Abandon hope all ye whom expect anything short of the full 5
stars for Transistor. It’s what it deserves and rightly so. I’ll cover the sum
of its parts in more detail throughout the review, but if you want the short
version, it’s as close to perfection in a video game that I’ve seen for quite
some time. Supergiant are a small, exceptionally experienced team and for their
second effect have really hit the nail on the head. It’s not what you would
define as a game, it’s an experience.
2011 saw Supergiant release Bastion to high critical
acclaim, its unique narrative, style and story helped it on its way to several
Game of The Year awards. For Supergiant, it’s a case of if it’s not broke then
don’t fix it. But don’t bring out the exact same game again! I could spend the
whole review discussing where Transistor is heavily influenced by Bastion, it’s
not a bad thing. It would have been crazy for them to abandon a formula that
has worked so well.
One similarity that wouldn’t have been left out regardless
of how different Transistor could have been to Bastion is its art. It’s a
similar isometric viewed plane in Third Person, however, Cloudbank is a
completely new universe. Dashes of neon and a haze of noir bring this Cyberpunk
inspired playground to life. It feels like a real city, a real world. The
character design of Red, the game’s main protagonist fits the world wonderfully,
along with the Transistor sword itself. Add The Process also don’t feel out of
place, they’re well designed and feel dangerous in the environment, their often
clinical whites offset by the softer environments. All of these elements, right
down to the UI fit the title wonderfully, and I honestly could not find a fault
with the artistic direction. Thanks for the 100+ screenshots I took whilst
playing through!
Darren Korb returns with another absolute blinder of a
soundtrack also. This is a man that knows how to create music and sound for a
game and helps bring Transistor’s art to life. His music is memorable, and
comfortable without detracting from the immersion of the title. It’s quality is
perfect and there’s not a single track that sounds like it’s from a different
game universe. Another job well done and a huge thumbs up.
Another stalwart of the Supergiant arsenal is its narration.
Bastion’s narrator returns to voice the Transistor, the games’ only weapon. The
story is driven in a different way from Bastion. The Transistor acting as a
companion for Red. The chemistry between sword and wielder is solid. They work
as a perfect pair and the story flows well through the sword talking to Red and
the game’s OVC stations dotted around the world of Cloudbank.
With the Transistor being the only weapon in the game, it
poses a unique problem. How do you control the strength of the weapon so that
it believably struggles in the early stages yet comes true by the end? Well if
you’re Supergiant you answer that question with a fantastic mechanic. The
Transistor has 16 different abilities or “functions” which can be used as
either a main usable action, a buff for a main action or a passive ability.
This system, along with the Turn() function, which I’ll cover off later helps
keep the combat fresh through the playthrough and will adapt itself to pretty
much anyone’s playstyle. This system
allows for thousands of combinations, and is a masterstroke by Supergiant.
Within these 16 abilities you can play Red in whichever way you like. There’s a
maximum amount that can be equipped as some abilities pack more of a punch than
others but you’re almost guaranteed to find a combination that suits you.
At its heart Transistor is an Action RPG, its fast and
frenetic pace will keep any seasoned veteran a run for his money without using
the Turn(). I found the Turn() to be pretty unique spin on the combat system,
using the power of the Transistor you can stop time, plan and use actions and
execute within a short period of time, this will disable you for a few seconds
but allows you to chain actions together, thinking through a unique challenge
each time. There’s not a huge variety of enemies but it’s nice to pick and
choose your enemies whilst keeping a safe distance to plan your next attack.
Couple all these elements with a thoroughly engaging story
and you’ve got gaming gold. It may be short, I clocked my first play through in
around 6 hours, but it’s a beautiful 6 hours. At £14.99 on release it’s a very
pair price for the quality it provides. There’s very little I’d change about
Transistor it impressed me thoroughly and my attention is very much focused on
where Supergiant go from here. I don’t see the wheels coming off this cart
anytime soon!
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