14 DAY TRIAL // Transistor, the upcoming action role-playing game from independent studio Supergiant Games, has a special Turn() system that will open up the gameplay and can be used by players in different ways.
Supergiant Games impressed a lot of fans with its debut project, Bastion, which appeared on a huge amount of platforms several years ago and delighted with its intense gameplay and the unique dynamic narrator that provided live comments about the actions of the player.
For its second project, Supergiant is set to debut Transistor, a new action role-playing game that can be played like a strategy experience or like a brawler, just like Bastion.
What allows this two-sided nature of the gameplay is the special Turn() system, which, according to the studio's Greg Kasavin, can be used by players in all sorts of ways and whenever they want.
"You can play Transistor like an action RPG though within the first few minutes of play you’ll discover you have access to some rather powerful abilities," Kasavin told VG247. "One of them is called Turn(), which is like a strategic planning mode where you can freeze the world and everything around you, plan out your next set of actions, then execute them in a supercharged fashion."
The Turn() system, while quite powerful and handy, isn't forced onto players, as they can use it whenever they want and can still play in real time by summoning their powers and traversing the battlefield.
They should, however, take into account the importance of cover in both methods, as enemies are more than eager to punish players who stay out in the open with different attacks.
"You’ll be facing fast and powerful foes, though by using Turn() you can control the pace of the fight. Positioning and cover are important factors as you do so. If you end Turn() out in the open, your foes may punish you for it as the ability takes a few seconds to recover," he added.
"Turn() is there when you need it, and is not something we force players to use. We want it to open up the gameplay for people, and we love seeing different players use it in different ways."
Transistor is set to debut tomorrow, May 20, on the PC and PS4 platforms. The game was self-published by Supergiant using the profit from Bastion and, if it does well, it can continue the cycle and help the small independent team develop the next experience.