Transient Review: Extended Edition – the mix between Lovecraft and a cyberpunk style

Transient: Extended Edition represents the “extended” version of a title launched in 2020, within which minor changes have been made compared to the original. More precisely we find new ones puzzles, a completely different ending and some graphic tricks; the product, developed by Stormling Studios, is available for console and PC.

Plot

The whole experience is set in Providencea very colorful town in which humanity lives disconnected from reality. People are perpetually connected to viewers that project them into a happy and virtual world, leading them to forget the sad truth. The world on which the city is located, in fact, has recently been hit by a cataclysm not well defined; to protect themselves in the best possible way, the inhabitants have created rooms with a pyramidal structure, closing everything under a dome able to isolate them from the surrounding environment. From this habitat comes the desire to evasion of the inhabitants, towards a happier world, and not studded with dirtdark caves and real niches.

We impersonate Cartera character who fits perfectly into the created world, is called a meta-shaman, a person who periodically injects himself with drugs that allow him to make “long journeys” in imaginary and fantastic territories, thanks to his constant state of unconsciousness. With the continuation of the adventure, however, it will be discovered not to be a surreal vision, but memories of the past, with the magnificently he finds himself able to to interactretrieving information, knowledge or even objects.

We do not go further to avoid spoilers of any kind, the plot and the basic idea are absolutely original and well thought out, what is missing is the storytelling. The developers relied entirely on an exhibition textual which allows us to understand the plot, but fails to create the necessary involvement, or in any case to explain what it should have.

Graphics

The settings appear since immediately evocative and very beautiful, the city is a cloud of spaces that we would like to rush to explore, with excellent management of lights and color palettes. The visual impact is important and interesting, what is missing are the characters; animations and definitions of faces I definitely am elementary, as well as the physical mechanics, certainly to be improved. THE play of lightthanks to the graphics engine Unreal Engine 4they are really beautiful to see and admire.

On the other hand, the details of the objects with which one interacts are good, fundamental documents for the outline of the plot and to explain many situations that intersect in the adventure. In our test on Xbox Series X we did not notice any slowdowns or drops in frame rates to report. There soundtrack it is sufficient, it accompanies the experience very well, with an adequate rhythm in relation to the reference scene. Localization is only in Englishunfortunately.

Game Style and Gameplay

The central theme of the gameplay is inextricably linked to exploration, the whole experience is in first personand our goal will be to find the documents necessary to understand the story, as well as receive an important Help in the puzzles. The displacement in the areas, although they are relatively small, is addressed by the presence of big arrows apt to indicate precisely the direction to take.

The other part is instead linked to the resolution of puzzles, the puzzles have a not particularly high level of difficulty, without progression in the overall challenge. They are studded with minigames quite challenging and fun, never too similar to each other. The character presents PHI, a neural graft more than essential to discover useful objects in the environment, and always help in the puzzles. For the rest you do not cross enemies of any kind, the movements are quite simplified, without platform sessions or similar.

Transient: Extended Edition – conclusions

In conclusion Transient: Extended Edition is a title with enormous potential, offers a beautiful visual experience in the representation of the city and the game environments, with good puzzles and a sufficient plot. What is missing are the fundamental aspects of any one horror, the tension is practically absent, as well as the characterization of the characters, or the progression of the challenge level. The linearity of the gameplay is likely to push the lovers of action or unbridled running to boredom, we believe it is more suitable for users looking for a walking simulator, or a game in which to admire the environment, and little more.

Transient: Extended Edition

19.99 euros

6.8

Plot

7.0 / 10

Graphics

6.5 / 10

Gameplay

6.0 / 10

Longevity

6.5 / 10

Settings

8.0 / 10

Pros

• Excellent settings
• Interesting plot, but badly told
• Price appropriate to the experience

Cons

• Too linear gameplay
• Revisable mechanics and animations

Buy on Steam