In some games, you don’t need to do much more than mash a few buttons until all of the enemies blink out of existence. Transistor, the new action-role-playing game out now for PlayStation 4 and PC, is not one of them (you can check out our review here). In fact, it has 16 different abilities, called Functions. These not only offer different attacks and skills that greatly change your combat strategies, but you can also combine them for extra effects.
You can only equip four Functions as active skills at a time, but you can also use other abilities to augment your active ones. You can also equip Functions to passive slots. Of course, with 16 skills, you can have a lot of different combinations. And to equip, each one costs a bit of Memory, a resource you only have a limited amount of, so you can’t use every Function at every time.
That’s why we created this guide. Not only does it explain every ability and tell you how much Memory it costs, but it also explains what it does when paired with any other skill or when put in a passive slot. We’ll start with your first attack, Crash.
Crash
Memory cost: 1
Active effect: Crash hits nearby enemies. Creatures that you attack with Crash also become vulnerable to further attacks.
Upgrade effect: Crash adds a stun effect to most other Functions.
Passive effect: You gain resistance to damage and slowing effects.
Crash with Break
Crash fires farther and with more velocity.
Crash with Spark
Crash fans out multiple projectiles that are more damaging at close range.
Crash with Jaunt
Crash fires instantly and become usable during Turn recovery.
Crash with Mask
Crash deals greater backstab damage to targets.
Crash with Load
Crash lasts slightly stronger and deals damage in a blast radius.
Crash with Help
Crash gains a 50 percent chance to prevent Cells from spawning.
Crash with Bounce
Crash chains to multiple nearby targets.
Crash with Ping
Crash becomes more efficient to plan during Turn and faster in real time.
Crash with Get
Crash pulls targets to the user and deal more damage at longer range.
Crash with Purge
Crash slows targets and deal damage over time.
Crash with Flood
Crash leaves a damage trail in the wake of the attack.
Crash with Void
Crash deals significantly more damage.
Crash with Tap
Crash siphons some life points from targets.
Crash with Switch
Crash briefly switches targets’ allegiance to your side.
Crash with Cull
Crash deals more damage and send targets flying upward.
Breach
Memory cost: 3
Active effect. Breach pierces targets across a long trajectory.
Upgrade effect: Breach accelerates most Functions by raising their range and velocity.
Passive effect: You gain more planning potential in Turn.
Breach with Crash
Breach stuns and disrupt targets, exposing vulnerabilities.
Breach with Spark
Breach fans out multiple projectiles that do more damage up close.
Breach with Jaunt
Breach fires instantly and become usable during Turn recovery.
Breach with Mask
Breach deals greater backstab damage to targets.
Breach with Load
Breach deals damage in an area at the point of impact but no longer penetrate.
Breach with Help
Breach gains a 50 percent chance to prevent Cells from spawning.
Breach with Bounce
Breach chains to multiple nearby targets.
Breach with Ping
Breach becomes more efficient to plan during Turn and faster in real time.
Breach with Get
Breach pulls targets toward you and deal more damage at longer range.
Breach with Purge
Breach slows targets and deal damage over time.
Breach with Flood
Breach leaves a damage trail in its wake.
Breach with Void
Breach deals significantly more damage.
Breach with Tap
Breach siphons some life points from targets.
Breach with Switch
Breach briefly switches the targets’ allegiance to your side.
Breach with Cull
Breach deals more damage and send targets flying upward.
Spark
Memory cost: 2
Active effect: Crash launches fast, unstable shells that split into explosive particles.
Upgrade effect: Crash splits and divides most Functions for greater results.
Passive effect: You spawn a decoy copy when attacked, which diverts the attention of nearby targets.
Spark with Crash
Spark briefly makes targets more vulnerable to other Functions.
Spark with Breach
Spark fires father and with more velocity.
Spark with Jaunt
Spark becomes usable during Turn recovery.
Spark with Mask
Spark very briefly renders you undetectable.
Spark with Load
Spark deals more damage in an even larger blast radius.
Spark with Help
Spark gains a 50 percent chance to prevent Cells from spawning.
Spark with Bounce
Spark ricochets from its point of impact, causing a secondary impact.
Spark with Ping
Spark becomes more efficient to plan during Turn and faster in real time.
Spark with Get
Spark deals more damage to distant targets at the point of impact.
Spark with Purge
Spark slows targets, dealing damage over time.
Spark with Flood
Spark fans out into several Flood projectiles at its point of impact.
Spark with Void
Spark deals significantly more damage to targets.
Spark with Tap
Spark siphons some life points from targets.
Spark with Switch
Spark briefly switches the targets’ allegiance to your side.
Spark with Cull
Spark deals more damage and sends targets flying upward.
Jaunt
Memory cost: 3
Active effect: Jaunt transports you to a nearby location directly ahead.
Upgrade effect: Jaunt enables you to use most Functions during Turn recovery.
Passive effect: You recover more quickly after using Turn.
Jaunt with Crash
Jaunt stuns and disrupt targets, exposing vulnerabilities.
Jaunt with Breach
Jaunt damages targets along the your trajectory.
Jaunt with Spark
Jaunt rains Spark particles along the your path.
Jaunt with Mask
Jaunt very briefly renders the user undetectable.
Jaunt with Load
Jaunt deals damage in an area around the destination.
Jaunt with Help
Jaunt leaves behind a copy of you.
Jaunt with Bounce
Jaunt gains a faster cooldown, but it transports you a shorter distance.
Jaunt with Ping
Jaunt becomes more efficient to plan during Turn.
Jaunt with Get
Jaunt spawns a gravity well where you use it, drawing in nearby targets.
Jaunt with Purge
Jaunt spawns a Purge parasite from where you use it.
Jaunt with Flood
Jaunt briefly leaves a damage trail along the your path.
Jaunt with Void
Jaunt briefly raises your damage output.
Jaunt with Tap
Jaunt restores life points.
Jaunt with Switch
Jaunt instantly turns nearby targets’ allegiances to your side for a short while.
Jaunt with Cull
Jaunt launches targets upward in an area around the destination.