Transistor

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 15,619 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Transistor Game Cover
If you can believe it, Transistor surpasses the quality of Bastion in nearly every respect, making it a near perfect game. Easily the best game of the year so far.
Starting at $6.82Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Epic Games Store

An unconventional tactical action RPG in which after a powerful group called the Camerata cause measureless destruction through the ambiguous settlement of Cloudbank, Red, a famous singer in the city, goes on a journey along with her lover who is trapped inside the Transistor, a powerful machine with mysterious properties, to get to the bottom of the situation and get her lost voice back.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 15,619 reviews
story4,626 positive mentions
grinding122 negative mentions
  • story10,564 mentions

    The story of *Transistor* is a beautifully crafted, albeit cryptic narrative that unfolds in the dystopian city of Cloudbank, following the journey of Red, a singer who has lost her voice. Players piece together the plot through environmental storytelling, character interactions, and the unique mechanics of the game, which reward exploration and experimentation with abilities. While some find the story engaging and emotionally resonant, others criticize its vagueness and lack of clarity, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact.

    • “Transistor is a great game with a beautiful, heartbreaking story.”
    • “The story is complex and rich when delved into, making it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games.”
    • “The story is captivating and emotional, with a unique blend of gameplay and storytelling that keeps you engaged.”
    • “The story is confusing and therefore it's hard to be interested in it.”
    • “The story is a bit vague, and the ending, although surprising, was overall anticlimactic.”
    • “The story is short, but it's well written, although I kinda hope there would be an alternative ending to this tragic story.”
  • music9,186 mentions

    The music in *Transistor* has been universally praised, with many reviewers highlighting its emotional depth and seamless integration into the gameplay and narrative. Composed by Darren Korb and featuring vocals by Ashley Barrett, the soundtrack is described as hauntingly beautiful, enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling. Players appreciate the ability to have the protagonist hum along to the music, adding a personal touch to the experience, and many consider the soundtrack a standout feature that elevates the game to a masterpiece.

    • “One of the best soundtracks I've ever heard in a video game.”
    • “The music is by far this game's best aspect.”
    • “Without exaggeration, this game has one of the greatest soundtracks in any piece of media.”
    • “Why does Red's music have lyrics about events that haven't happened yet in the story? All of them go unanswered, and not in a way that creates interesting mystery or ambiguity, but in a way that feels... well, unfinished.”
    • “The music is very special and the feel and atmosphere is very particular.”
    • “The soundtrack is a massive part of the experience as well - I don't really know my genres, but I do know that it's good.”
  • gameplay6,457 mentions

    The gameplay of "Transistor" is characterized by its unique blend of real-time action and strategic turn-based mechanics, allowing players to pause and plan their moves while executing them in rapid succession. While many players appreciate the depth and customization options available through the game's function system, which lets them mix and match abilities for varied combat styles, some find the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks challenge as the game progresses. Overall, the gameplay is often praised for its innovative mechanics and engaging combat, though opinions vary on its long-term appeal and complexity.

    • “Transistor’s unique gameplay was influenced by games such as Fallout, Fallout 2, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Magic: The Gathering, creating a top-down RPG with a combat system tailored to player experimentation and strategy, while still being forgiving to less game-savvy players.”
    • “The gameplay is enjoyable and it is fun to design different builds, but not too difficult.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics, blending real-time action and strategic planning, are a joy to master, offering a perfect balance of challenge and reward.”
    • “The gameplay is vague and obscure, making it difficult to fully engage with the mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay loop is bloody awful, leading to a monotonous experience.”
    • “The gameplay is clunky and tedious, which detracts from the overall experience.”
  • graphics4,338 mentions

    The graphics of "Transistor" have been widely praised for their stunning, hand-painted art style that combines elements of cyberpunk and art nouveau, creating a visually captivating experience. Players appreciate the vibrant colors, intricate designs, and the seamless integration of visuals with the game's atmospheric soundtrack, which enhances the overall storytelling. While some critiques mention occasional visual clutter and a lack of graphical options, the game's aesthetic appeal remains a standout feature, making it a must-play for fans of artistic game design.

    • “The animation is beautifully smooth and stylish, the aesthetic is haunting and gorgeous with watery blues, crystalline greens, and golden yellows illustrating a truly beautiful world being overtaken with sterile whites and sinister reds.”
    • “The visuals are lush and bold, with a painterly art style that creates a captivating atmosphere, making every moment in the game a visual delight.”
    • “Transistor is a beautiful game with a hand-painted art style, fun and interesting gameplay, an amazing story told in an equally amazing way, and a beautiful soundtrack to top it off.”
    • “The visuals are lush and bold, but perhaps overly so, with background and foreground blending together at times and characters looking more like colored sketches instead of finalized artworks.”
    • “The game seems to have been driven by concept art and gone through several rewrites, with gameplay and aesthetics leading the way, while story feels as though it was written in to tie together the aesthetics.”
    • “The art style is a step down from Bastion in every way.”
  • atmosphere924 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Transistor" is widely praised for its stunning visuals, haunting soundtrack, and immersive world-building, creating a unique blend of cyberpunk and art nouveau aesthetics. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke deep emotional responses through its atmospheric storytelling and character interactions, often describing it as captivating and melancholic. While some critiques mention gameplay shortcomings, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere is the game's strongest aspect, making it a memorable experience for players.

    • “The worldbuilding and overall atmosphere are also phenomenal.”
    • “From the very start, it captivated me with its stunning graphics and mesmerizing music, creating a breathtaking atmosphere that made every moment unforgettable.”
    • “The atmosphere created by the beautiful art, great music, and great voice acting is just so cool.”
    • “The plot is incomprehensible, and the atmosphere is pretentious.”
    • “The atmosphere was okay, which is really not great when you consider that that's what this game is so famous for.”
    • “You could replicate the atmosphere of this game by just browsing Pinterest for 'sad rainy cyberpunk.' The music was okay too.”
  • emotional760 mentions

    Transistor is widely praised for its emotional depth, with many players expressing that the game's story is both heartbreaking and beautifully crafted. The relationship between the protagonist, Red, and her companion, the Transistor, resonates deeply, often leading players to tears, especially during the poignant ending. The combination of stunning visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and impactful voice acting enhances the emotional experience, making it a memorable journey that lingers long after the game is completed.

    • “Transistor is a beautiful, atmospheric, and touching game.”
    • “The story is heart-wrenching and gorgeous, the writing is glorious, and the world that Supergiant has built with Cloudbank is stunning.”
    • “The ending is quite emotional and sad nevertheless sort of satisfying.”
    • “Boring story and no attachment to any of the characters.”
    • “Boring combat, boring story, recycled narrator voice following me around.”
    • “Absolute crap, awful combat, boring story.”
  • replayability611 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting its short length (around 5-10 hours) but highlighting the presence of a "new game plus" mode and various combat modifiers that enhance replay value. While some players appreciate the depth of customization and the ability to experiment with different skill combinations, others feel that the linear story and limited enemy variety diminish the overall replayability. Overall, it offers enough variety and challenge for multiple playthroughs, particularly for those who enjoy experimenting with different strategies and builds.

    • “With its cryptic narrative and diverse function combinations, Transistor offers high replayability.”
    • “The way you can mix and match main abilities with other abilities is very well done, which opens up a lot of replayability.”
    • “The combat system is surprisingly deep as well and gives the game an even higher replay value.”
    • “Not a long game and not a lot of replay value.”
    • “I'll admit to not being a fan of the repeated playthrough approach and there's not much replayability beyond that, so I would get this on sale if you can.”
    • “The only issue I have with it is that it kind of is a one-time playthrough game and it doesn't really offer much in terms of replay value.”
  • grinding131 mentions

    Overall, reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game can be quite tedious and repetitive, particularly in combat and enemy encounters, leading to a sense of monotony. While some players appreciate the art style and story, many express frustration with the lack of variety in gameplay and the clunky mechanics that contribute to a grindy experience. However, a few reviewers note that the game avoids traditional grinding by allowing players to progress at their own pace without excessive farming for experience.

    • “Challenging but not tedious, lots of attack combos for you to make a style of play out of.”
    • “You level up through gaining experience points, but since the individual game levels are pretty much straightforward corridors, there's no grinding involved and the experience points come sort of naturally, without any big effort.”
    • “There is no tedious inventory management system, rather you learn abilities as you level up, then mix, match, and chain those in either primary, support, or passive slots to create new moves which incorporate the effects of each used ability.”
    • “The combat is clunky, tedious, and uninteresting.”
    • “My biggest complaint, however, is the gameplay itself, which is simply boring, uninteresting, tedious and ultimately not very rewarding.”
    • “Unfortunately, the combat itself is tedious and unsatisfying.”
  • character development120 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and progression for the characters, particularly due to the mute protagonist and a short storyline. While some appreciate the unique character designs and the emotional resonance of the narrative, others criticize the minimal backstory and predictable arcs, suggesting that the game prioritizes aesthetics and gameplay mechanics over substantial character growth. Overall, the consensus indicates that while the art and design are exceptional, the character development is often seen as shallow or insufficient.

    • “The character development is really well crafted, working with a mute character can be difficult in terms of developing personality and quirks, but you really get Red's wit and cleverness just through her written comments.”
    • “Absolutely stunning story, with a great plot and amazing character development.”
    • “The character development feels deeper and more satisfying and the combat is much more about tactics and positioning than about timing your input.”
    • “My main issues with the game were the lack of character development and story.”
    • “There's absolutely no character development; you are mute the entire game and only in some parts you type words to your sword, always the 'I'll get you out' or 'We'll win', nothing of value.”
    • “The storyline is so short and narrow; there is no character development, no actions rationale, nothing other than a vague bond between the main character and the deceased voice of the transistor.”
  • optimization95 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback. While many players report smooth performance and no significant technical issues, some have experienced stuttering and lag, particularly during challenging performance tests. Despite these concerns, the game is generally considered well-optimized for a variety of systems, with a few users noting that recent patches have improved initial performance problems.

    • “I wouldn't worry too much about any technical issues detracting from that experience as the game is very well optimized.”
    • “In spite of having a ton of particle effects, this game is very well optimized; the artwork, music, and story complement the game mechanics.”
    • “Transistor is a carefully crafted product, lovingly refined and polished by a dedicated, creative, and passionate team of developers, as well as an exceptional performance by Darren Korb and vocalist Ashley Lynn Barrett.”
    • “It's poorly optimized as well.”
    • “There's also literally no settings other than resolution, so optimization isn't an option by the looks of it.”
    • “This game is having a buggy launch; some people have no problems with it, some people can't launch the game (including myself), some people can play the game but it's laggy or stuttering and randomly freezes.”
  • stability67 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing frequent bugs and freezes, particularly during combat and when using the turn() ability that freezes time. While a portion of users reported smooth gameplay without issues, others faced significant performance problems, including crashes and unresponsive controls. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary widely among players, with some enjoying a seamless experience while others struggle with persistent glitches.

    • “Runs great on Linux.”
    • “Awesome RPG that runs great on Linux!”
    • “The game is very well made as a whole with little to no glitches.”
    • “On those specs, the game is jittery, freezes, and is totally unplayable.”
    • “This game is having a buggy launch; some people have no problems with it, some people can't launch the game (including myself), some people can play the game but it's laggy or stuttering and randomly freezes.”
    • “I have a PC that's well above the requirements, yet I experience quite a few bugs and random freezes.”
  • humor62 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of whimsical and melancholic elements, with many players appreciating the clever one-liners and character interactions that provide comic relief amidst a darker narrative. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes feeling clunky or out of place, others enjoyed the unique blend of humor and emotional depth, particularly through the protagonist's companion's sassy commentary. Overall, the game offers a variety of humorous moments that enhance the experience, though opinions on its effectiveness vary.

    • “The art style is beautiful, the story is touching, the humor is spot on, and the characters have such personality to them!”
    • “Never a dull moment, especially with those humorous one-liners from your transistor companion.”
    • “It's a game with tons of hilarious lines, a fun game mechanic, and a great combat system!”
    • “I don't find the game funny at all.”
    • “The humor in this game falls flat.”
    • “The jokes just don't land; it's not amusing.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is praised for its absence of microtransactions, offering a refreshing alternative to the prevalent cash grab models seen in many mainstream titles. Players appreciate the game's unique design and thoughtful execution, contrasting it with the frustration of typical free-to-play games that often rely on aggressive monetization strategies.

    • “Don't waste your time on AAA trash and microtransactions.”
    • “In the river of mainstream games during this decade, you will drown in shooters and all the free-to-play games that will squeeze every bit of your patience to get you to pay for them on DLCs and in-game purchases.”
    • “No microtransactions the way it should be!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

Buy Transistor

Play time

9hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
6hMain story
16hCompletionist
7-12hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 109 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News