Transistor Reviews

Transistor is ranked in the 95th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
May 21, 2014

Transistor is masterful. You'll come for the astonishing art direction and thoughtful storyline, but stay for the sensational combat that continually offers new opportunities and challenges long after your first playthrough comes to an end.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 21, 2014

The experience of Transistor is lush and enjoyable. It is a beautiful game with some truly excellent mechanics. Unfortunately, its story and lack of character development through gameplay brings the rest of the game down - but not by much.

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5.5 / 10.0
May 21, 2014

Supergiant Games' follow-up to the critically acclaimed Bastion is doggedly, aggravatingly abstruse in both narrative and game design

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May 22, 2014

Innovative gameplay and beautiful art and music make “Transistor” a must-play for a variety of gamers.

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9 / 10.0
May 22, 2014

Supergiant Games established itself as a remarkable, highly creative studio with the release of 2011's Bastion, and its sophomore effort proves that the development team isn't running short on worthwhile concepts.

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9.6 / 10.0
May 22, 2014

If you can believe it, Transistor surpasses the quality of Bastion in nearly every respect, making it a near perfect game. Easily the best game of the year so far.

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9.5 / 10.0
May 22, 2014

Like Bastion before it, Transistor is a pleasure to play and an involving experience from start to finish. Its mature story and evolving combat will keep you engaged to the very end, and have you longing for more.

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8.7 / 10.0
May 22, 2014

My biggest wish is for more of this game, a sequel or some DLC, because I want to see this world continued, and I want to play the combat until my thumbs bleed. I'm disappointed in its short play-length, but it can't be said enough that Transistor is a beautiful and unique RPG that every gamer should play. I can hardly wait to see what Supergiant will come up with next.

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84 / 100
May 22, 2014

People were looking for a really good follow up to Bastion, and that's what they've got here. Transistor is really smart, looks and sounds great, and will leave you wanting more when it's all over.

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Unscored
May 22, 2014

The Bastion followup has intriguing characters, great gameplay and a murky story.

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10 / 10.0
May 23, 2014

Before playing I didn't expect to be fully enraptured by Transistor, thinking the spectre of Bastion would haunt the experience too much. But neither did I expect Transistor to take that formula and evolve it into something so sublime and handcrafted that tears would roll down my cheek as the credits rolled. From its combat mechanics and customisation, to the narrative and the visually orgasmic art-style, this is an experience to be savoured, to lock yourself away in the confines of your gaming boudoir and revel in its luxurious design and perfection.

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9 / 10.0
May 24, 2014

The enticing narrative, interlaced with gripping story-mechanics, all culminating in a fittingly poignant finale make Transistor a game that deserves to find its home in as many PlayStation 4's as possible.

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May 25, 2014

As in Bastion, you'll gain the option of increasing the difficulty in exchange for more experience, and the soundtrack and narration is surprisingly on par with the previously high bar set by Supergiant Games.

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May 25, 2014

While the combat system itself is the real star of Transistor, Red's journey through Cloudbank is definitely one worth taking.

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May 26, 2014

It may seem less of a fairy tale, but it's still one accomplished story. And with gameplay that is both approachable and engaging without sacrificing depth, the team at Supergiant have shown that they're just getting started.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 26, 2014

Transistor is a fantastic follow-up to Bastion that features incredible art design, wonderful music, deep, customizable, strong storytelling and one of the best plots in recent memory. It's a thoughtful, beautiful, and well-designed game that should be played by everyone with a passing interest in RPGs. Go buy it. Now.

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May 27, 2014

Of Supergiant's two games, 'Transistor' is second-best. I'll always commend a studio for opting to be different, and in some ways it pays off for Supergiant, while in others it doesn't. The combat system is compelling at first, but generally not balanced enough to compel me to keep going in a second playthrough. The story is at first mysterious but eventually underwhelming, despite a strong emotional core in its two lead characters, and the city of Cloudbank shines brightly in just one way, and so feels dull after about an hour.

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8.7 / 10.0
May 28, 2014

All in all, the stellar concept and artistic style of Transistor is nigh-on unparalleled. The mystical aura surrounding and permeating the entire game is original and attractive, the blending of real-time and turn-based gameplay is inspired (and yeah, it works exceedingly well), and there's a surprising amount of humanity injected into this otherwise sci-fi presentation. I don't like some of the stumbling blocks they purposely throw in your way, as they speak more to the action side of the game (and I prefer the strategic side), and above all else, the potential of the game is just so much…more.

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9 / 10.0
May 28, 2014

Is Transistor worth your time? Well, I'm here to say that yes, it absolutely is. Stunning visuals, heart-breaking but well-written narrative (with a few rushed bits here and there), brilliant sound design, and a fun and rewarding battle system are some of the things you'll be signing up for if you purchase this game. And for a paltry twenty dollar pricetag (or your regional equivalent), you could do a hell of a lot worse. Transistor is a moody, atmospheric, tragic love story, and it's absolutely wonderful. A few pitfalls keep it from being perfect, but I'd still recommend it to anyone who loves games.

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9 / 10
May 28, 2014

From it's intelligent game design to it's breathtaking art direction, Transistor brings the player into a world bursting with creativity. I found myself immediately entering New Game Plus mode after the credits rolled because I didn't want to leave the world of Cloudbank. Transistor is a game that isn't afraid to go outside of typical video game tropes resulting in a refreshing and fun experience. This is easily one of the best games on the PS4 and one PC gamers should consider.

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