Transistor: PS4 Review

Transistor: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by SuperGiant Games

Cyberpunk meets a little bit of sci fi in this game from SuperGiant Games, the studio behind Bastion.

With elements of role playing thrown into this mix, it's something a little bit different, which to be honest, took a little time to get fully used to. You play the character of Red, a diva whose voice has been ripped from her while working in the city of CloudBank. Upon finding a giant sword, called Transistor, Red is compelled to pick it up and carry on her journey through the city.

But Transistor is a rather talkative beast and insists on revealing details from its past as the story progresses. However, escape from the district is not as easy as you'd expect, with Red having to battle various members of the Camerata (who dwell in Cloud Bank) and robots - but thankfully, while wielding an exceptionally large sword with explosive powers, she's got some options...

Transistor is a curious little title, a great mix of the mysterious, cybernetic and steampunkish.

Using the chance to absorb powers, level up and making the most of the Transistor options takes a little time to get your head around. It's not exactly the simplest of systems, but it does end up being one of the most rewarding once you've absorbed power cells from your attackers, it gives you the chance to increase the scope of your attacks.

Visually, Transistor is a beautifully hand-drawn piece that has a divine touch. Its beautiful backgrounds add to the overall flavour of the piece, which is rather unusual overall.

Red gets the chance to get into combat by a cleverly smart method of planning attacks in advance. Using the world around her to hide, she can slip into a "future mode" that will allow her to launch a series of attacks and unleash them before the baddies even have a clue that they're on the way. It's a useful tool which helps in the trickiest of situations and which gives you an advantage that sometimes you need.

Almost BladeRunner-esque in its look and gameplay, Transistor is a game which rewards your patience and efforts - it's a real treat for the PS4 and shows SuperGiant Games are on their way to greatness.

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