E3 2013 Indie Showcase: Transistor

Earlier this year, fans of the fantastic indie title, Bastion, were treated with a tease for Super Giant's upcoming game, Transistor. After Bastion being released exclusively for PC and XBLA, it was quite a surprise when Sony announced an exclusive console release for the Playstation 4, solidifying their push for more indie titles.  Featuring the same beautiful art of Jan Zee and a pulsating soundtrack, Transistor is absolutely stunning in person.

In Transistor you play as Red, who loses her voice in the midst of chaos and stumbles upon a talking blade called Transistor. The gameplay feels tight,allowing for quick movement around the map, but the real meat of it all stems from the ability to freeze time. In the midst of battle players can freeze the battlefield and move freely around as they line up attacks and shots to gain an upper-hand on the battlefield. The mechanic feels smooth and balances nicely with a cooldown bar, forcing players to plan their assault without jumping straight into battle.

Along with the ability to freeze time in the midst of combat, some areas also require this ability to complete puzzles to progress. The gameplay was amazingly fluid and felt extraordinarily tight, something that not even a lot of AAA action games manage to nail. After the game's initial announcement all the way up to it's reveal during Sony's press conference, my excitement for Transistor has grown immensely and I'm excited to get my hands on the final release.