A game like Transistor doesn't come around very often. It's a game with not only gorgeous visuals but an amazing soundtrack and gameplay that effortlessly complement each other at every turn. Super Giant Games, the team behind Bastion has crafted an enthralling and invigorating action-RPG that tells a tale you'll not only care about, but be invested in throughout your playthrough. There may be a few missteps here and there but make no mistake – you have to experience Transistor.

Transistor tells the tale of Red, a famous singer in the city of Cloudbank. During a performance, Red is targeted by The Process, an army of robots controlled by the mysterious Camerata. Though the Process doesn't kill her, she's sent all the way across Cloudbank and grabs hold of the Transistor, the sword-like weapon that she was to be assassinated with. What's more, the Transistor seems to be inhabited by the voice of a mysterious man, who Red seems to be close with. The game tells the story of how Red and the Transistor escape from the Camerata who are sparing no expense to track down the weapon.

"...there's immense character growth to be found..."

Even from the beginning of the game there's immense character growth to be found in the game's characters. Transistor, the game's weapon acts much like the narrator from Bastion, allowing the characters to internalize and have a voice. It's clear from the beginning that the Transistor just wants to protect Red, constantly telling her to escape or go the path of least resistance but also giving combat advice when needed. If you're playing on the PS4 you get the cool use of the controller's lightbar, illuminating in time with the Transistor's speech. It's a pretty cool moment early in the game when Red stop's running and the two decide to face their attackers head on.

Combat in Transistor is a mix of action and RPG elements, and I know you've heard that before but Transistor is different than others in every way. You can attack enemies freely but you can also take advantage of a unique system called Turn, which allows you to slow down time and plot out your attacks. The screen turns into a grid and you're allowed a limited amount of time to plan your moves and strategy. You'll then have to evade your enemies enough for your attack to recharge since you won't be able to attack your enemies at all when it's recharging. The game never really holds your hand and spells out the rules of the game to you so it's a lot of fun to figure out the odds and ends of the mechanic.

Throughout your time with Transistor, Red will unlock different attacks and defensive maneuvers to use in her quest to escape the Camerata and while some are more useful than others, they all play their part in the game feeling so natural as it does. As you progress through the game you'll unlock these skills and different upgrades for them and it's fun to chain them together using the turn mode but too many of the battles turn into a trial and error style where you see what works and what doesn't, losing valuable resources in the process. Still though, it's extremely rewarding when you use these abilities to take out some of the game's larger enemies.

"The backgrounds and environments look especially great ..."

Of course, you won't be able to play through much of Transistor without noticing how gorgeous the game is through and through. The world and its inhabitants are crafted with a remarkable hand drawn/painted. The backgrounds and environments look especially great and there's a lot to see and explore if you know where to look. In typical Super Giant Games fashion, the game features an amazing original soundtrack, one that's worth checking out on it's own.

With its sophomore effort, Super Giant Games has taken what they learned from Bastion and created a remarkable and intimate experience that marvels at every turn. With it's hand-painted visuals and remarkable soundtrack, Transistor is easily one of my favorite games this year. The developers are quickly establishing themselves as one of those teams where you simply must play their games the day they're released. I can't stress this enough, whether on PC or PS4, you must find a way to play this game.