Transistor Previews and Gameplay Footage
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Joystiq:
These dead souls speak to the Transistor and integrate with its heart, providing Red new powers. In the demo, she began with a melee attack and a power-up burst, but she finds two more moves in the bodies along the way, a spark attack that hits multiple enemies at once, and a "jaunt" move, a dash so rapid it operates almost as teleportation.
This is where the gameplay takes a sharp left instead of an action-RPG, button-mashing maelstrom, Transistor incorporates turn-based and strategy mechanics. When the first major enemy appears, Red is able to pause the action and survey the battlefield, and she is allotted two moves in this stage. Red is allowed to roam free within a certain radius, and she can undo moves to test out certain strategies and attacks. The freeform tactical design lends itself to exploring all of Red's abilities and establishing combos, which deal more damage.
Polygon:
"We understand that it takes two points to form a line," Supergiant Games creative director Greg Kasavin told Polygon. "And people had one data point around us with Bastion and now they have another one."
This newest point finds its heroine Red, named for her shock of hair awake in a mysterious place after being attacked by assassins. She's a singer, or was ... they've taken her voice. She stumbles upon a sword embedded in the body of a dead man; the man's consciousness seemingly inhabits the sword. He calls to her and, once picked up, becomes her weapon and companion, narrating much of the action (this should be familiar to those of you who played Bastion).
Unlike Bastion, the combat in Transistor takes a more turn-based, strategic approach. Pressing right trigger pauses the action, allowing you to map out a sequence of moves for Red to make. Move in front of a row of enemies, hold B to line up an attack and press RT to execute the string of commands. Later enemies required stacked commands using a dash ability to get behind the enemy before attacking him hinting at a strategic complexity absent in the studio's earlier game.
Considering reading descriptions of the combat system might not be enough to understand how it works, you might also want to watch TotalBiscuit's 17-minute-long preview with Supergiant Games' creative director Greg Kasavin at his side. If you prefer to see uncommented gameplay IGN is offering some off-screen footage.
Update: TotalBiscuit also uploaded some footage without commentary. Thanks to our commenter Q for pointing us towards it!
