Transistor

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 678 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 529 out of 678
  2. Mixed: 95 out of 678
  3. Negative: 54 out of 678

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  1. CarrieSnarf
    May 20, 2014
    10
    It's a beautiful game with a haunting soundtrack- I could listen to the soundtrack alone for hours. I found the turn based combat system allows the user to get used to the strategy before running head long in to complicated battles- a nice addition. The story is intense and builds slowly over time- there is so much to discover in Cloudbank that I know I will be learning things in the gameIt's a beautiful game with a haunting soundtrack- I could listen to the soundtrack alone for hours. I found the turn based combat system allows the user to get used to the strategy before running head long in to complicated battles- a nice addition. The story is intense and builds slowly over time- there is so much to discover in Cloudbank that I know I will be learning things in the game for weeks to come! It is totally the spiritual successor to Bastion, but I like it so much more. Great job Supergiant!… Expand
  2. jokerdeus
    May 26, 2014
    10
    Transistor certainly is a beautiful piece of art, but also a very good fun to play.
    Nothing is left behind, from art to the gameplay, everything is amazing.
  3. hiwasafari
    May 25, 2014
    9
    Transistor is amazing!!
    Just the deep combat itself makes the game a blast to play. There are spell like powers called functions which you will unlock the more you level up. Each function can be combined with other functions in a updrage slot or you can put it in a passive slot gaining buffs for your characters. So every functions/spell can be used a direct weapon or a updrage or a    Transistor is amazing!!
    Just the deep combat itself makes the game a blast to play. There are spell like powers called functions which you will unlock the more you level up. Each function can be combined with other functions in a updrage slot or you can put it in a passive slot gaining buffs for your characters. So every functions/spell can be used a direct weapon or a updrage or a passive buff which is amazing, the are 20 functions and the joy of the game is the expiriment you will make you make your character as powerful as she can be.
    Besides the game being great to play, the whole whole world is beautiful. The music is threw the whole game is freakin amazing .
    Overall im really enjoying the game and would recomond this game to any rpg fan.    … Expand
  4. ddrussianinja
    May 29, 2014
    8
    Despite the game's brevity and slightly confusing and underdeveloped plot, the gameplay is deep and rewarding, the presentation and design are fantastic, and the game is thoroughly engaging from start to finish.
  5. Ad4m
    May 27, 2014
    9
    Transistor is a very good game just like the Bastion was, it's almost the same formula, good story+ terrific OST, who liked the previous game of this team, that will love this as well
  6. davidh2014
    Jun 13, 2014
    10
    It's actually a really good indie game that keeps you coming back for more. Very colorful board. Action RPG game. The indie games are becoming a better market than the big name commercial games. Worth the buy.
  7. Rene9aaade
    May 29, 2014
    9
    I am absolutely torn as to the accolade of GOTY this year, given this was the year if the mighty dark souls 2!!!
    child of light and transistor where the outstanding games of the year for me, Transistor is the pinnacle of indie game making. Super giant games have created a fully realised world.
    Simply put this the best Indie game i am yet to play on Playstation systems. i'll start    I am absolutely torn as to the accolade of GOTY this year, given this was the year if the mighty dark souls 2!!!
    child of light and transistor where the outstanding games of the year for me, Transistor is the pinnacle of indie game making. Super giant games have created a fully realised world.

    Simply put this the best Indie game i am yet to play on Playstation systems.

    i'll start 1st with Gameplay, transistor stands out with it's take on the turn based/free flowing action with light RPG elements , while the system is great it is not flawless, but would never hinder your plans and works very well. What makes the title shine is the depth of gameplay, which in turn are shown by the options of your arsenal, you have primary actions, secondary attributes and passive attributes. But the catch is that you mix and match the same powers/abilities into any of these slots each action has two secondaries and then you have 4 passive actions. It is a difficult mechanic to describe in words but works wonderfully, It adds options and strategic depth, moreover it allows you to play the way you want to play.
    Add to that "limiters " which i much say were one of the coolest things in Bastion but come back here even cooler. This is Supergiants take on difficulty, it's a balance where you handicap your self in return of XP % boosts. It's optional but as i am a fan of challenging games, it make my life hell when i turn them most of them on. I just love how this is in an optional feature that elevates the game difficulty to exactly how hard you want it to be.

    2nd thing on the list is Graphics, Anyone who played bastion knows that SG games have unique and awesome presentations. This trend continues in Transistor A beautiful SCI/FI world wonderfully colored and detailed. Its pretty to look at and stylised to perfection.

    3rd up Sound This is DARREN KORB if you know him, you know what your getting into and it's phenomenal if not You are definitely missing out on one of the best artists in the gaming industry. Tunes go from futuristic to melancholic in a blink of an eye, it is done so perfectly and ties with the games sequences in such a way that deserves praise and recognition. Without a doubt the games strongest feat.

    4th and last up story/ replay-ability story is cool not outstanding but it's a nice tale that unravels as the game progresses and was interesting through out. Due to the depth of options it would be a joy to at least play Transistor twice in my opinion.

    All in all this is a video gaming achievement in the indie world and without a doubt warrants the price of admission.    … Expand
  8. Jubilarian
    Jun 3, 2014
    8
    I found myself enjoying Transistor, but also feeling confused about the story.

    When you first get introduced to Cloudbank, immediately you can see the beautiful hand-drawn buildings and Red, herself. You are greeted by a mysterious voice, belonging to a dead person who has been stabbed with the 'Transistor'. At first the gameplay may seem really complex, but once you get the hang of    I found myself enjoying Transistor, but also feeling confused about the story.

    When you first get introduced to Cloudbank, immediately you can see the beautiful hand-drawn buildings and Red, herself. You are greeted by a mysterious voice, belonging to a dead person who has been stabbed with the 'Transistor'.

    At first the gameplay may seem really complex, but once you get the hang of things and know how to use the Turn(), it becomes more easier, but also more harder because as you progress, the enemies get harder. You will need to plan out your attacks and make strategies.

    The music of Transistor is so amazing that it is a must that you listen to the whole OST. Ashley Barrett's vocals are haunting, but so beautiful at the same time that you get lost while playing into the music. It's just that amazing.

    The story is Transistor's weak spot. While it is interesting, sometimes you just don't know a lot of something and become confused at parts. It almost feels like Supergiant took a fraction of the story and released the final product. The ending is great, but the twist is sort of expected.

    Overall, Transistor is a great and beautiful game and while not a must-buy, it is a nice experience to have for $20.    … Expand
  9. claytastic
    Jun 7, 2014
    9
    Transistor is a well-created, fast-paced action game that, in my opinion, tops Bastion. The story will move you in every way (especially for being about the relationship between a singer and a sword), the graphics are well designed, and the soundtrack is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! My only complaint is that the camera can be just flat-out all over the place sometimes. Other than that, it's aTransistor is a well-created, fast-paced action game that, in my opinion, tops Bastion. The story will move you in every way (especially for being about the relationship between a singer and a sword), the graphics are well designed, and the soundtrack is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! My only complaint is that the camera can be just flat-out all over the place sometimes. Other than that, it's a great game. You've earned the hype, Supergiant!… Expand
  10. martscht
    Jun 10, 2014
    8
    Overall, I think the game is astoundingly beautiful. Not just the visuals, but the entire composition - most notably the sound design which allows you to interact with the soundtrack by adding the protagonists humming (always in tune to the current background song) at will.

    But, to get this out of the way, I am not big fan of the hack-and-slash RPG and this is probably the first RPG    Overall, I think the game is astoundingly beautiful. Not just the visuals, but the entire composition - most notably the sound design which allows you to interact with the soundtrack by adding the protagonists humming (always in tune to the current background song) at will.

    But, to get this out of the way, I am not big fan of the hack-and-slash RPG and this is probably the first RPG this decade I actually bought for myself (not including stuff that came free with PS+ or stuff my flatmates bought and I played). This game did not break these genre boundaries to a degree where I could just forget about everything I dislike about the genre but it came very close - especially in the early stages of the game where I was occupied with marveling at the audio-visual design. But especially as the game progresses the novelty of the design decreases and the game quickly becomes a progress-to-next-fight-scene-a-thon.

    But, to its credit, Transistor's battle system is really quite elegant, sort of reminiscent of Fallout 2. Aside from the standard hack-and-slash most of the combat revolves around a turn based attack planning which allows to string together a wide variety of attacks with various combo, backstab and specials modifiers to maximize damage. Especially in conjunction with a very nice upgrade and skill system it does keep the boredom at bay for quite some time. But especially towards the end it does become somewhat tiresome as the game starts throwing more and more enemies at you.

    One more quick word on the upgrade system: It is, like many other things about the game, very elegant. While you can only have four active attacks you will collect multiple possible abilities with XP. Each of these collected abilities can be used as either an active attack, an upgrade to a specific active attack (enabling specific bonuses) or an overall boost (enabling global bonuses). This allows for an extremely flexible skill system which I had great fun experimenting with throughout the game. In addition to upgrades you also earn limiters which allow you to purposefully make the game harder earning you even more XP which I thought was a nice take on allowing for difficulty preferences.

    However, the game does have some shortcomings. As I've mentioned it becomes a bit tedious towards the end where it starts to become a run from battle to battle. While there are a lot of story elements scattered throughout the world (and a large portion which only become visible as you experiment with your skill combinations) I found the story to be somewhat nonsensical in an over-the-top anime-like kind of way.

    So, my basic recommendation is: buy the game if you're into great aesthetic experiences. I imagine if you don't enjoy games for their art-style and design this game will quickly become tedious and unnerving for you. But, for someone who can enjoy games for their style I can only recommend this game even if, like me, you have not into RPGs.    … Expand
  11. EpicusLegatum
    Feb 13, 2015
    10
    I got this with PS+ and honestly wasn't drawn to it. I played every other game I was given free first but now that I've played Transistor, I'm hooked.

    The reviews that say they have no idea what's going on after an hours playtime, well that's a lot of what the game's about. You're thrown into a situation that you know nothing about and you're journey reveals more of the story as you    I got this with PS+ and honestly wasn't drawn to it. I played every other game I was given free first but now that I've played Transistor, I'm hooked.

    The reviews that say they have no idea what's going on after an hours playtime, well that's a lot of what the game's about. You're thrown into a situation that you know nothing about and you're journey reveals more of the story as you play. You gain character files along with your new powers that if you use in all ways possible, you get to read more of their bio. This forces you to mix up your move set and both adds to the story and stops the combat becoming repetitive, as some people have complained. This is as well as having "Limiters" that make the enemies stronger in various ways and rewards you with more exp for using them. With all these factors I fail to see how anyone can claim they breezed through spamming the same move over and over.

    The game's very unique, I've personally not played any other game to makes an accurate direct comparison and I'm surprisingly finding myself with a new top game I'd recommend to friends. Definitely worth checking out    … Expand
  12. diehard-gamer
    Feb 8, 2015
    8
    Its a game that, after about 15 minutes play, you realise its as much art as game.

    In that sense its up there with the Bayonetta, Skyrim, Minecraft and other games that make you realise how important music and voice acting are to a game.
  13. backInBone
    Aug 11, 2014
    9
    I didn't know much about this game before purchasing but after beating the game I felt it was worth my money. The music is really impressive. Few games can make me pause the gameplay and stand still just for listening to the BGM. Transistor is surely one of them. The combat system is addictive to me. There are 16 Functions available and you can combine them any way you like. SomeI didn't know much about this game before purchasing but after beating the game I felt it was worth my money. The music is really impressive. Few games can make me pause the gameplay and stand still just for listening to the BGM. Transistor is surely one of them. The combat system is addictive to me. There are 16 Functions available and you can combine them any way you like. Some combinations are powerful or super useful that could possibly make the game ridiculously easy, but apparently you have to try them out yourself, which is a fun process. Since it's a kinda short game, you will finish 2 enjoyable playthroughs before getting tired of the combat.… Expand
  14. NewSlang
    Mar 10, 2015
    9
    This game is superb. I highly recommend it. I coudn't stop playing. The ability to create your own moves and attacks is very fun. Very Similar to Bastion but even better. The combat system is really fun - just great core mechanic. The voice acting is sublime, the atmosphere really outdoes most games. The story is very compelling. The dev team has created a world I would love toThis game is superb. I highly recommend it. I coudn't stop playing. The ability to create your own moves and attacks is very fun. Very Similar to Bastion but even better. The combat system is really fun - just great core mechanic. The voice acting is sublime, the atmosphere really outdoes most games. The story is very compelling. The dev team has created a world I would love to explore even more of. Great Job.… Expand
  15. Brody_Low
    Feb 5, 2015
    9
    I feel like this game has so many inventive things going on it deserves the highest recognition. The combat system is very intricate, yet simply executed. The soundtrack and sound design are, like most indie games these days, top notch. While the story and presentation are a bit jumbled and confusing, there's enough entertaining things going to where you should probably just put on yourI feel like this game has so many inventive things going on it deserves the highest recognition. The combat system is very intricate, yet simply executed. The soundtrack and sound design are, like most indie games these days, top notch. While the story and presentation are a bit jumbled and confusing, there's enough entertaining things going to where you should probably just put on your seatbelt, bash robots, and enjoy the ride. I will also point out that the atmosphere of the game is very cool. Turn on the controller speaker if you want a better experience.… Expand
  16. Krobolt
    Jun 27, 2014
    9
    Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and Transistor is very familiar with this. Transistor shares many elements from its famous sibling, Bastion. Both utilize a bastion camera angle, both emphasize combat, and both are set in unique stylized worlds. But Transistor isn’t afraid to step out of the box. Its story and world feels both strange and enticing and its combat feels moreImitation is the most sincere form of flattery and Transistor is very familiar with this. Transistor shares many elements from its famous sibling, Bastion. Both utilize a bastion camera angle, both emphasize combat, and both are set in unique stylized worlds. But Transistor isn’t afraid to step out of the box. Its story and world feels both strange and enticing and its combat feels more fine-tuned, deep and dynamic. Transistor combines these elements to build off its predecessor.

    You play as Red, a popular singer from the cyberpunk city of Cloudbank. The game begins dramatically with Red pulling a broadsword, the Transistor, out of the chest of an unnamed man. This man sacrificed his life to protect Red from an assassination attempt and now his essence is trapped within the Transistor, the weapon used against Red. Now it is up to our heroine, Red, to confront her would-be assassins and uncover the plot behind the assassination as well as their plans that threaten the whole city itself.

    The titular Transistor plays the role as narrator throughout the story. After being introduced to Red, the Transistor gained the soul of the unnamed man and with it; its own personality and voice, and quickly becomes Red’s partner and weapon. The Transistor comments on Red’s actions throughout the adventure, from battles to simple actions across the city. The Transistor’s chatty nature made him a welcome presence on your journey across the deserted city of Cloudbank. With his constant advice and subtle wit, the Transistor acts as an excellent companion.

    The core of Transistor is in its combat. Each player will spend most of their time combating the mysterious Process as they gain control over Cloudbank. Combat revolves around the combined use of “functions” and “loads.” Functions act as player’s attacks during combat and loads are used to control the battlefield. Loads add a layer of turn-based strategy into Transistor’s real time combat. During a turn, time freezes, allowing players to maneuver and line up a number of attacks, then release and watch a plan unfold on the unsuspecting enemies. The cost is a cool down that makes functions unusable. This mechanic is an interesting take on combat as it adds multiple layers to each fight, forcing players to choose between the more dangerous chances of real-time against the safe but costly turn based style.

    Functions can be used in multiple different ways. Each function can be used as an active, an upgrade, or a passive ability. This gives players endless possibilities at different play styles. You could make a melee attack more powerful by equipping it with an explosive ability. Or, you can add a jaunt ability to your function that allow players to attack during “load” cool downs. Each function works well and can be combined into more fun play styles, encouraging experimentation.

    Between core combat and mixing abilities for new load outs, there are other mechanics to be familiar with in combat. Instead of killing you whenever your health bar depletes, you use one of your functions; your abilities. As long as you have an active function working, you can continue the fight. You don’t lose these functions forever though, after reaching a certain amount of save points these functions return. This system allows players a chance to manage what abilities they currently have and learn to use them in new and exciting ways. A player can also use “limiters” which add buffs onto enemies such as taking double damage or less abilities to use per fight. Limiters add difficultly to each skirmish but offer the reward of more experience after each fight.

    When you aren’t fighting the Process, you scour the world. Cloudbank is a rich, beautiful, fantasy city filled with mystery. I scoured the world for viewpoints and terminals that expanded the story and lore. These features aren’t just passive bits of lore; each terminal you encounter often gives the player an opportunity to interact. Red can leave comments on news articles
    These small details not only expand the lore of Cloudbank but also Red and the Transistor’s relationship as they respond to each appropriately.

    Aside from the combat and the lore, the player can also partake in a few side activities. These take place in a “backdoor” that leads Red to a beach paradise. Here the player can challenge themselves to “tests” from defeating a certain amount of enemies within the allotted time to planning a move that defeats a foe in one turn. These don’t offer much as they only give the player more experience points as well as a piece of music that can only be played while in the “backdoor.” After the game is complete, the player is offered a new game plus option that allows players to continue the game with all of their abilities but changes the spawns of enemies. Late forms of Process appear earlier providing a more difficult second attempt.

    Transistor is an excellent game in both visuals and gameplay. Every environment has a soft glow, giving the city a feeling of light in their darkest times. Each encounter feels fresh and never lets down even as foes grow stronger as the story progresses. These elements combine to create a wonderful experience you’ll sink hours into. Transistor isn’t a game you’ll want to forget, it’s one you’ll wish you can play again for the first time.    … Expand
  17. SeanUlfik86
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    Very different from other games. Diablo mixed with a little bit of Disgaea mixed with gorgeous art and music. Very saddening story though. Right in the feels.
  18. Hazixk
    May 26, 2014
    9
    This game is so...so...so...deep and have a unique beauty when Red mutters beautiful songs... The combat is impressive with more then 4000 styles... there's no reason to not buy this amazing masterpiece game.
  19. Ryguy486
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Transistor is a highly original, beautiful designed RPG with a story that deserves to be played through more than once. It's highly original visuals and art design help absorb you into the unique world of artists and musicians. Of course one of the very best features in the game is the music which acts as a character all on its own. The only complaint I have about the game is the amount ofTransistor is a highly original, beautiful designed RPG with a story that deserves to be played through more than once. It's highly original visuals and art design help absorb you into the unique world of artists and musicians. Of course one of the very best features in the game is the music which acts as a character all on its own. The only complaint I have about the game is the amount of time it took to fully understand the battle system. Offering no explanation at all with a simple but in depth weapons leveling system can be a learning curve. I wanted to replay the game just because I only fully grasped the leveling system at the end of the game. Overall a very well made game absolutely worth the price tag. I Meta would allow me I would give Transistor an actual score of 8.5!… Expand
  20. A5ko
    Jun 5, 2014
    6
    TRANSISTOR [PS4]

    After reading the rave reviews about Transistor I took the plunge. Unfortunately I am struggling to understand where the multitude of perfect scores are coming from. It's by no means a bad game, I just don't believe it is worthy of such praise. GAMEPLAY The combat was initially very interesting but fell flat once a particular set of Functions were introduced. This    TRANSISTOR [PS4]

    After reading the rave reviews about Transistor I took the plunge. Unfortunately I am struggling to understand where the multitude of perfect scores are coming from. It's by no means a bad game, I just don't believe it is worthy of such praise.

    GAMEPLAY
    The combat was initially very interesting but fell flat once a particular set of Functions were introduced. This rendered the game unfortunately very easy, even whilst using every Limiter found. The game could have benefited from varying difficulties, which were beyond the players control.

    + Combat planning is initially quite interesting.
    - Combat AI could have been a little less stupid.
    - Targeting Packets amongst enemies could sometimes be problematic.

    STORY
    A promising start muddied by predictability, with only a surprise of how quickly it was all over. I found the Transistors monotonous droning sometimes annoying and unnecessary. Some cut scenes leant nothing to the game or the growth of the characters, with one being quite honestly very baffling, given the circumstances.

    + Starts off very promising, giving very little away.
    - Is over too quickly and without pay off.
    - Character interaction isn't great. I felt myself becoming annoyed at the Transistors mundane observations.

    MUSIC
    Pleasant most times, but on the odd occasion I felt it really didn't fit the atmosphere particularly well. Whilst I appreciate a brilliant score throughout a game, it should only be there as a compliment and not a selling point. At times I felt as if the music was the soul focus of Transistor and not the story.

    + Nice for the most part
    - Couldn't help but feel they were plugging the soundtrack, when it should have been focusing on the game.

    Overall I would recommend anyone giving it a go, but maybe when it's a little less pricey. Certainly not a 'mind blowing' game, even for it's indie heritage. It fell short in length but maybe that isn't such a bad thing when you consider the combat has the potential to become stale very quickly. (Depending on the Functions you use).

    Was hoping for something a little more.

    - A5ko    … Expand
  21. Laurenceh
    Aug 25, 2014
    9
    A vibrant, yet empty, world with a compelling story really drives the game along with some unique combat mechanics. The soundtrack fits well into the tone of the game and is worth a listen on its own. The rpg elements are well designed, allowing for experimentation until you find what works for you.
  22. dwd26
    Aug 26, 2014
    6
    An extremely beautiful game with a haunting soundtrack. The gameplay is fun in parts, and I especially enjoy planning attacks making this more than just a hack and slash. The ability to mix and match weapons (or functions as the game calls them) allows for a huge degree of customization but you will need to experiment for a while.

    However combat becomes repetitive and sometimes    An extremely beautiful game with a haunting soundtrack. The gameplay is fun in parts, and I especially enjoy planning attacks making this more than just a hack and slash. The ability to mix and match weapons (or functions as the game calls them) allows for a huge degree of customization but you will need to experiment for a while.

    However combat becomes repetitive and sometimes frustrating. Your health is depleted over four sections and as it drops below each level, you lose one of your powers, which I found quite annoying, effectively making me weaker at the worst moment. You actually lose them and can only repair them by reaching 2 save points before you can get them back, so you are stuck with a weaker functions for some time. As a casual gamer who hasn't got the time to go really deep into the game, I found this irritating.    … Expand
  23. InfamousRacoon
    Feb 9, 2015
    10
    Short review: It's cheap and worth your time, go buy it.
    Longer review: This game is both ear- and eyecandy. As a lot of other users has told, the soundtrack is simply fantastic, but the game has an amazing art style too!
    But I feel, that one of the most important features in this game is that it's fun. Like a game should be, it tells a story with you looking at something beautiful,    Short review: It's cheap and worth your time, go buy it.
    Longer review: This game is both ear- and eyecandy. As a lot of other users has told, the soundtrack is simply fantastic, but the game has an amazing art style too!

    But I feel, that one of the most important features in this game is that it's fun. Like a game should be, it tells a story with you looking at something beautiful, hearing something beautiful and having fun on the same time. It also has a kind of strategic gameplay, so you can't sleep while playing it!
    10/10 I'm in love with this game.    … Expand
  24. jeffreymccarty1
    Feb 13, 2015
    7
    At first I didn't think this game was going to be worth much of my time but after an hour I actually found it very interesting. I like turn based strategy games and this is an odd twist to one of those. I would not pay a lot of money for the game but as a free PSN game it is excellent. The game is not very long and I was able to beat it in a couple of days with moderate play time. I doAt first I didn't think this game was going to be worth much of my time but after an hour I actually found it very interesting. I like turn based strategy games and this is an odd twist to one of those. I would not pay a lot of money for the game but as a free PSN game it is excellent. The game is not very long and I was able to beat it in a couple of days with moderate play time. I do recommend giving it a try.… Expand
  25. Pronto
    Feb 10, 2015
    7
    Transistor is a very aesthetically pleasing game. The story slowly unveils as you progress through the game, and as you near the end, you feel more and more motivated to keep going.
    The landscape, soundtrack and story are all amazing and really helps immerse the player.
    I give this game a 7 because the combat becomes quite repetitive and feels like a chore towards the end.
  26. MadeBrazen
    Jul 12, 2015
    8
    A Ghost In-die Machine

    From the team that offered up the well received visual treat of discovery that was Bastion, comes a hidden gem that can be labelled as the cool kid of the indie game renaissance. Transistor combines a delicious nu-retro futuristic design, literally painted onto a pseudo 3-D isometric canvas, along with perhaps the coolest score outside of Hotline Miami 2’s    A Ghost In-die Machine

    From the team that offered up the well received visual treat of discovery that was Bastion, comes a hidden gem that can be labelled as the cool kid of the indie game renaissance.

    Transistor combines a delicious nu-retro futuristic design, literally painted onto a pseudo 3-D isometric canvas, along with perhaps the coolest score outside of Hotline Miami 2’s raging 80’s throwback, and punctuates it all with a surprisingly deep combat system that rewards experimentation with a gleeful moveset and sword-led combos that actually lead the way with innovation in this desperate age of games fearful of pushing the boundaries of originality.

    You are introduced to your protagonist, Red, in the midst of some sort of societal breakdown in the new-modern city of Cloudbank. Red is a cabaret singer, her job title alone offering an idea of the game style considering this is a very much futuristic world. Red is a singer, but she has lost her voice – or rather it has been taken, it is not certain. With expert timing, the very moment you are wondering what the hell is going on here, a voice is there to guide you, coming from a digital sword buried in the body of some unfortunate soul in front of you. Perhaps it was you that put the sword there. Again, and throughout, with adept storytelling skill, Supergiant Games come through here expertly not telling you, with less being more, and letting the stories mystery build the intrigue.

    With a digital theme throughout the game, your sword is the game titles namesake, Transistor, a sort of PCB type design and voiced by the very same guide from Bastion – Logan Cunningham’s cool dulcet tones computerised a little but soothing, commenting and guiding, with subtle quips and oozing coolness, again offering snippets into the tale as you move to figure out your plight.

    The story is far from the main event in this tale, as can sometime feel a little vague in its 6 hours, the real meat available in character codex’s, which stopping to read does not fit so well with the games pace, as require some investment for your eyeballs to munch through. Those that are truly enamoured will likely indulge, and the entries will reinforce the tale towards clarity but for most I imagine actually only during a second playthrough.

    And a NG+ will be of interest, mainly due to what is the serious attraction in this game – combat. Your sword Transistor can be equipped with various ‘cells’, think weapon runes from your standard RPG. ‘He’ has four slots, and there are over 20 cells to gain as you progress. Each offer a different cool attack – anything from shooting a straight laser, or a digital cluster bomb, or firing a deteriorating virus that eats away at your enemy’s health, or even generating a digital companion to fight along-side you temporarily. Some are even able to render you invisible, create a safety barrier, or allow you to phase shift a few blocks in front of you. Sounds cool, right? It doesn’t end there. Each of the four cell slots can be augmented with two additional cells of the 20 you have to choose from – changing the attack of the main cell slightly. Use the cluster bomb cell to augment the phase shift, and you will drop bombs along your phase route. Use the safety barrier on the companion cell and it will generate a bigger, badder friend to fight with you. Remember each one can be augmented by two cells, so your laser shot can also be a health eating virus, which ends in your enemy exploding. The combinations are almost endless, especially once I tell you each of the 20+ cells can also be fitted as a passive ability, not just an attack. I trust you have kept up. This system ends up being extremely deep, and utterly enjoyable switching out cells for others and discovering differing combinations, which you will find yourself doing regularly, if only out of curiosity.

    As you fight your way through the quirky sprites that are a kind of a ghost in the machine, with your bond to Transistor growing at each level up, the game’s noir tone, some beautiful ideas and little nice touches added in, such as Red being able to hum along to the current soundtrack - all in all the game style, sound and gameplay come together to create a wonderful experience, a very welcome distraction from the triple A titles we are supposed to spend most of our time playing.

    If you are yet to go Indie, then here is a great place to start, setting the bar for endearing quality that other smaller developers should be aiming for in a genre that deserves our time just as any other.    … Expand
  27. bersi84
    Jan 26, 2020
    10
    I am really glad that I finally grabbed Transistor after I heard so much about the game. I played it on my PS4 Pro SSD and this game is a polished diamond with great art style and innovative game play. It is rather short but for the easy possibility of getting 50 to 80% deals this game is a plain 10/10 for me.

    The world cannot easily be described it has a digitalized computer-eqsue    I am really glad that I finally grabbed Transistor after I heard so much about the game. I played it on my PS4 Pro SSD and this game is a polished diamond with great art style and innovative game play. It is rather short but for the easy possibility of getting 50 to 80% deals this game is a plain 10/10 for me.

    The world cannot easily be described it has a digitalized computer-eqsue style with colorful and lively aspects. While you thrive your way to the world the narrative speaker gives you additional information and gets you the feeling of being not alone. In each passage you fight against certain groups of enemies which have individual fighting styles and weaknesses. The further you progress the more skill you unlock. So far nothing to special but it ramps a lot when you start combining skills with each other enhancing the main skill by range, damage, execution time etc. by doing this you can create complex skills that suit your personal playstyle, either fast and quick or hardhitting heavy.

    Combat itself is a mix of strategic pause and live combat. When your special bar is ready you can activate and plan your next attacks accordingly. Every step, every attack will consume energy. If you are satisfied or all of your energy is used you execute it. Then you have to cover, run away or fight it like a normal action game until your guage is filled again. Enemies can block attacks or heal other. Some will shadow your view so you cannot easily plan ahead. All in all the mix of enemies as well as the mix of complex spells you can create and test have big potential to keep you going. Experimenting with skills is fun, save points are numerous. If you get downed, skills will be disabled up to the point you are finally dead and will respawn at your latest location.

    For people who want even more competition can use limiters that handicap your gameplay but grant bonus exp or you can recurse the game where you will start anew but have all the skills, limiters and levels unlocked that you had before.

    My personal summary is, that the lone journey with Transistor is pretty short. It will take you probably 6 to 8hrs. Replayability is given due to its progression system and the sheer number of skill combinations you can create. The visual presentation is innovative and outstanding to me, same goes to the sound atmosphere. The game is absolutely polished. I had nearly no loading times, no bluescreen, no fps downs. I grabbed Transistor for 5 bucks at a sale which is definitely a steal for how awesome this game is. I can only encourage everybody to check it out. Sales are numerous, so you can get it at reasonable prices. Enjoy!    … Expand
  28. KingVilla1n
    May 3, 2019
    10
    Духовный и стилистический шедевр. Пожалуй, самая трогательная история о любви в играх.
  29. lostinspace
    Jul 24, 2014
    10
    **** brilliant... Enough said..........................................................................................................................................
  30. RewindTheGamer
    May 21, 2014
    10
    This game was perfect. From the narration to the artwork, soundtrack, gameplay, etc... I was completely immersed throughout the campaign. The game is beautiful, aesthetically, although has somewhat of a dark tone, and the two balance wonderfully to create a truly unique experience. I highly recommend this to anyone!
  31. Plasmaneedle
    May 24, 2014
    9
    One of the best games I have played this generation. The game world is beautiful and full of mysteries. The soundtrack and art style complement it well. The gameplay is superb as well, with lots of depth and strategy. This is a must have for PS4 owners.
  32. xShaunaOH
    Jun 2, 2014
    9
    Transistor was one of those games I had been anticipating for months. When I saw it at PaxEast in March I knew it was a winner. It has all the components of an amazing indie game. Beautiful art style, amazing soundtrack, fun game play, and a complex story to boot. There is so much to be said for a game with the emotional impact of Transistor.

    You’re thrown into the story with little    Transistor was one of those games I had been anticipating for months. When I saw it at PaxEast in March I knew it was a winner. It has all the components of an amazing indie game. Beautiful art style, amazing soundtrack, fun game play, and a complex story to boot. There is so much to be said for a game with the emotional impact of Transistor.

    You’re thrown into the story with little explanation of what’s happening around you. The surrounding environment is so beautiful you could easily spend hours just looking around. The art style is so unique to Supergiant Games and still so fresh and enthralling. An overwhelming feeling of immersion has made me emotional on more than one occasion, if we’re being honest here. This is brought on not only by the aesthetic of the game, but also the music. The jazzy soundtrack and overall vibe adds to the impact on such a complex level, it’s true genius. It’s so authentic and real that at first it’s shocking, and eventually just comforting.

    As you progress you can find out more back-story through a variety of ways such as, reading articles on the computer modules, listening to Transistor, and interacting with various environments. This keeps the main story interesting while still adding an air of mystery. Through progression you begin to gain a sense of truly knowing Red both before and during the games timeline. The relationship Red has with the Transistor, which is her giant kickass sword, feels romantic and old like a classic film. Not romantic in a literal sense, but romantic in the sense it is a driving force behind the motives. The ability to have the Transistor speak through the Dualshock 4, and the lightbar pulse in sync with the dialogue makes Transistor truly feel like a current gen game. Fighting with Transistor, because of this, feels like more than just any other battle.

    The combat system is smart, fun, and challenging all simultaneously. Unlocking moves with leveling keeps it fresh and exciting, and the chance to overload one move when dealt too much damage in combat makes planning moves far more difficult. At every save point I find myself switching the load out just to try different setups. Then, just when you think you’ve found one that will work, another move piques interest and has to be switched around all over again.

    As far as I’m concerned Transistor is a total knockout! The two complaints I have are; the inability to change camera angles makes combat unnecessarily difficult at times, and sometimes it feels like you’ve lost direction and gone completely out of your way or missed things entirely which can cause confusion. Can you tell I had to stretch for the negatives? That’s because this game is near flawless in everyway. I consistently go back to playing this game over playing Watch Dogs or Wolfenstein because in my honest opinion it is a more enjoyable experience. A close contender for game of the year if you ask me. ShaunaOH gives Transistor a 94/100!!!    … Expand
  33. TRANDO101
    May 21, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is wonderful, i must say i thought it'd be like an 8 because there was one problem i had with bastion, i thought it had boring combat but transistors combat is fantastic, limiters allowing you the freedom to choose difficulty, various attacks that can be used as upgrades for other attacks allowing varies ways of playing. Not to mention the artstyle, something that supergiant games is great at, its amazing. Even the story is quite interesting with various with the news reports and various interactables. This game is well worth 20, 40 even 60 dollars, with some replayability with new game plus or recuriion so you can play differently. THIS GAME IS A MUST BUY, its the best game thats come out as of this year and could very well be the best throughout.… Expand
  34. NoahK
    May 20, 2014
    9
    I won't say this is the best game ever, or even an amazing game. The words I would use to describe this is one of the most solid games I have ever played. Usually I go through games getting frustrated with some questionable design choices, but I could find no place to criticize this game like that. The developers put a lot of thought into every single detail of this game. The upgradeI won't say this is the best game ever, or even an amazing game. The words I would use to describe this is one of the most solid games I have ever played. Usually I go through games getting frustrated with some questionable design choices, but I could find no place to criticize this game like that. The developers put a lot of thought into every single detail of this game. The upgrade system is extremely well done. It gives you an insane amount of choices for what you want to do in combat. To build on that, it encourages you to try every combination with the incentive that you unlock more back story by doing so. The amazing upgrade system also makes for an amazing combat system. I do wish fighting in real time was a bit more viable, but the combat always had a lot of depth and a good difficulty curve that made the game just right amount of hard for the first playthrough.

    The artwork may be this games best component. Every frame of this game could be a great desktop background. From the background to the foreground to the characters to the effects, everything stays in line with the art style and everything looks absolutely stunning. If this game were nothing more than an interactive art album it would have been worth the 20$.

    The music is also very good. I must admit I enjoyed Bastion's soundtrack a bit more, but this game definitely has a great one as well. I particularly like the trailer song, We All Become One. It sounds great and very well compliments the story of the game. I wish more tracks in this game contained vocals.

    I'm ambivalent about the story telling in this game. On one hand, it doesn't hold your hand, meaning you must pay attention and put 2 and 2 together in order to understand it. On the other hand, this completely fails as the story gets too complicated and you can't figure everything out. This would be alright if it was just small details you couldn't understand, but there are a few large gaps in the plot that me and a few other people on forums didn't get our first time round.

    To sum it all up, this game is why I love good indie developers. There are no corners cut in this game. The developers obviously cared for this project very personally, and it shows. Although I don't think it will go down as one of my favorite games ever, this game is just so well made that I couldn't justify giving it anything less than a 9/10.    … Expand
  35. ncBadrock
    May 27, 2014
    9
    On a fixed scale like metacritics´ zero to one hundred, the median is always more significant then the arithmetic mean. This is due to the fact, that the median is more robust to values that differ a lot from the mean, giving you a clearer picture of the real average score.

    I calculated it and hereby present you this games´ .... MEDIAN METACRITIC SCORE: 90 Source: My maths    On a fixed scale like metacritics´ zero to one hundred, the median is always more significant then the arithmetic mean. This is due to the fact, that the median is more robust to values that differ a lot from the mean, giving you a clearer picture of the real average score.

    I calculated it and hereby present you this games´ ....

    MEDIAN METACRITIC SCORE: 90

    Source: My maths Professor or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average    … Expand
  36. themostunclean
    May 21, 2014
    10
    An absolute marvel. The attention to detail in everything from the music and art to upgrade system and battle mechanics is mind-blowing. No negative written user reviews but I can only assume the negative ratings are coming from some immature fanboys who are upset that Supergiant jumped ship from publishing on Microsoft. I only say this because no true gamer could hate this if they'dAn absolute marvel. The attention to detail in everything from the music and art to upgrade system and battle mechanics is mind-blowing. No negative written user reviews but I can only assume the negative ratings are coming from some immature fanboys who are upset that Supergiant jumped ship from publishing on Microsoft. I only say this because no true gamer could hate this if they'd actually played it.

    If it were a little longer, I'd go as far as saying its worth buying a PS4 just for this game. It's something that nobody who loves games should miss.    … Expand
  37. phishhippy
    May 21, 2014
    9
    I was worried going into this game at 20$ for 6 hours, but my fears were unfounded. Yes, it's 6 hours if you rush through without playing the optional test courses or exploring the city or your ability tree in detail, but there's also a new game plus playthrough and I found the main game with all extras to be about 9 hours with 17 in total for a new game plus included. What a beautifulI was worried going into this game at 20$ for 6 hours, but my fears were unfounded. Yes, it's 6 hours if you rush through without playing the optional test courses or exploring the city or your ability tree in detail, but there's also a new game plus playthrough and I found the main game with all extras to be about 9 hours with 17 in total for a new game plus included. What a beautiful and original game it was too.
    A suave jazz vibe with great voice acting through my dualshock speaker as the lightbar lit to each word... it was an awesome experience I recommend to any one looking for a change of pace in their gaming landscape for a week or two. The music and voice acting is top notch and production values are sky high. Sleek is the one word I would use to describe the whole package.
    If you enjoyed Bation you will like this game, but this game is a little deeper and asks more from you in the best ways. What I can say most of all, is that it will stick with you. I only wish there were a real life poll for our forecast.    … Expand
  38. Turgee
    Jul 29, 2014
    9
    A great game with a lot of potential. I enjoyed the game thoroughly. Combat system, artwork, soundtrack and the story were all close to perfection. Especially the soundtrack was hauntingly beautiful and fit the story brilliantly.The game was a little short though, offering only about 6 hours of gameplay on the first play through. Gladly the second play through was also enjoyable sinceA great game with a lot of potential. I enjoyed the game thoroughly. Combat system, artwork, soundtrack and the story were all close to perfection. Especially the soundtrack was hauntingly beautiful and fit the story brilliantly.The game was a little short though, offering only about 6 hours of gameplay on the first play through. Gladly the second play through was also enjoyable since there were many things yet to achieve.

    As good and enjoyable the game was, i couldn't help but to think how much better the game could've been. Somehow transistor felt a little incomplete. The idea behind the combat system is brilliant and could've been exploited further.

    All in all, Transistor is a very good game and easily worth 20$. I recommend this game for anyone who likes small games with beautiful artwork and memorable story coupled with brilliant soundtrack composed by Darren Korb.    … Expand
  39. Quag_with_Class
    Aug 19, 2014
    10
    This is game is amazing the gameplay was very colored and had amazing visuals, the controls were easy to learn and were quite smooth, the music was beautiful and colored I just couldn't not love it, and last but not least the commentary from transistor was quite enjoyable, it could be hilarious and sad and you became really connected. This game is phenomenal buy it- Quag_with_Class
  40. can1235
    Nov 11, 2015
    9
    I bought the soundtrack for this game. I never buy the soundtrack for games. That's how good the soundtrack is.

    Oh yeah, and the game's good as well.
  41. L_Coops
    May 17, 2015
    8
    A beautiful and artistic game with a haunting story told to you through the narration of your transistor - a seemingly sentient sword that acts as both companion and a tool for fighting and interacting with the world around you. The turn-based combat is fluid and satisfying with your abilities acting in completely different ways depending on how you combine them with one another. ThisA beautiful and artistic game with a haunting story told to you through the narration of your transistor - a seemingly sentient sword that acts as both companion and a tool for fighting and interacting with the world around you. The turn-based combat is fluid and satisfying with your abilities acting in completely different ways depending on how you combine them with one another. This offers a great level of customization and flexibility for your play style. Everything about the visuals are gorgeous - the way your sword drags along the ground and causes electrical impulses to shoot out across the grid floor, the vibrant pastel colours, the handcrafted backdrops are all beautiful.

    Transistor is well deserving of an 8/10 and a solid buy for anyone looking for something a bit different from the standard 'AAA' afair of uninspired games like call of duty.    … Expand
  42. kris2fur
    May 22, 2014
    9
    I really liked this isometric 3d sprites on 2d backgrounds, I even liked it better than child of light.
    This game has a certain style about it, I like the transisitor and have learned to like the narrative that echoes form it in flashes of green.
    The combat and upgrade sytems allows a certain level of customisation, through combinations it takes a very little amount of time to realise    I really liked this isometric 3d sprites on 2d backgrounds, I even liked it better than child of light.
    This game has a certain style about it, I like the transisitor and have learned to like the narrative that echoes form it in flashes of green.
    The combat and upgrade sytems allows a certain level of customisation, through combinations it takes a very little amount of time to realise cause vs effect with this. You can also stop time and turn base your attacks for strategic planning or real time.
    Overall I am throughly enjoying this game and I would recomend this to anyone.    … Expand
  43. Ghoster
    Nov 2, 2014
    2
    Very uninteresting game which fail when try to be innovative. Boring godlike voice prevent you to load game next time. Really not much to say about this game except - avoid it!
  44. True_Reclaimer
    Mar 17, 2016
    9
    A huge improvement over Bastion in every way. The combat system is one of the best Ive experienced, and allows for deep customization. Once again no multiplayer leads to a lonely game, and the story is pretty short. I loved the art and the music, and especially love the Transistor PS4 dynamic theme. However the enemies can be downright cheap (invincible, stunlock you, warp around, OHKOA huge improvement over Bastion in every way. The combat system is one of the best Ive experienced, and allows for deep customization. Once again no multiplayer leads to a lonely game, and the story is pretty short. I loved the art and the music, and especially love the Transistor PS4 dynamic theme. However the enemies can be downright cheap (invincible, stunlock you, warp around, OHKO you, etc) so youre sometimes forced to use overpowered builds to progress. All in all worth the time spent. Would like to see a sequel!… Expand
  45. dubloon7
    May 28, 2015
    1
    I honestly would not even want to give this heap of garbage a 1/10, as I believe the overall product deserves a ZERO (0/10), but I will give the 1 point to the effort the devs made into making this trash. The aesthetics are extremely pleasing, but the repetitive bland music, gameplay, controls, etc. drop this trash to the 1/10.

    This game was unfulfilling and not fun from the very    I honestly would not even want to give this heap of garbage a 1/10, as I believe the overall product deserves a ZERO (0/10), but I will give the 1 point to the effort the devs made into making this trash. The aesthetics are extremely pleasing, but the repetitive bland music, gameplay, controls, etc. drop this trash to the 1/10.

    This game was unfulfilling and not fun from the very beginning, with the visual only keeping my entertained for a few hours. I deleted this crappy game 10 hours into playing as it was a total grind after the first 5 minutes.

    AVOID AVOID AVOID this game    … Expand
  46. boogiesmeister
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Yes soundtrack is nice. Yes graphics look compelling too, despite it's 2D. After spending few hours playing I found my self playing a generic hack'n'slash with hardly any storyline and mediocre fighting mechanics at best. The main goal of the game is to obliterate hundreds of thousands of enemies. The purpose of doing this is unknown. I don't know who I'm killing or who my character is orYes soundtrack is nice. Yes graphics look compelling too, despite it's 2D. After spending few hours playing I found my self playing a generic hack'n'slash with hardly any storyline and mediocre fighting mechanics at best. The main goal of the game is to obliterate hundreds of thousands of enemies. The purpose of doing this is unknown. I don't know who I'm killing or who my character is or how did she get there in the first place. This game is built only on legend of "Bastion" and is one of the most over hyped PS4 titles so far. If you are looking for a nice evening game after hard day at work - look elsewhere and don't buy this piece of garbage. Honestly this game deserves average score ~5/10 at best and is worth perhaps 2-3€. You have been warned.… Expand
  47. pzol
    May 22, 2014
    5
    The game is very beautiful, the soundtrack is awesome, the narrator is thrilling, it looks and sounds great, but after playing 30 mins I still have no idea what this is about, the battles seem random, I mean I am just randomly using the powers I have winning most fights... It doesn't feel like wanting to play anymore than that...
  48. aadms
    Mar 8, 2015
    2
    Do I look like a freaking retard who just wants to push buttons for the sake of pushing buttons? Why would I want to play this over simplistic, cheap, boring game with a clumsy strategy system? You can find a more rewarding game by dusting off your old NES cartridges. I don't know. Maybe if they made this into an actual story game with a longer play through it would be worthwhile toDo I look like a freaking retard who just wants to push buttons for the sake of pushing buttons? Why would I want to play this over simplistic, cheap, boring game with a clumsy strategy system? You can find a more rewarding game by dusting off your old NES cartridges. I don't know. Maybe if they made this into an actual story game with a longer play through it would be worthwhile to play....what's that called again? Oh yeah, motivation to play the game. I don't even know where I'm at, who I am, and why I'm fighting.… Expand
  49. Yerczeys
    Oct 14, 2016
    9
    Being a player driven by atmosphere, story, and characters more than anything else I found Transistor to be a beautiful experience. I fell in love with this game from the first button I pushed and it didn't let me go for the next six hours. The music of the game was haunting and felt like an organic member of the experience rather than background noise. The story took a few turns IBeing a player driven by atmosphere, story, and characters more than anything else I found Transistor to be a beautiful experience. I fell in love with this game from the first button I pushed and it didn't let me go for the next six hours. The music of the game was haunting and felt like an organic member of the experience rather than background noise. The story took a few turns I didn't expect and that's always a welcome thing. And the combat was refreshing, I don't know that I've ever been through fights like that before. The only two issues I found with the game were the enemies (which weren't interesting in the first place and grew tiresome quickly) and the unfortunate short time the game lasts. I didn't expect and epic tale, but six hours left me wanting. Would have reached a perfect ten in my book otherwise.… Expand
  50. Alexander_S
    Nov 5, 2015
    9
    Еще одна потрясающая игра от Supergiant Games. Начиная от атмосферы и геймплея, заканчивая саундтреком.
  51. houyi111
    Jun 29, 2016
    8
    The gameplay of transistor is super good and interesting. I had a lot of fun trying different combat combination since each function has a main, a second and a general use... the art design of this game is nice. I finished the game in two settings about 8 hours to get platinum and enjoyed the game. However, I don't really dig into the story and some of the dialogues are cringeworthy,The gameplay of transistor is super good and interesting. I had a lot of fun trying different combat combination since each function has a main, a second and a general use... the art design of this game is nice. I finished the game in two settings about 8 hours to get platinum and enjoyed the game. However, I don't really dig into the story and some of the dialogues are cringeworthy, e.g... i love you,, don't leave me.... red.....lol. i feel the main game is too short with reused locations, the boss fights should be much more and better than what we had. I guess I enjoyed the gameplay too much so that i hope the game can be longer and the enemy can be more diverse and interesting to try different builds. All in all, i love the game.… Expand
  52. Sparkticle
    Nov 6, 2015
    8
    Very interesting game with very interesting aesthetics. It's fun as a strategy turn-based RPG and also fun as an action game. There isn't an overwhelming amount of content, which means you can complete the game relatively fast, but it's a fine experience while it lasts.
  53. MaxPayneIsGod
    Mar 30, 2015
    3
    Quite simply not my cup of tea. Got it via PS+ would never have played it if it hadn't been free. Reviewers have been raving about it, believe it or not I can actually see why.... if you were into this type of game.
  54. xdhollywood
    May 28, 2015
    8
    When i first started Transistor i really didn't see it to be that good. The next time i played it i started to understand the game, the art, the overall tone and i am stuck in love with this game. Some parts are very sad ans others are fun and weird, like bouncing a beach ball 345 times. Transistor is a cool game that people should really give a shot to
  55. BobbyD92
    Nov 18, 2014
    9
    this is by far the best indie game I bought this year from the soundtrack to the art style it really captures and holds my attention although this is just my opinion minus a few combat frustrations I can say that I dont regret my purchase
  56. dacritic82
    Apr 23, 2015
    8
    If you like turn-based RPG this is a must-play.

    It has beautiful graphics, and incredible OST and the battle mechanics are amazing. There's a lot of skill customization and you'll lose access to some skills temporarily, forcing you to try out different setups. It also has a game+ mode, so there's some replay value there. The downside of this game is the story, it's kind of boring and    If you like turn-based RPG this is a must-play.

    It has beautiful graphics, and incredible OST and the battle mechanics are amazing. There's a lot of skill customization and you'll lose access to some skills temporarily, forcing you to try out different setups. It also has a game+ mode, so there's some replay value there.

    The downside of this game is the story, it's kind of boring and you'll probably skip dialogues, etc. after an hour or so.    … Expand
  57. tsakiym
    May 18, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it.................................… Expand
  58. faroresdragn
    Apr 10, 2015
    0
    I was really disappointed by this game. I played Bastion because it was on sale, and fell so deeply in love with is that I bought Transistor at full price even though Im flat broke just because I had so much faith in Super Giant Games. But the two games couldnt be more different. Transistor just doesnt have that exciting feel to it that Bastion had. I found myself in agony wishing theI was really disappointed by this game. I played Bastion because it was on sale, and fell so deeply in love with is that I bought Transistor at full price even though Im flat broke just because I had so much faith in Super Giant Games. But the two games couldnt be more different. Transistor just doesnt have that exciting feel to it that Bastion had. I found myself in agony wishing the 1000th battle would be over already. A feeling I never once felt during their last game. Theres just to much of the same old thing over and over again. And the combat system is interesting in theory, but is terrible in practice. Freezing time is cool, until its over. For people who are fans of the combat system, please sit down and think about this: The process you (pretty much) have to go through to defeat enemies results in you being completely vulnerable for what seems like an eternity in a field of enemies that are faster than you can run away from. The only options you have to defend yourself at this point are A. Jaunt(), which really cripples you if you have to give it a whole attack slot for the entire game. B. One solitary attack that you can use while recharging if you attach Jaunt to it (which of course often means that attack will be the first one you lose through overload) or C. have a dog with you. Thats it. Doing the thing I basically couldnt win without, the main aspect of the combat system, made me feel like I was being punished. There are many video games that will, for example, give you a powerful machine gun that will over heat and be unusable for a bit if you use it too long in one go. But theres a way to avoid it. always. But theres no way to avoid it in Transistor. The combat system is terrible. The only thing worse than that was losing your attacks. Really? They probably picked the single worst punishment for dying in the history of video games: you get to keep fighting, but were taking your best weapon. And even if you win, youre not getting it back for a long while. I would rather go back to my last save point every time I died. That would have been much less frustrating. And again, maybe this would have been better if they used it better. But with the way the time stop system is set up, you can only win by exposing yourself to long periods of defenselessness, and theres no way to restore health other than some terrible health regenerating abilities. So by doing what the game wants you to do, you will inevitably lose your best weapon, and not even have it for the next battle either. And the battles just got so repetitive and boring. Stop time, run behind, use crash, then spam your strongest thing. then run and take as little damage as you can in the recharge period. Repeat. They added nothing really new. New functions maybe. Although it seemed like they actually came up with the functions in the order you receive them in-game, because they ideas kept becoming less and less creative as it wore on and on. Ugh. In Bastion, almost every level had something totally new. A new enemy that did something no enemy before it had done. A new totally unique weapon that was tailored to that levels challenges. But no. Transistor was the same old cybernetic city that then became even more boring whitewashed cybernetic city. The story was nonexistent. I get being subtle, and I love when games are like that. But on one hand, theres dark souls, where the main aspect of the game is the challenge, and the story is completely inconsequential. If you dont want to go out of your way to find it, no big deal. Then theres transistor. A game that is clearly trying so hard to get me engrossed in the games story and become emotionally attached to the characters, and yet refuses to tell me anything about them. Its infuriating. Bastion was somewhat similar, but it wasnt as bad. Its like between making Bastion and Transistor, SuperGiant Games quite literally got a serious allergy to telling the player anything directly whatsoever. And Bastion was simpler. There was a great disaster. the world is falling apart. we need to gather stuff to power this safe haven so we can be safe/fix this. Did I know everything? No. Did I know enough? Yes. In Transistor there was not one point where I had any idea what was happening. They threw around the word Carmanata every 3 seconds without ever telling me what that meant. Were they a radical group? A group of higherups gone rouge? Did two of the four final bosses really kill themselves before I got to them? Why is the city turning white? is there normally giant bone whale beasts flying around? I dont know enough about this universe to be surprised by that. Why could Red just fix everything so easily at the end? Why didnt she try that earlier? Why were they kidnapping famous people? that was never explained? Not to mention the music was awful. Probably one memorable track in this game. I know Bastions track was hard to live up to but come on. Also Royces voice made me want to kill myself.… Expand
  59. PitChewie
    Apr 22, 2015
    9
    This game is fantastic. The battle system is one of the best I've seen, the visuals are great, voice acting is excelent, the soundtrack is perfect. The only thing that could be improved in this game is add some extras to extend playtime.

    It's a must have for PS4.
  60. DrakeGarrison
    Aug 26, 2015
    8
    Transistor is a science-fiction-themed action role-playing game set in a futuristic city where you will take on the role of a young woman who gains control of an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin after a mysterious group of assailants nearly kills her with it.
  61. AbyssTreader
    Aug 26, 2015
    10
    If I had to describe Transistor with one word it would be 'brilliant'. While the game itself is not particularly long or challenging it is surely memorable. The art style is reminiscent of paintings from Gustav Klimt and that in and of itself is astonishing. But as far as artistic direction goes Transistor really shines in the music department with some of the probably most impressiveIf I had to describe Transistor with one word it would be 'brilliant'. While the game itself is not particularly long or challenging it is surely memorable. The art style is reminiscent of paintings from Gustav Klimt and that in and of itself is astonishing. But as far as artistic direction goes Transistor really shines in the music department with some of the probably most impressive vocal tracks in gaming history. The combat is also pretty smart allowing for vast use of the so called 'functions'. The theme of Transistor is Technocracy and Choice. With a story that is purposelessly vague, it will take a number of play troughs to fully grasp it, but that is rather welcome and not bothersome. On a last note, for people coming to this game coming from Bastion I would recommend to try and embrace the new setting rather then look for a clear cut replica. That said there is a pretty good narration going on, so that is a nice returning feature.… Expand
  62. Jalmerk
    Nov 16, 2015
    9
    Transistor is a very original game. The art direction is absolutely phenomenal, and the soundtrack compliments it perfectly. My favourite part of the game is the Bioshock-esque story, told through individual character portraits, that are implemented into the mechanics of the game in a delightful way. The combat isn't perfect and can occasionally be a bit frustrating, but it's certainly notTransistor is a very original game. The art direction is absolutely phenomenal, and the soundtrack compliments it perfectly. My favourite part of the game is the Bioshock-esque story, told through individual character portraits, that are implemented into the mechanics of the game in a delightful way. The combat isn't perfect and can occasionally be a bit frustrating, but it's certainly not a dealbreaker. Transistor is no doubt one of the best games on the PS4… Expand
  63. NotForThrees
    Dec 14, 2015
    10
    I loved everything about this game, from the voice acting, the music, the pacing, the history. The gameplay is deep and it gets very challenging on replay (haven't beat it for the second time yet). While some may say the storytelling is strange and unconventional, I found this part of the charm.
    The only negative point is the below average duration.
  64. jsands7
    Dec 24, 2015
    8
    Transistor is a great game. I believe that I played through it twice and almost kept going for a third experience. I dug into the challenge arena as well. Great atmosphere and interesting story/concepts. I believe that I actually ended up buying the soundtrack also.

    I would probably give this game an 8.5, but if I have to choose I will round to an 8. I am rating this a few months after    Transistor is a great game. I believe that I played through it twice and almost kept going for a third experience. I dug into the challenge arena as well. Great atmosphere and interesting story/concepts. I believe that I actually ended up buying the soundtrack also.

    I would probably give this game an 8.5, but if I have to choose I will round to an 8. I am rating this a few months after playing; I bet I would've rounded up to 9 if my memory was more vivid, but it is what it is.    … Expand
  65. stamito
    Jan 8, 2016
    9
    I have to say that I gave this one a try because I got it for free in PSN. I was a bit reluctant to buy it because I didn’t like bastion a lot and some people say it is similar. Anyway, the music and setting in general is excellent, I just loved the transistor universe. The story is also excellent, it is told in a way that leaves space for some personal interpretation, not everything isI have to say that I gave this one a try because I got it for free in PSN. I was a bit reluctant to buy it because I didn’t like bastion a lot and some people say it is similar. Anyway, the music and setting in general is excellent, I just loved the transistor universe. The story is also excellent, it is told in a way that leaves space for some personal interpretation, not everything is crystal clear; it is quite clever and enjoyable in my opinion. At first I thought the gameplay was a bit average, but then you start getting more skills and it gets much much better and deeper. I got to say the combat is an amazingly clever mixture of strategy and let’s call it normal action, simply great. Give this one a try if you’re looking for a rpg that feels a bit different from the rest of the stuff out there.… Expand
  66. JS99
    Apr 13, 2016
    6
    The soundtrack to this game is terrific, the combat is repetitive. It really is just a mobile app and probably shouldn't pretend to be much else. It's not a bad game, it was fun at times. The story is just okay, but confusing at times. Game was also a bit short. Buy it on the cheap and you will feel good about it.
  67. lamashu
    Apr 15, 2016
    7
    Lo descargue gratis por ps plus y la verad me gusto, artisticamente fue un delirio me encanta sus modelados y escenarios que se aprovecham muy bien con esa vista elevada. Jugabilidad simple que permite muchos combos y algunos incluso epicos, por el lado de la historia flojea bastante no por el hecho de ser mala (de hecho es normalita) sino por esa mala costumbre que parece que se extiendeLo descargue gratis por ps plus y la verad me gusto, artisticamente fue un delirio me encanta sus modelados y escenarios que se aprovecham muy bien con esa vista elevada. Jugabilidad simple que permite muchos combos y algunos incluso epicos, por el lado de la historia flojea bastante no por el hecho de ser mala (de hecho es normalita) sino por esa mala costumbre que parece que se extiende cada ves mas de no mostrar el argumento prinicipal claramente ya que todabia me cuesta entender cual es la historia de la protagonista. Para ser un juego gratis esta mas que bien aunque no lo recomendaria comprar, ya que de seguro no lo terminarias si posees otro juego, la historia simplemente no engancha y a pesar de tener un jugabilidad bastante buena no se compara a juegos que incluso valen 15 dolares. El juego es bueno pero nada mas.… Expand
  68. cod-goty
    Jun 21, 2016
    10
    just an awesome game. the soundtrack is one of the bests i've heart. the gameplay gives you the oportunity to play exactly as you want to, with a large amount of combinations for your attacks. the difficulty is completely customizable, you can make the different parts of the fight difficult one by one. and the story is fantastic, much more deep than it seems at first. the only thing somejust an awesome game. the soundtrack is one of the bests i've heart. the gameplay gives you the oportunity to play exactly as you want to, with a large amount of combinations for your attacks. the difficulty is completely customizable, you can make the different parts of the fight difficult one by one. and the story is fantastic, much more deep than it seems at first. the only thing some people could complain of is the duration. it will cost you about two hours to finish the main story, but it's there when the real fun starts, because you have all the functions unlocked. and apart from that, this is a story that has to be this way, nothing exceed and nothing is left, a 100 hours transistor would probably be a 1/10. i personally have spent about 30 hours on it and i can certainly say that it's by far my favourite indie and one of my favourite games in general. it's a 9,8/10 so i'll put a 10 instead… Expand
  69. RoniGetter
    Jan 22, 2019
    1
    First it was ok, but then it become a piece of **** unplayable **** I am vary disappointed to bought this game
  70. Be11e
    Dec 20, 2020
    4
    The artsy environment, although a bit convoluted, is nice to look at, but the gameplay is just not great. I appreciate the build diversity the game offers, but no matter what ability you choose to equip, the game always makes you play like a pseudo turn-based combat and it gets repetitive very quickly. The gameplay loop pretty much comes down to "get a few combos in, then run away untilThe artsy environment, although a bit convoluted, is nice to look at, but the gameplay is just not great. I appreciate the build diversity the game offers, but no matter what ability you choose to equip, the game always makes you play like a pseudo turn-based combat and it gets repetitive very quickly. The gameplay loop pretty much comes down to "get a few combos in, then run away until each ability recharges". The combos aren't even satisfying and there is absolutely no incentive to "git gud" or play smart in this game. I wish there was difficulty options for people who want to be challenged. Lastly, the dialogue... my god is he annoying.… Expand
  71. drlowdon
    Jun 27, 2015
    7
    With its ‘end of the world’ type plot, isometric viewpoint and interesting graphical style Transistor certainly retreads a lot of the ground walked in Supergiant Games debut title Bastion, a title I did enjoy to some degree a few years back.

    The big difference here is that the combat is much less action orientated with the game instead playing like a fast paced strategic RPG. Your    With its ‘end of the world’ type plot, isometric viewpoint and interesting graphical style Transistor certainly retreads a lot of the ground walked in Supergiant Games debut title Bastion, a title I did enjoy to some degree a few years back.

    The big difference here is that the combat is much less action orientated with the game instead playing like a fast paced strategic RPG. Your opinion of the game will depend on how much you enjoy this combat as, aside from an interesting and flexible levelling up system, that is literally all the game consists of. I wasn’t immediately sold on the combat but given a little bit of time it does show itself to be suitably deep and entertaining and, although it’s debatable whether it is quite enough to support a six hour title by itself, the unique plot and atmosphere created certainly help prevent things from ever becoming repetitive.

    I’m not sure I could ever unequivocally recommend Transistor as it will certainly be an acquired taste but gamers that appreciate something that breaks from the norm should give it a go, particularly if you enjoyed Bastion.    … Expand
  72. sityoazzdown
    Jul 29, 2019
    9
    i loved my short time I had with this game. Addicting and unique gameplay loop that consists of top down action game, and also a turn based game. Interesting story and world, one that leaves you guessing. But i will say 90% of the reason i love this game was the gameplay, it was a breath of fresh air, and the unique combinations of weapons was fun to use. The only cons (maybe) was that itsi loved my short time I had with this game. Addicting and unique gameplay loop that consists of top down action game, and also a turn based game. Interesting story and world, one that leaves you guessing. But i will say 90% of the reason i love this game was the gameplay, it was a breath of fresh air, and the unique combinations of weapons was fun to use. The only cons (maybe) was that its only like a quick 4-6 hour game. But other than that this is a gem for the indie world, and instantly becomes one of my favorite.… Expand
  73. Goo4you
    Jan 15, 2018
    7
    This is less of an point for this title alone and more for the "indie game" scene at large: The game had a wonderful look, great soundtrack, enjoyable and varied combat system, well thought out story....

    but a lackluster limp noodle finish. And that's about how every Indie title is. 90% of the game is good-to-great but the ending is executed poorly; like a first year poet writing    This is less of an point for this title alone and more for the "indie game" scene at large: The game had a wonderful look, great soundtrack, enjoyable and varied combat system, well thought out story....

    but a lackluster limp noodle finish.

    And that's about how every Indie title is. 90% of the game is good-to-great but the ending is executed poorly; like a first year poet writing their final poem of the year. Good marks all the way thru but the ending is found wanting.

    And I get that resources and time play a factor when making a title, but that isn't the excuse that gives way to being the norm in the ecosystem.

    Of course this review is YEARS after the release but I have seen this trend since and still in the sector. Don't simply give up at the end, put more effort into it! I would have liked to have had less of a quick finish/cleanup at the last moments and more exposition of the process (literally and ironically).

    If you can grab it cheap do so it's worth it.    … Expand
  74. Juras
    Mar 14, 2017
    9
    This is indie game i approve, lovely design, music and hero presentation, nice gameplay system. Perfect game for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Want more of them.
  75. Vanpire73
    Feb 10, 2015
    8
    This one took me a little bit to get into, but once I did it had me hooked pretty good. I really enjoyed the battle system. Many ways to combine powers and beat the bad guys up. I wish there were a few more enemy types, but I can live with what they gave me. Like Bastion, it has a NG+ so you can go through all beefed up and seriously tear some sh*t up. Your sword talking all theThis one took me a little bit to get into, but once I did it had me hooked pretty good. I really enjoyed the battle system. Many ways to combine powers and beat the bad guys up. I wish there were a few more enemy types, but I can live with what they gave me. Like Bastion, it has a NG+ so you can go through all beefed up and seriously tear some sh*t up. Your sword talking all the f*cking time got on my nerves, though. Even my kids were getting p*ssed. They are 10 and 7 year olds who annoy people by their nature, so that is saying something. Good game, though.… Expand
  76. Underpants158
    Feb 17, 2015
    9
    Linear game-you are set on a path, you go down it, you fight groups of baddies. The gameplay is a combination of real time and turn based but if you really want to be accurate you gotta do turn based. You gain skills as you go, about 12 or so, but you can only equip four and within those four you can equip your left over skills for their side effects. This really makes the way you play theLinear game-you are set on a path, you go down it, you fight groups of baddies. The gameplay is a combination of real time and turn based but if you really want to be accurate you gotta do turn based. You gain skills as you go, about 12 or so, but you can only equip four and within those four you can equip your left over skills for their side effects. This really makes the way you play the game unique and varied. The story is a mystery, you are a mystery, your sword talks to you...mysteriously. As you progress you unravel the mysteries of the story even if it's not fully comprehensible. The voice acting, mostly done by your sword, is great and atmospheric. All in all a good short jrpg inspired game.… Expand
  77. JohnWitten
    Sep 29, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall Premise: Just imagine what the minds behind a game such as Bastion can do and then play this game.

    Graphics and Sound: The coloring of the environments offsets appropriately the setting and the overall awareness they provide means the colors don’t clash as you’d expect. The soundtrack is an interesting concoction.

    Playability and Entertainment: There is some difficulty to be found in the gameplay but the need to discover more of the story makes the experience more than worthwhile at the end.

    Replay Value: Moderate.

    Overall Score: 8.5/10.0    … Expand
  78. electriclight41
    Jan 14, 2015
    8
    A gorgeous, unique game from the geniuses that brought us Bastion. It’s hard not to compare Transistor to Bastion, as the overall feel of the game is similar. But the unique mechanics like freezing time and assortment of abilities set it apart. While I didn’t quite like the music and story as much as Bastion, I had a good time. The ending is also surprising. Definitely worth playing.
  79. AnonJ
    Jun 15, 2015
    6
    The battle and atmosphere were good. But the story is weak and definitely rushed and just makes no sense whatsoever. Much worse than Bastion where they really worked their heart out. Transistor is such a slacking off.

    After being quite abruptly put through the ending and then plowing through various plot explanations online I'd say just damn it. Why wouldn't we just accept the    The battle and atmosphere were good. But the story is weak and definitely rushed and just makes no sense whatsoever. Much worse than Bastion where they really worked their heart out. Transistor is such a slacking off.

    After being quite abruptly put through the ending and then plowing through various plot explanations online I'd say just damn it. Why wouldn't we just accept the possibility that the writers totally rushed the story, possibly changing it and adding self-contradictory/senseless things halfway through, and then had to meet the production deadline, so in the end they probably couldn't even explain many things themselves? This is so commonplace in various TV Series, especially in Japanese manga but definitely also in American ones. It's also just like so many lyrics floating around out there, which seem to be saying a lot but actually are saying nothing at all because the lyric writer either intentionally or hastily left it vague/contradictory and doesn't really know what he/she is writing after all. The fact is that fans of such TV Series/songs would come up with all kinds of imagination they could to justify the story, because they somehow like it a lot and wouldn't really accept the fact that the writers just muddled through. The producers would be exactly happy for the story to be left this way in fan communities and for fans to debate incessantly what the story "meant" at all, because this probably adds to a lot of controversial/mysterious appeal to the game/TV Series/song etc. to boost its sales. However the undeniable fact is just that the story has a load of nonsense, and will never ever be able to fix so many gaping holes it has left.

    Anyways. I'm not treating anything I read out there negatively. You guys did a wonderful job coming up with quite coherent and thoughtful analyses on a untenable story which is so full of cracks. What I'm getting at is SuperGiant's attitude in producing this story, which totally disappointed me coming from an excellent one that was Bastion, not people's fantastic devotion and writeups.    … Expand
  80. Raistx
    Mar 6, 2015
    8
    Nice little game. Well made. Stable. No bug.
    Great and innovative game mechanics for the power systems, its mixing and levelling. The fact that it breaks once in a while (part of the gameplay) make it even more challenging and force the player to re-balance / re-attribute his powers. Very nice.
    Good storytelling. Interesting gameplay also for combat. A mix between real time and delayed    Nice little game. Well made. Stable. No bug.
    Great and innovative game mechanics for the power systems, its mixing and levelling. The fact that it breaks once in a while (part of the gameplay) make it even more challenging and force the player to re-balance / re-attribute his powers. Very nice.
    Good storytelling.
    Interesting gameplay also for combat. A mix between real time and delayed strategy.
    Slightly too much voice over for anything and everything (minor point).
    I obtained this game via the monthly free Playstation Plus game: great catch. Thanks.    … Expand
  81. ToFewViews
    Mar 11, 2015
    8
    Beautiful is the easiest way to describe Transistor, it’s art style is what will most likely be what you love the most about this game. Or it’s extremely fun but addictive combat system with the ability to build your attacks how you want and choice of witch ones you use as-well. Fights rage in difficulty some you will breeze right through others may take some try’s and practice but carefulBeautiful is the easiest way to describe Transistor, it’s art style is what will most likely be what you love the most about this game. Or it’s extremely fun but addictive combat system with the ability to build your attacks how you want and choice of witch ones you use as-well. Fights rage in difficulty some you will breeze right through others may take some try’s and practice but careful because most deaths will temporarily lose you an ability. There is also a challenge arena to put yourself to the test.
    The story is compelling and covers subjects of conspiracy and espionage, It’s enough to keep you interested but your find yourself swept backup into the combat and music. Music is also great, feels very in place and adds a level of immersion to the game.
    If you were lucky enough to download Transistor on PS+ last month you MUST play it and if you didn’t it’s still well worth your hard earned dollars.    … Expand
  82. Markptzzz
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    Inspired. Funny. Magical. I love RPGs and this one it's pure art. Set in a cyberpunk distant future, you'll be Red, young voiceless singer trying to escape the cloud bank city with the transistor : a hyper tec-blade who preserv the digital copy of the mind who blaze.
    What else? Oh, perfect combat style and hight replay possibility.
    Top
  83. Amleida
    Jan 5, 2015
    9
    I decided to purchase and play Transistor as a result of all the good things I'd been hearing about it from people on the internet. Initially, I wasn't overly impressed by what I'd seen and heard about the game from game critics and review sites. However, it didn't take long before I fell in love with the art and visual aspect of the game, in addition to it's mystical main character andI decided to purchase and play Transistor as a result of all the good things I'd been hearing about it from people on the internet. Initially, I wasn't overly impressed by what I'd seen and heard about the game from game critics and review sites. However, it didn't take long before I fell in love with the art and visual aspect of the game, in addition to it's mystical main character and the immerse story and atmosphere that pulls you right in from the start.

    The combat system is definitely an experimental one and it's far from flawless, but I didn't mind it much. I enjoyed the many options it gives you in terms of customization of your abilities, and being able to make use of many of your abilities, either as active ones, or simply to add bonuses to your active abilities. I sometimes found myself wishing it would be more simple, but like I said, it didn't bother me much.

    I thoroughly enjoyed playing Transistor, and I hope Supergiant Games continue to develop these atmospheric, audio-visually appealing games at an indie-level. They're well on track to becoming a reputable gaming company, and I'd hate to see a game like this become shackled by the restraints of the demands and expectations people have towards commercial games these days.

    Bottom line, it's one of the best games I've played in recent time. My only complaint is that I wish the game had offered some kind of mini-games, or something that adds more diversity to what occasionally felt like a long, tedious grind of hacking down enemies.

    On a sidenote: I'm sure many disagree with me, but I'd absolutely love to see a Final Fantasy 7 game, based on the world and atmosphere of Cloudbank.    … Expand
  84. alexmanea
    Mar 7, 2015
    9
    Transistor is simply amazing. I like how you start the game having no idea of what's going on and you slowly learn more about the story, which was also pretty interesting. The combat system is great! What I didn't like was the fact that you can't finish everything unless you play it again. But overall, the game is awesome!
  85. kaybert
    Feb 18, 2015
    9
    In my opinion the best PS4 game out right now. The game looks beautiful. The soundtrack is great, still listening to it after I beat the game. The voice actor Logan Cunningham does another great job for SuperGiant Games.
    The combat system is very fun. You get four slots of active combat moves and four slots of passive skills. It was fun to match the skills to what type of combat style I    In my opinion the best PS4 game out right now. The game looks beautiful. The soundtrack is great, still listening to it after I beat the game. The voice actor Logan Cunningham does another great job for SuperGiant Games.
    The combat system is very fun. You get four slots of active combat moves and four slots of passive skills. It was fun to match the skills to what type of combat style I wanted. In my new game plus I played the game in a completely different way.    … Expand
  86. FiOth
    Feb 25, 2015
    9
    Art critics support that any creation that aspires to being characterized as "art" needs to be able to veer the observer or participant towards specific, intended feelings. Transistor is, among other things, a fine example of what being a real work of art means.

    The game is flourished with detail, crafted by the hands of creators who knew exactly what they wanted to do and what they    Art critics support that any creation that aspires to being characterized as "art" needs to be able to veer the observer or participant towards specific, intended feelings. Transistor is, among other things, a fine example of what being a real work of art means.

    The game is flourished with detail, crafted by the hands of creators who knew exactly what they wanted to do and what they wanted us to feel. It is a story of redemption and salvation, vengeance and retribution.

    You control Red, a beautiful singer thrust into a world of intrigue and murder without her consent. Accompanied by the consciousness of her lover, trapped inside a luminous blade, they journey through a digital Utopia-turned-Dystopia in their search for answers.

    The game can be played as either a turn-based RPG or a real time one and both approaches can be used on the fly. Most interactions revolve around combat and exploration, but ultimately the sense of being and experiencing the world as a whole is the obvious aim.

    Character interaction is stellar and crafted in a way that we've never seen before, at least not to such an intellectual level. Although the relationship with the person in the Transistor sometimes might seem like a Link-Navi lookalike it's far from it for one simple reason: Behind the glory of its neon graphics and the majestic soundtrack Transistor is all about us - about people and their societies. It's a deep, mature and thoughtful game, one that rarely holds your hand and demands you attention every step of the way. Good to know then, that it rewards you more than adequately with a journey that will both soothe your mind and make you think about stuff that may lie at the end of your perception.

    The only reason I am not giving it a 10 is because some of the combat might feel a bit hectic or erratic. A 10 has to be Perfect and although Transistor is as near to that Perfection as any game might aspire to, it has a tiny flaw.

    A trip to be remembered and treasured, Red's adventure will take you to the most important locale of all: The deepest corners of our minds, full of ideas we often touch with our thoughts but rarely explore.

    FiOth    … Expand
  87. drnasty
    Mar 5, 2015
    9
    A truly engrossing game that should not be missed. Great graphics and haunting music that set the scene for captivating game and story. The gameplay is solid with many weapon combinations at your disposal.

    Don't pay attention to the negative reviews. It is games like this that make gaming enjoyable and worthwhile.

    A great RPG by any standard. Jump in to the transistor world.
  88. LifeOnRecord
    Mar 8, 2015
    10
    Amazing game with one of the best soundtracks and narrators. One of my favorite games available this generation. Great progression and rewarding. Definitely a must play game.
  89. IJL711
    Jun 20, 2017
    8
    Good:
    -Music. Like, seriously. She's a singer and she good
    -Art Style is beautiful
    -Battle system and abilities are good, pretty much one of a kind. They also play well into the enviroment.

    Bad:
    -After a while, some of the battles can feel like a chore
    -The illusion of choice
  90. MCFThousandCuts
    Aug 7, 2015
    9
    Very different RPG tons of fun and interesting story the gameplay is very additive the game isn't super long but has a new game+ also a very easy plat and great game what more could you ask for.
  91. Nel
    Apr 2, 2017
    8
    Very enjoyable rpg like game. The game has really neat story, and the gameplay is really fun. It is both an fun way to spend a few hours, and it has some replay ability.
  92. Impirus
    Aug 19, 2015
    10
    Just what a beautiful game from the soundtrack to the story and art design it's the reason why i like indi games, it's a perfect game for me ..great story great sound track great gameplay great looking great price tag i found nothing wrong in it . A perfect game
  93. EwanD20
    Aug 20, 2017
    8
    This is one of the best looking games I've seen. I love the art style of Transistor and the soundtrack. The combat mechanics are super fun and the fact that you can create and customise your own combat functions, and also choose what aspects of the game you want made more difficult is a nice touch. My only problems are these: I feel as if some of the enemies (Fetch and Haircuts inThis is one of the best looking games I've seen. I love the art style of Transistor and the soundtrack. The combat mechanics are super fun and the fact that you can create and customise your own combat functions, and also choose what aspects of the game you want made more difficult is a nice touch. My only problems are these: I feel as if some of the enemies (Fetch and Haircuts in particular) are very overpowered and I found it hard to pickup any backstory to the game, although I found the actual story very easy to follow. Overall a very aesthetic and fun game, definitely try it out - 7/10… Expand
  94. Bumblebugbee
    May 12, 2016
    10
    Transistor represents everything there is to love about the growing indie game scene. The visuals are stunning, the soundtrack is phenomenal, the gameplay is thrilling, and the story is fascinating. Whats even more impressive is that this game doesn't rely on the tried-and-true concepts, it instead carves its own path. This makes for a one-of-kind experience, one that is hard to putTransistor represents everything there is to love about the growing indie game scene. The visuals are stunning, the soundtrack is phenomenal, the gameplay is thrilling, and the story is fascinating. Whats even more impressive is that this game doesn't rely on the tried-and-true concepts, it instead carves its own path. This makes for a one-of-kind experience, one that is hard to put down. The incredible adventure won't soon be forgotten.

    The first thing you'll notice playing Transistor is the hyper-stylized art style and soundtrack. It has a darker tone with a lot of deep glossy colors to contrast the gray-scale of the processes which are taking over the city. Clearly the developers had a very specific style they wanted and made sure everything in the game was designed with it in mind. The music is a soothing combination of slow jazz with bits of subtle electronics thrown in. Its safe to assume much of the singing and music is supposed to reflect what Red's style was like before the Camerata put an end to her career. This event marks the starting point for Red's adventure.

    At some points the story was hard to follow but I believe I got most of it. The game takes place in Cloudbank, a high-tech city where citizens can make decisions through surveys that will effectively change the city to their liking. These changes are made possible via the "processes", a creation of Camerata. Camerata is comprised of a small group of individuals who believe they know what is best for the "their" city and will go to any means to eliminate anyone they think poses a threat to the status quo. As a increasing popular singer in Cloudbank, one who was a bit too controversial, Red became Camerata's next target. You survive the attack and take from Camerata's their one tool for controlling the processes, the Transistor.

    The transistor not only talks to you as your one companion through out the game but it also doubles as an incredibly powerful weapon. It has the ability to absorb the souls of the recently deceased which you can use to aid you in combat. Although Transistor feels like an action game it really is more of a strategy game. You have the ability to pause time and plan out a series of attacks. Be careful however because after an attack you'll be exposed for a couple seconds until you recharge your plan phase. The different personalities you absorb all have very different functions that can be used as attacks, enhancements, or passive traits. This gives Transistor an incredible sense of variety in the options you have for approaching different combat situations.

    This game is a masterpiece. The visuals and music will draw you in while the combat will get you hooked. The difficulty curve is near perfect as you'll usually feel challenged but never entirely overwhelmed. If you feel the game is a little on the easy side limiters you unlock throughout the game add some serious extra challenge to the encounters. By using the limiters you'll get an experience bonus adding a nice risk vs reward element to the gameplay. Whether you're looking for a interesting story or a strategic combat system that you can really sink your teeth into, you have to check out Transistor.    … Expand
  95. argyrion
    Oct 11, 2020
    10
    Its just one of these games. For me a masterpiece so 10 obviously. Maybe a 9 if i were a bit more objective.
    Great soundtrack & visuals. Nice story and characters. Really nice combat. As allways with Super Giant Games, it has something unique to it. Its just better then the sum of its part. At least in my opinion.
  96. Warhorde
    Jul 31, 2023
    7
    Transistor really enjoyed playing this game , a beautiful sountrack combat was intense and fun only downside that I found is it is a very short game but understandable. Recommend to play!
  97. HerrKapitan9
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    This is one of the most beautiful games i ever played and a righteous example of video games as an art form.
    The art style is so Vivid and polished, the soundtrack is GLORIOUS!!!!!!!! (download it, i demand it!) then you face this GENIUS combat mechanic, so different and full with options, variations and play styles adding a nice tactical layer, incorporating the story in a great way,    This is one of the most beautiful games i ever played and a righteous example of video games as an art form.
    The art style is so Vivid and polished, the soundtrack is GLORIOUS!!!!!!!! (download it, i demand it!) then you face this GENIUS combat mechanic, so different and full with options, variations and play styles adding a nice tactical layer, incorporating the story in a great way, and the STORY! i love the tone of it, uncovering the main character Red and all Cloudbank and its characters. In general an outstanding piece of video game that you must try.    … Expand
  98. JamesFrankel
    Oct 5, 2020
    8
    Both the gameplay and the story take some time to figure out and to get used to. Don't expect another Bastion, since the gameplay, while still having some common elements, is distinctly different. What is similar though is the quality. The gameplay has quite some depth to it and bonus challenges also teach you what is possible in combat. The real star of the show is though the story andBoth the gameplay and the story take some time to figure out and to get used to. Don't expect another Bastion, since the gameplay, while still having some common elements, is distinctly different. What is similar though is the quality. The gameplay has quite some depth to it and bonus challenges also teach you what is possible in combat. The real star of the show is though the story and presentation. This time around, it's a sci-fi setting, but a pretty unique one compared to the common scifi story stereotypes. Also, while the main story is easy to follow, figuring out all the details requires some initiative and analysis from the player, which is a cool thing (if that's not your thing, just watch some story interpretations on the internet). Like with Bastion, the soundtrack is excellent and adds a lot to make the good story even more memorable. The ending is also very satisfying. Overall, I'd say that the combat/gameplay is a 7-8/10, while the story + soundtrack leans towards 8-9/10. Definitely a recommendation!… Expand
  99. boris_out
    May 14, 2020
    10
    Один из тех шедевров, который случайно запускаешь спустя годы после релизы и... проходишь за 2 дня с невообразимой полнотой чувств к главным героям.
  100. jeffbizloc
    Jul 17, 2018
    9
    I missed this game until now and loved Bastion. Really enjoyed the turn based mechanics. I think the tests portions was my favorite part. Got platinum after playing through twice.

    Pros: - Just fun gameplay with the turn based stop and go - The way the game made you use all of the different functions was cool - Enjoyed the story and narration throughout - Also enjoyed going    I missed this game until now and loved Bastion. Really enjoyed the turn based mechanics. I think the tests portions was my favorite part. Got platinum after playing through twice.

    Pros:
    - Just fun gameplay with the turn based stop and go
    - The way the game made you use all of the different functions was cool
    - Enjoyed the story and narration throughout
    - Also enjoyed going through the new game plus mode

    Cons:
    - Would of liked more boss battles/enemies
    - Even more situational uses of functions would of made the game more difficult    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best PS4 Game of 2014
33
#33 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
45
#45 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 57
  3. Negative: 0 out of 57
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Sep 3, 2014
    90
    Transistor is an atmospheric and action-packed sci-fi RPG with excellent combat mechanics and deep customization options. The top-notch audiovisuals are complemented with a gripping storyline. Overall, Transistor is an excellent role-playing adventure. I sincerely hope, that other game companies are smart enough to copy the smartest ideas from this indie pearl. [Aug 2014]
  2. SpazioGames
    Jul 18, 2014
    85
    Transistor is an example of style and courage, an action RPG with an intriguing combat system, a fascinating story and characters. This game is also simply sublime in the field of graphics and sound. A great game by the creators of Bastion.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jun 29, 2014
    80
    A unique creative vision that's not to be missed. [July 2014, p.82]
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