Transistor Reviews
Overall Transistor certainly shows how far Supergiant Games have come from Bastion - which was a great effort. Unfortunately, it's missing some essential elements in an RPG (such as the aforementioned grinding) making a few bosses harder than they should be. Yet, as bad as those flaws may sound, I had a great time playing it thanks to the battle system, and the sheer charm of the characters.
Transistor is an early contender for one of the most engaging games of the year. It isn't Bastion 2, since it's more of a straight RPG than an action game, and the tone, characters and setting are quite different. It manages to craft an engaging and exciting RPG experience mixed with a simple but curiously enticing story, and its biggest sin is being over too soon. It won't necessarily appeal to all of Bastion's fans, but Transistor shows that Supergiant Games isn't just a one-hit wonder and is capable of crafting an entirely different kind of game experience that is still exciting and delightful.
It may start off feeling pompous and arrogant, but give it enough time and you'll start to uncover a deeply sophisticated world, supported by a brilliant story, and solid, dynamic gameplay.
When all is said and done, it's a perfect combination of gaming elements done right that you'll want to play again, all the while debating the realities of Cloudbank, its citizens and the Transistor.
Supergiant Games has done a great job with their follow-up to the acclaimed Bastion by putting out a unique take on the strategy RPG genre that we haven’t seen since Valkyria Chronicles infused third-person shooter controls into the traditional strategy RPG mechanics.
Transistor gives players a dazzling world to explore, a customisable combat system that anyone could find pleasure in, and a story that can pull on even the toughest person's heartstrings if engaged with. Transistor is a worthy follow up to Bastion and it shows that Supergiant Games aren't finished with bringing truly jaw-dropping worlds to the videogame industry. The linearity and confusing opening hour do hinder the game somewhat, but as you come to understand Transistor, you'll be swept away by its charm and beauty.
As pretty as the game looks and sounds, it just doesn't make up for shallow gameplay and a story that really fell flat for me in the end. At least I was able to complete it in six hours, so the tedium didn't last for that long.
While it has the capabilities, it probably won't appeal to those looking for twitch-action or puzzles. Still it deserves a chance to steal your heart, just as it stole mine. The only thing missing is more content.
With the emergence of Transistor and Child of Light from earlier this year, it's getting harder and harder to argue that video games are merely there for entertainment and have no artistic value at all. Transistor strikes a fine balance between being an enjoyable video game and a cyberpunk piece of art.
Transistor is a beautiful game with a fun, addictive progression and combat systems.
Just like the technical artifice in which it's set, though, it never quite feels like home.
With Transistor, Supergiant Games created a beautiful, unique and enjoyable world. Unfortunately, the game is so focused that you're not offered the opportunity to really explore or experience this world.
Beautiful, stylised and interesting. In a world of stale games Transistor takes all that was good from the loved Bastion but makes enough changes that it stand out on its own.
Transistor is one of my favorite games of the past year, easy. Without being weird and unrecognizable as a video game, Transistor turns many video game tropes on their heads—subtley. It also features an excellently written and likable narrator, a fully realized and meaningfully motivated female protagonist, a twist on the tired old tech tree of yore, a soundtrack that's integral to the storytelling fabric of the game, and a complex enemy composed of cowards, contemporaries, and anything-but-bloodthirsty rivals. There's not a note, pixel, or line of dialog out of place.
Transistor is a beautiful, absorbing and well thought out game that encourages you to get creative with its system and carve out your own approach to defeating your opponents. Want superb aesthetics, compelling backstory and tactically engaging gameplay? Look no further.
Transistor is a worthy follow up to one of the most revered indie games of the last generation. Supergiant have taken a formula that works really well and applied a truly gorgeous art direction to it, with an incredibly deep combat system to boot. It's a game that is well worth your time, and with the big AAA game drought heading our way over summer, it's a perfect title to sink your teeth into for a few hours and just let it wash over you.
Despite following in Bastion's footsteps, Transistor doesn't quite manage to deliver as compelling and memorable an experience, even though it has clearly been crafted with such heartfelt intent. Whilst the premise is full of mystery and intrigue, during the course of the short story it never really draws players in as it would have many people believe after its promising start. A case of style over substance, but still a game that deserves the attention of those after something original and rather beautiful - only wait till it goes on sale first.
Transistor left me floored.
There's not a single area in which Transistor doesn't shine beautifully. It is objectively short and very linear which many will see as a negative, but it really works to make a tight package in Transistor's case.
Overall, despite my criticisms, Transistor is a game that is definitely worth your time. If you're a person who loves an interesting story, amazing soundtrack, beautiful visuals, and cheap games (it's only $20 on Steam) then there is no reason why you shouldn't be playing this. After you beat it, you could even have some more fun and join the long and vast discussions about the game's story on Reddit and YouTube, to name a few places. Or not, your choice!