![]() Leveling Red allows one to further customize the Transistor. Pushing an enemy so they are in line with others for a heavy attack gave me great satisfaction during the opening hour of gameplay. It makes a remarkable first impression, admittedly. The gentle hums and female vocals help the world come alive when the story fails to engage.Ĭombat consists of real time attacks and an intriguing mechanic that allows Red to stop time and select targets with specific abilities. Supergiant Games continues to astound from a musical standpoint as well. The color palette deserves special mention, as Transistor is a welcome change from the grim and gray look of many modern games. Colorful and sorrowful, the art-deco by way of Bladerunner design grabs the eye and demands attention. Visually, Transistor exudes a style and artistry not often seen in our medium. You see the aftermath, with the city feeling far too dead to care about. With the exception of the stylistically amazing final encounter, very little actually happens in Cloudbank. Transistor attempts to bridge the gap between gameplay and story by encouraging players to explore and try out new combat techniques, but the story is told through text boxes and audio logs rather than through action and consequence. The Process (a phrase that eventually brought a foul cringe to my face with every inane utterance) threatens the city of Cloudbank, though the Transistor can stop and turn back the corruption of the town and her citizens. This sword does… something? Unfortunately, the narrative structure of the game plays out like a dream, with fantastical visuals that lack any real connection or feeling. Transistor tells the story of Red, a young woman who has lost her voice and comes into possession of the titular sword-like object called the Transistor. It’s art for art’s sake, putting style ahead of substance in the worst way possible. Worse still, Transistor’s gameplay lacks the bite and strategy necessary to push a player forward in a world far more interested in looking good rather than actually saying anything of value. Often times beautiful and sublime, yet basking in obfuscation and self-indulgence, Supergiant Games’ latest effort appears more concerned with creating questions and theories rather than telling an informative or elaborate narrative. Transistor poses quite a conundrum for this reviewer.
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