (from what I hear). I definitely agree. It seems like an awesome game.. It just didn't click for me.

I had way more fun than I was expecting, I was never that excited from watching the building the bastion videos. But I had a blast with the game itself.

I'm feeling the same way towards this game. I just don't find it entertaining at all. I think I'm halfway through, from the look of things, and I have to force myself to play it, but I don't think I've enjoyed any moment of the game so far. The weapon challenges can be extremely frustrating, the story has not caught my attention at all so far and I'm finding the narrator quite annoying the more I play. The art style is great, though. I'm not saying it's a bad game by any means, it just doesn't agree with me. If it didn't come with The Maw for free, I think I would have regretted buying this a lot. I let myself fall prey to the huge hype surrounding this game and, so far, it hasn't paid off for me.

I was interested in it until I played the demo. I didn't really like anything about it except the art style.

It's fun and everything, but I hate not being able to replay levels. Just a pet peeve of mine. It's not GOTY or anything like people keep saying. And NO WAY is it better than Portal 2 in any regard, or even close.

Also I got nauseous listening to the Bombcast after it came out where it was 20 min of them saying EVERYTHING was perfect, even if it got into joke territory. It's nice that their friend made a fun game but COME ON.

It didn't click for me right away but after finishing it, I wanted to get back in and after that, I loved every moment of it.
It took a while but I found it alot more fun towards the end and in my second playthrough but I definitely can see how you feel.
 
One thing I could take away from it is that all the gameplay and design stuff is all pretty standard. I don't see how it one ups any of its contemporaries but its presentation seemed to carry it in many ways. It seemed like a typical action RPG with great direction and art style.

Bastion is an excellent example of style over substance, which explains the hype but not the praise. I, personally, couldn't get into the game. I appreciate the art direction and the groovy narrator, but everything else just seems so... mediocre.

I think @VaddixBell makes a decent point in saying the game is carried by its presentation. The game fell short for me because there wasn't enough to sink my teeth into; presentation alone just doesn't do it for me.

Loved it. Best combat of any game I've played this year, retail or not.

@Gladiator_Games said:

@Cwaff: I see what you did there, and I made this for you sir!

Oh, and about Bastion. Played the demo, didn't really like the feel of it. It's very cool looking, but the gameplay didn't grab me like I hoped it would.

Bravo sir!

I genuinely think its one of the best games I've played in years. Absolutely stellar.

At first I hated the combat, it felt sluggish and slow. But the further I got into the game the more I grew to love it and ended up enjoying it far more than I expected.

One of my top games this year.

I am actually one of those that wasn't a huge fan of the artstyle, but loved the basic oldschool gameplay. Totally S-ranked it within a week of getting it, couldn't put it down. Once I got some weapons that really clicked with me (Mortar and Flamethrower) it became hugely enjoyable.

For me, it's once I got into it and got through the first stages, and I had a bit more combat options, it started to click with me.

Def. my fav downloadable title this year.

How well does the demo represent the game and how long is it in relation to the full game? I ask because it didn't fullly convince me to buy the full version.

I liked it more than I thought I would

Haven't really touched it since the first few days of release on the PC. It didn't quite grab me the way I hoped it would. 

Played a bunch more of Bastion and yeah. Bastion stops being a 5 star game as soon as the one playing it stops being a Giant Bomb user.

At first I was going to agree with the OP… but then I realized the problem, for me, was the keyboard/mouse controls on the PC version -- not the (rest of the) game itself. The game feels so much better with a console controller -- even a PS3 controller -- and I'm loving the game now.

I didn't have expectations before I played it.  That said, I enjoyed it a lot.