It’s a precarious task to put in words what makes Transistor such a spectacular experience. There are tonnes of factors that contribute to making the game Transistor stand up to so many other games in the line with its class and calibre. Probably the most important aspect of the game is the visuals, that have been so profoundly incorporated in the game in addition to the soundtrack and of course the rather deviant form of gameplay that you can’t help but stop at every nook and corner and drink in all the details and beauty of the game with its ecstatic splendour.
The game was released on the PC and the PS4 but the difference in the game on both the platforms is titular and even that doesn’t serve any purpose whatsoever. The game is identical on both the platforms except the change in the gameplay experience owing to the different input methods but even that difference can be rendered unnecessary if you pick up a decent enough controller for the PC. Thus, the game doesn’t show up itself as something that may differ across platforms and change the experience, letting users careen off the oft superfluous debate of a game being better on a particular platform. Just how much of the visuals play a part in this game? You’ll be surprised.
"Developers Supergiant Games made sure that the systemic beauty of the game emanated from the aesthetics of the game, not limiting to cel shading alone. The use of lighting is of utmost importance here. The game is lent a neat look that really appeals as you progress through the game. "
It’s hard to put your finger onto what makes the game so alluring. Yes, the visuals of the game are at the core of it all, but it’s the interplay of visuals, sound and the gameplay itself that really make the package a bang for the buck.
The game on the whole is reminiscent of a number of other games. I found myself reflecting upon my experience of Mark of the Ninja, Bastion, XCOM, Mirror’s Edge and even Dark Souls which surprised me altogether.
The turn based style of gameplay evidently reminded me of XCOM but the game is still radically different from it. Mirror’s Edge’s music was something that had me hooked for quite a while and Transistor just takes that ‘likeable quotient’ off the charts.
The cel shading in the game is exceedingly beautiful and lends the game an artistic look that surpasses its cousin, Bastion and Mark of the Ninja. As mentioned before, it’s the interaction of these elements that makes the experience of Transistor segue in an effulgently beautiful manner. The comparison to Dark Souls was for the sake of the satisfaction the game gives. It’s immense.
Developers Supergiant Games made sure that the systemic beauty of the game emanated from the aesthetics of the game, not limiting to cel shading alone. The use of lighting is of utmost importance here. The game is lent a neat look that really appeals as you progress through the game.
"The washed out colours in the game are in concordance with the story the game takes. Cloudbank is an almost drab city at the first outlook, but it’s never meant to be in a backdrop of a post-apocalypse scenario where everything lies dilapidated and abandoned but where life moves on. "
Transistor employs generous use of lighting in the form of bloom and emulation of crepuscular rays which makes the rather sombre city seem to have a life of its own. Ample use of lighting is there but it is never so much so that you’d want to claw your eyes out. The colours in the game are alabaster and pallid which fits in well with the theme of the game.
The washed out colours in the game are in concordance with the story the game takes. Cloudbank is an almost drab city at the first outlook, but it’s never meant to be in a backdrop of a post-apocalypse scenario where everything lies dilapidated and abandoned but where life moves on.
In comparison to Bastion, Transistor has a greater depth of field with a lot of buildings visible in the background thus, not limiting the user’s field of view and giving a large landscape of Cloudbank. This becomes almost necessary because the story itself progresses along the lines of the city and its influence, helping users look at it as an entity in itself.
Thus, a simple trick on the developer’s part makes the city itself seem an exceedingly important part of the game lending it a veneer of spirituality and not just superficially to the floating city. The game art is simple, yet artistically done. The game looks like a living portrait as it progresses along the preset lines of its story.
Yes, the game’s linear but for once I was not putting a game down for not giving a player freedom to roam around as one pleases. The painting-esque art style is bolstered by the simple yet neat character and object designs.
"The fact that the game draws you utterly and yet keeps you off from pinpointing exactly what IS it that makes the game so spectacular is what makes it all the more captivating. The theme of the game has been kept in mind and is visible in almost every aspect, from the city itself, the constructs and the solid rectangular objects, the weapon and the working of the city et al. "
The game has a solid appearance mostly due to the fact that almost everything in the game has a defined shape with sharp edges. A detail that most of us overlook with a desultory wave of hand but it somehow showed distinctly in this game and it works in its favour immensely, blending in seamlessly with the steampunk like sci-fi world with a significant presence of technology. The city itself is nicely detailed. Again, the dismally sombre look of the city is saved from being denuded and becoming too drab courtesy the lighting and especially the colours used in the game.
The dark fiendish outlook of the city gets uplifted by bright, almost waning colours. Small things like the the weapon itself – the Transistor that is – leaving behind a sparkly trail reminiscent of a circuit board makes the game more appealing. You may not even notice these little things in the game but that is the beauty of it.
The fact that the game draws you utterly and yet keeps you off from pinpointing exactly what IS it that makes the game so spectacular is what makes it all the more captivating. The theme of the game has been kept in mind and is visible in almost every aspect, from the city itself, the constructs and the solid rectangular objects, the weapon and the working of the city et al.
In this odd tale where you develop a bonding with a sword, the voice of the sword and Red – the protagonist – showcases a distinct nature of humanity and how they haven’t yet entirely succumbed to the progress of the world extant.
"Transistor really limns itself out from the usual crowd of games with its refulgent art style set in a shady city, distinct gameplay and excellent audio. Seriously, have a go at the audio. "
This is enunciated especially by Red’s clothing and by the various posters that you come across while roaming the city. Red’s clothing for instance marks a distinct departure from the largely steampunk sci-fi feel of the game, having an almost English look to them whilst employing changes in it to make it not stand out in isolation or make it too different so as to be out of context.
Transistor really limns itself out from the usual crowd of games with its refulgent art style set in a shady city, distinct gameplay and excellent audio. Seriously, have a go at the audio. It’s what makes the game an outworldly experience in its own and it was one of the things that I didn’t realise for quite some time which drew me towards the game.
I was sceptical about the game for a time but after laying my hands on it, I stood looking at the game from a different vantage point. A pretty straightforward game that promises an unprecedented experience enhanced to a new degree of awesome by its majestic and grand visuals. Absolutely a game worth checking out. Also, it might be a win-win-WIN for some if they’re a goner for female protagonists in a game.
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