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Transient

The game's excellent presentation goes wonderfully with its surprising amount of variety. Transient might not be scary, but it is thought-provoking and unique, which makes it more than worth a look from narrative adventure fans.
Transient Game Cover
68%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
optimization, replayability
68% User Score Based on 176 reviews
Critic Score 69%Based on 7 reviews

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Transient Game Cover

About

Transient is a single player action adventure game with horror, mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by Stormling Studios and was released on October 28, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Transient is a single-player Horror Action game with a good story, fabulous game mechanics, and excellent graphics. In a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk world, investigate a Lovecraftian-inspired mystery, solve puzzles, and explore other dimensions in this immersive, atmospheric thriller."

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68%
Audience ScoreBased on 176 reviews
story52 positive mentions
optimization5 negative mentions
  • Stunning visuals and atmospheric design that effectively blend cyberpunk and Lovecraftian elements.
  • Engaging narrative that explores themes of consciousness, identity, and existential dread.
  • Variety of puzzles and mini-games that add depth to the gameplay experience.
  • Abrupt and unsatisfying ending that leaves many plot threads unresolved.
  • Character models and animations are poorly executed, detracting from immersion.
  • Gameplay can feel linear and restrictive, with some puzzles lacking clarity and challenge.
  • story
    185 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Transient* is a complex blend of Lovecraftian themes and cyberpunk aesthetics, exploring concepts of forbidden knowledge and the human condition through a fragmented narrative. While some players appreciate its atmospheric world-building and intriguing premise, many criticize the storytelling for being disjointed, confusing, and lacking depth, with an abrupt ending that leaves numerous plot threads unresolved. Overall, the game offers a unique experience for fans of the genre, but its narrative execution may frustrate those seeking a more coherent and fulfilling story.

    • “Stormling Studios, known for their earlier works like Conarium and Darkness Within, brings the same eerie storytelling sensibility to Transient, but with a more futuristic aesthetic, creating a world that feels both alien and uncomfortably human.”
    • “The story draws clear parallels to Lovecraft’s themes of forbidden discovery and the terror of enlightenment—only here, the cosmic horrors are refracted through the lens of technology.”
    • “For players who enjoy atmospheric, story-driven games that prioritize mystery, introspection, and world-building over action, Transient offers a dark and beautiful descent into the digital abyss—a reminder that sometimes the greatest horror lies not in what we find, but in what we become.”
    • “Some storylines feel fragmented, and the pacing occasionally stumbles, with long stretches of environmental wandering interrupted by bursts of exposition.”
    • “The story is a convoluted mess that makes absolutely no sense and much of the dialogue is laughably bad, but there is still an eerie atmosphere around the whole thing.”
    • “The entire game feels rushed, unpolished, cobbled together from many gameplay elements, but shining in none, with a story that jumps all over the place, poor pacing, and a disappointing ending.”
  • graphics
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Transient" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning cyberpunk and Lovecraftian aesthetics that create an immersive atmosphere. While the environments and art direction are often described as beautiful and visually arresting, criticisms arise regarding the quality of character models and animations, which some find lacking. Overall, the game's visuals are considered its strongest aspect, though they are marred by inconsistencies and technical issues.

    • “Stormling Studios, known for their earlier works like Conarium and Darkness Within, brings the same eerie storytelling sensibility to Transient but with a more futuristic aesthetic, creating a world that feels both alien and uncomfortably human.”
    • “The fusion of cyberpunk aesthetics and cosmic dread is rare, and Stormling Studios succeeds in crafting a world that is visually arresting, narratively intriguing, and thematically rich.”
    • “The visual presentation is excellent, the blending of cyberpunk and Lovecraftian visuals goes well, and they've gotten a good handle at making bizarre, otherworldly areas with some creepy set pieces.”
    • “Graphics are okay, but the controls are clunky, the UI is ugly, the writing is bad, and the voice acting is cringe.”
    • “No atmosphere; aesthetics and graphics are poor and flat; they look too old.”
    • “Visuals, however, are a mixed bag. While the environments look decent and creature designs are suitably strange, one design in particular is amazing in its grotesque glory - things fall a little flat on the humanoid characters, and especially the animations during cutscenes are very lackluster.”
  • atmosphere
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "Transient" is widely praised for its immersive blend of cosmic horror and cyberpunk aesthetics, enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and stunning visuals. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke existential dread and intrigue through its richly detailed environments, although some note that gameplay elements, like mini-games, can disrupt the overall immersion. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of atmospheric storytelling and Lovecraftian themes, despite some criticisms regarding its narrative coherence.

    • “It’s a narrative-driven experience steeped in atmosphere, weaving together the existential dread of cosmic horror with the cold, artificial glow of a dying cybernetic civilization.”
    • “The soundtrack further immerses the player in this atmosphere: ethereal synths, deep bass tones, and distant mechanical echoes combine to evoke a sense of technological despair.”
    • “The stunning visuals, music, and sound effects create a sense of immersion within the vast array of atmospheric scenes, and the non-linear way in which the player traverses them creates a real sense of intrigue.”
    • “The story is a convoluted mess that makes absolutely no sense and much of the dialogue is laughably bad, but there is still an eerie atmosphere around the whole thing.”
    • “Lovecraftian atmosphere - check, cyberpunk - check, science fiction - check, but none of these aspects seem explored in depth.”
    • “Unfortunately, they keep on pulling you away from said atmosphere with ridiculous minigames.”
  • gameplay
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Transient" is primarily focused on exploration, investigation, and puzzle-solving, resembling a walking simulator with minimal combat elements. While the atmospheric visuals and sound design are praised, many reviewers criticize the gameplay for being linear, repetitive, and lacking depth, with some puzzles feeling underdeveloped. Overall, the experience is described as engaging but ultimately forgettable, with a mix of intriguing mechanics overshadowed by a lack of substantial gameplay.

    • “Gameplay in Transient is structured around exploration, investigation, and puzzle-solving rather than combat or action.”
    • “When it comes to gameplay, Transient is mostly comprised of searching and investigating, but it does include short combat sections during a couple of mini-games, and some interestingly designed (if not very difficult) puzzles.”
    • “There are a few gameplay shifts throughout the game that keep things fresh, as well as some interesting puzzles that offer light roadblocks; but the greatest draw in Transient is its visual style and unconventional narrative.”
    • “There is little actual gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is forgettable, mostly a walking simulator with some minigames mixed in; nothing you'll remember once the credits roll.”
    • “The entire game feels rushed, unpolished, cobbled together from many gameplay elements, but shining in none, with a story that jumps all over the place, poor pacing (chapter 4, looking at you) and a disappointing ending.”
  • music
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, featuring a haunting and diverse soundtrack that complements the immersive environments. While some players noted the soundtrack's repetitiveness and occasional stuttering issues, many found it to be the standout aspect of the game, effectively deepening the overall experience. Overall, the audio work, including sound design and music, is considered high quality and integral to the game's ambiance.

    • “The soundtrack further immerses the player in this atmosphere: ethereal synths, deep bass tones, and distant mechanical echoes combine to evoke a sense of technological despair.”
    • “The game's presentation is also top-notch, with a haunting original soundtrack that perfectly complements the immersive environments.”
    • “The music is actually impressive for a title like this, with plenty of diversity in sound and style to match the corresponding environment or mood.”
    • “I get that a small team made the game, but the repetitive soundtrack also didn't help the boring factor.”
    • “- below average soundtrack”
    • “Either the game stutters and freezes every few minutes or the music is stuttering.”
  • optimization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting no frame drops or performance issues across various systems. However, some players experienced significant stuttering and overheating problems, particularly on lower settings, indicating that while the game performs well for some, it may struggle on certain configurations.

    • “Performance: no frame drops or performance-related issues noticed.”
    • “Game is also very optimized for every system, I'd say. I had no FPS or stuttering issues, even though my system is powerful to some extent; performance problems are common with titles like this.”
    • “Performance: no frame drops or performance-related issues noticed.”
    • “Unfortunately, it still has the same optimization issue as its prequel, where your computer will sound like an F-16 about to take off; even on the lowest settings, my GPU and CPU were approaching 90 Celsius, so I had to turn on my coolboost fan (which I rarely ever have to use).”
    • “Either the game stutters and freezes every few minutes or the music is stuttering.”
    • “Trying to explore or use either the in-game computer or puzzle mechanics are made impossible by this stuttering.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is generally considered average, with some players noting the presence of two endings and unlockables that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, many reviewers feel that the short length of the game (around 5 hours) and limited challenge diminish its overall replay value, making it more appealing for those who appreciate its art style and ideas rather than extensive replayability.

    • “Two endings, so there is replayability!”
    • “Replayability is average due to scoring and unlockables.”
    • “I finished the game in just over 5 hours and there doesn't seem to be any replayability aside from chasing down achievements.”
    • “For the people who like the genre, there is enough good content to see here to be worth a playthrough, but in my opinion, the full price of this game is just simply too high for such a short experience with no replay value.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is criticized for its low-detail character design, which detracts from the overall experience, despite the strong environmental art and atmosphere. While the character designs are initially disappointing, the game's compelling visuals and soundscape help to create an engaging setting.

    • “On the one hand, there's a ton of awesome environmental art, very compelling atmosphere, great soundscape, and neat character designs.”
    • “It takes 4 minutes to overcome the initial disappointment of seeing the abysmal character design.”
    • “Visually, the low-detail character design is unappealing.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and clunky, detracting from the overall experience, despite its appealing visuals. The story's incomprehensibility further compounds the frustration with the gameplay.

    • “I had forgotten how clunky and tedious the actual gameplay was.”
    • “Nice looking game, but the story was incomprehensible and the puzzles were a bit tedious.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game generally maintains stability without crashing, but players report numerous small glitches and unpolished design choices that detract from the overall experience. Issues such as stuttering, freezing, and audio problems occur frequently, impacting gameplay enjoyment.

    • “It works, it doesn't crash, but it contains a ton of small glitches and weird design or programming choices that made the game feel unpolished and sometimes not very pleasant to play.”
    • “Either the game stutters and freezes every few minutes or the music is stuttering.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by its clever spoofing of retro action games, complete with intentionally poor controls that evoke laughter rather than fear. Players and onlookers alike find the experience amusing, transforming potentially tense moments into comedic ones.

    • “The internal optional retro action games were a hilarious spoof on the history of those kinds of games, right down to the bad game controls.”
    • “For the people watching me play the game, it was so bad that the feeling of the game became humorous instead of the feeling of impending evil.”
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69%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Transient is a action adventure game with horror, mystery and science fiction themes.

Transient is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Transient.

Transient was released on October 28, 2020.

Transient was developed by Stormling Studios.

Transient has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Transient is a single player game.

Similar games include Conarium, The Shore, INDUSTRIA, Observation, Nobody Wants to Die and others.