Time Heals All Wounds--Transistor

I first played Transistor (from Supergiant Games--makers of the fabulous Hades) when it came out in 2014 and had mixed feelings about it.  Lately, I've been opting to replay some games that I played once and then set aside to see if I still feel the same way about them as I did after the first playthrough.  I'm hoping to revisit a few games that I genuinely enjoyed (like Disco Elysium) and see if those feelings still hold up.  Let's start with Transistor though.

What is it?

An action/RPG/strategy game from Supergiant Games.  The story is set in a cyberpunk-esque/futuristic city that is facing annihilation from a mysterious, spreading computer program that is turning it into some sort white cube-filled apocalyptic landscape.  The main character is Red, a popular singer who is trying to figure out what and who is causing Cloudbank to be gobbled up.  Luckily, Red has the help of a mysterious sword called the Transistor.  This sword is able to incorporate the essences of certain individuals who have been slain by the spreading apocalypse and/or the baddies perpetrating it.  Each personality in the sword unlocks special abilities that Red can use in combat as she battles the robotic (and sometimes human) forces taking over the city.  Sadly, the first personality that the sword has absorbed is that of someone who Red loves--that personality of that person voices the sword and guides Red as she navigates Cloudbank.

How long is it?

It's pretty short--probably around 10 hours for a complete playthrough.

Pros:

Red and the Transistor ride through Cloudbank.

+ The artwork in Supergiant's games is always beautiful.  The characters and environments are uniquely designed and manage to portray an aesthetic that fits well with the setting--a futuristic and stylish city.

+ The Transistor soundtrack is one of my favorites and like the art in Supergiant's games, you can always expect the music to be amazing.  Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett are the amazing staple performers on everything from Supergiant...and they never disappoint.

+ The city and characters in the game are fun and interesting.  Cloudbank has a very cool vibe (even despite the fact it's slowly being absorbed by the Process) and players are given a sense of the city from interacting with numerous terminals located throughout the game.  Each new personality that the Transistor absorbs allows you to learn more about the colorful characters who populated the city--daredevil stuntmen, socialites, famous scientists...and many other.  Interestingly, in order to fully unlock the profiles of the characters, you need to install their personalities in different "slots" (you can unlock secondary function slots for each of the four core abilities and passive ability slots).  If you want to read the full profile, you have to freely swap out abilities--in a way, it forces you to experiment.

+ There are special challenge levels with rewards that you can choose to play.  As Red is navigating the city she finds a secret "backdoor" that is a sort of resting place that features a series of doors that offer up several different challenges--time challenges require eliminating enemies within a certain timeframe, stability challenges require facing off and defeating increasingly difficult waves of enemies, performance challenge require you to defeat enemies in one turn.  There are achievements for completing all the challenges under each category.

+ The story ends on a beautifully tragic note.  That's all I will say (no spoilers).

+ The combat is...interesting.  The first time around I was fairly boggled by it.  It's mostly turn-based, but you can also do some light hacking while Red's action points are regenerating.  I don't think the label "hack and slash" is fitting--to be effective at the combat it requires pausing and planning actions.  Red can equip up to four different abilities and each requires a certain number of action points to execute.  Some abilities are found in the game world and others are rewarded for levelling up (you get to choose one ability from two options each time).  The key to successful combat is figuring out which abilities compliment each other--some abilities weaken enemies and allow you to use other abilities to cause more damage.  It's still a bit odd, but I felt like I had a better grasp of it the second time around.  Don't be surprised if it feels weird at first.

+ There's a new game plus sort of mode for re-plays.  You keep all your unlocked abilities when you re-start the game.

Cons:

- There's no way to go back to areas that you miss and it's never made clear when you're moving into a new area.  There's no map in the game, so you just have to hope that you don't pick the option that takes you into a new zone.  This means that it's possible to miss backdoors and lock yourself out of certain challenges.  I wonder if this mechanic isn't intended to encourage players to re-play.

Recommendation:

As a fan of Supergiant's games, it's enjoyable to go back and play their early efforts and see how much their games have improved.  Hades is a regular masterpiece and you can see little pieces of it in all their other games.  I would recommend trying to get Transistor on sale (I still think the $20 price tag is a bit too steep--right now on Steam you can get a package deal with all the Supergiant Games and soundtracks for just $22.50!).  The combat's a bit odd, but the story, art, and soundtrack are great.