Transistor's combat system is kind of a treat, a strange blend of real-time and turn-based combat that derives a decent amount of tension from leaving you in control of when you jump from one to the other. This system isn't anything amazing, and dwindled in interest for me towards the end of the game's modest runtime, but it feels innovative and overall I had quite a bit of fun. I particularly like how your health is tied to your abilities this putting an ability out of commission for your next battle if you take too much damage, and in doing so organically forcing you to tinker with your ability set-up and experiment with new combinations.

The aesthetic here is fantastic, the game's style and vibe being low-key enchanting at times, but gosh I wish I liked the story more. As it is I just felt very detached through much of the narrative, which despite being a huge focal point of the game is often very cryptic as to what is actually going on. There are games where I enjoy this approach of obliquely hinting at the true nature of the game's world, where you can realistically finish the game without knowing all the details (think Hollow Knight, or Dark Souls), but these are not games that dedicate nearly as much time to talking as Transistor does.