Transformers: War for Cybertron

5 Comments

1. Cloud says:

   June 26, 2010 at 6:36 pm

   Strangely enough, gaming seems to be on a roll when it comes down to working with licenses. Last year, Rocksteady Games surprised everyone by not only making Batman: Arkham Asylum one of the few games that were great for a comic book license but it was a great game period, license or not. It doesn’t stop there as later this year, developer Beenox is will release Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions which looks to be quite promising with its unique approach by having 4 different art styles with 4 unique gameplay styles and could look to be another solid entry in a franchise that has been very hit or miss. Now we have Transformers: WFC done by High Moon Studios (Bourne Conspiracy) and it’s again another surprising entry in a franchise that’s just as bad as the previous 2 licenses and like Batman, your attitude will shift from “please be good, please be a good game” to “wait, this is a good game? wow, imagine that”. In many ways you can tell this studio genuinely loves the Transformers universe and they took extra care in making everything fit the license from in-jokes to callbacks to designs that looks back towards G1 rather than Michael Bay (which is a really good thing) and with a campaign featuring co-op drop-in/drop-out for up to 3 players, a Horde mode variant called Escalation and a very frantic and addicting multiplayer, this is one of the biggest surprises this year and makes for a great summer game.

   Story: Taking place on the planet of Cybertron, there’s a huge war raging between the Autobots and the Decepticons as Megatron is trying to take over the planet and rule over everything with an unstable energy known as Dark Energon. Using the uneasy forces of sky commander Starscream, Megatron goes through Cybertron en route for the key to win the war. Meanwhile, after the leader of the Autobots is killed, their side is left without a leader so in comes Optimus Prime to lead the Autobots against the forces of Megatron. Like most installments that have accompanied the Transformers license, you play as both factions with your choice on which soldier to bring. Want to play as Bumblebee? Go for it or the badassness of Soundwave, even? And of course one nice thing is that the game has drop-in/drop-out co op so it’s not like Lost Planet 2 which needed a lobby so if you see a friend playing, just join them.

   Graphics: The game uses Unreal Engine 3 which occasionally means there’s some odd textures but you’d have to look really hard because the game looks really cool. From the awesome character designs and the smooth-as-silk animations during the transformations, the game has a very futuristic look from neon and steel in bizarre architectural patterns and makes the game really feel alien. This has a downside however in that the game at times can get slightly repetitive and unlike games with a snow level, jungle level and desert level, WFC tends to be all metal hallways with the occasional differing locales. I did notice occasional some framerate issues here and there but it’s actually a really good looking game otherwise.

   Sound/Music: The voice acting is really stellar and when you hear that distorted voice of Soundwave and the awesome tones that is Peter Cullen’s Optimus, you know you’re back in the 80′s again. But then again, when you don’t hear that kind of weird high-pitched almost squealing voice of Starscream it kind of sticks out a little bit but the voice acting barely has any problems. Same with the sound design from the transformation sounds, the gun sounds and the game really makes the gameplay standout. It’s the score I have a problem with in that it’s kind of fine but a lot of times it felt like the music didn’t elevate a lot of the firefights and most of the time it just blended into the background and not really take over.

   Gameplay: The game is a 3rd person shooter but this is not Gears of War in that you don’t take cover but rather this almost has a Lost Planet / Alan Wake feel where it helps to hide behind things so you don’t get shot up but you don’t take cover in the typical sense. Controls are very intuitive, especially when you’re in your vehicle forms and while normally you’d think it would feel clunky and too strange to control, these ones feel remarkably comfortable. The game comes with the choice of 4 classes: scouts (cars, have cloaking abilities to sneak up on people), leaders (trucks that help buff out the party), scientists (jets which are weak but have a healing gun and a turret that reveals cloaked enemies) and the soldiers (the tanks with lots of health and big power melee moves but are slow). The class balance feels really well-tuned and like Aliens vs Predator, there doesn’t seem to be that “god class” since tanks can still be taken down by a cloaked scout whereas that class can be found out by a scientist’s turret. While they’re all fun to use, you might find yourself excelling more in one class so I made a bad scientist yet I did really well as a scout. The game also has that ol familiar Call of Duty approach with challenges for completing certain tasks, XP rewards for accomplishing certain things during the match (such as stopping an enemy’s killstreak, meleeing people twice in a row or killing someone with barely any health left). And of course that also means perks which can help you beef out your characters with abilities. The game comes with various modes which are really just renamed and “Transformers” versions of your favorite gametypes so we have Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Conquest, Countdown to Extinction (bomb planting at enemy base), and Power Struggle (CTF) though of course TDM was the landslide favorite.

   Another mode the game included is Escalation which a lot of people will compare to Horde mode but really it seems more like Nazi Zombies from Call of Duty: World at War. As you gain kills and assists, you gain points which you put towards purchasing things for your character so since you ammo and health doesn’t drop, you have to buy it and if you need access to better weaponry, open up doors and in a cool touch, you don’t have to spend all your points at once so for example if you want as a team to have someone carry the healing gun but none of you can afford its high price tag, you can either periodically put points into it which accumulate or just split the difference. Here, you can play as the actual Transformers whereas normal multiplayer just as nameless ones you can paint and rename but if you want to play Escalation as Megatron then go for it. One thing you’ll find however is that Escalation gets tough and frequently so in later waves. As the waves progress, more enemy types and just more of them in general show up which can range from big melee-dealing baddies to cloaked scouts to flying jets so it really helps if everyone plays as a different class but even then, health and ammo really start to drain fast and it becomes tough staying alive when your health can drop quite quickly.

   One slight negative I have is in regards to the pre-order characters. Best Buy, Amazon and Gamestop have characters for use for Escalation and multiplayer but they’ve never said yet whether they’ll be DLC later on. I bought mine at a store different than those 3 so I didn’t get any but like Red Dead Redemption and Fallout: New Vegas later this year, if you’re one of those kind of players that prefers to get everything a game has to offer for DLC, it might feel frustrating knowing you’re playing with a friend who has a character you can’t access because you didn’t pre-order or got it from a store that didn’t offer the pre-order. That being said though, the game is just ripe for DLC possibilities from characters that aren’t included to new maps for the multiplayer and Escalation and if High Moon goes crazy with DLC, this could be a pretty bonus-packed longevity.

   If you’re a Transformers fan, it’s hard to argue against the quality in War for Cybertron. But this isn’t a case of putting with crap for so long only to find the one non-crap title and think it’s the best thing ever because of it but rather this is a really well-made game through and through. From a stellar multiplayer, the addicting Escalation, the fanservice offered and the care and love the studio put into this game, this is definately a game to check out for the summer, provided you’re going to be in your house at all, that is.
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. B D says:

   June 26, 2010 at 8:56 pm

   It’s a decent third-person shooter. The graphics are weak and the level design is repetitive. I hate that escalation is online only. MP is ok. Rental at best.
   Rating: 3 / 5
3. coopertex says:

   June 26, 2010 at 11:49 pm

   In the campaign you can play as either Autobot or Decepticon. There is a bonus character given to players to finish them also. The campaign is intense and has lots of boss battles, against giant robots that transform into vehicles or have various weapons. You’ll battle it out on Cybertron, home of the transformers where you partake and witness epic battles. While the Decepticons are on a quest to use Dark Enegergon, the Autobots are trying to stop them.

   There are also lots of online multi-player features: you can play co-op with three other players either in public or private sessions and there are other game modes as well: Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Conquest, Code of Power
   
   Countdown to Extinction and Power Struggle

   You can pick from four different classes of robots: scout (sniper), Scientist (medic), Leader (demolition) and Soldier (assualt). Each robot has their own weaponry and special abilities which are unique to them. But you can also pick up weapons on the battlefield, during multiplayer matches in case you need a new one or don’t like the one you are are equipped with.

   Each class and character can unlock perks as you rank up. Some perks help your robot other perks help the whole team. There are perks that help you cloak, deal more damage, withstand more damage, spawn a sentry, faster recharge, extra ammo and tons more! All class and characters have their own strengths and weaknesses but, they are all well balanced.

   You can transform from robot to vehicle form or vehicle to robot form at anytime during the game. You can transform during combat in the heat of battle and even if you jump in mid-air! The transformation is fluid and fast just like the gameplay! Combat is fast and fierce and has a lot of moments that made me go “damn!”.

   Tranformers War for Cybertron is without a doubt fantastic! And it is also the most underappreciated game based on on the Transformers universe. Many gamers have become jaded with these types of the games because the previous ones were no good. But this title in particular is not from any movie adaptation, so it is not the crapfest usually associated movie tied in games. Instead what the developers from High Moon Studios did is put together the best elements from other shooters into this amazing and unique experience.

   Even though the camera is from the third person, it plays and controls very similar to first-person-shooters (FPS), so anyone that has played FPS in the past will immediately feel comfortable with this game’s controls. There is no other game currently out that give you the ability to transform and feel powerful at the same time. Does the game have flaws? Of course it does, but these flaws are so minor that they do not hinder the gameplay.

   Transformers War for Cybertron passes with flying colors. This is the Transfomers game we’ve all been waiting for!

   PROS:

   +excellent levels
   
   +excellent transformations
   
   +excellent multiplayer
   
   +four player co-op
   
   +excellent story
   
   +excellent graphics
   
   +excellent controls
   
   +excellent sound effects
   
   +excellent music
   
   +voice acting

   Cons:

   -A.I. in campaign is dumb as a doorknob
   
   -robots don’t look like the cartoon series.
   Rating: 5 / 5
4. Tyler Johnson says:

   June 27, 2010 at 1:49 am

   When I first heard of this game I was sure that it would be the same mediocre shovel ware that transformers games always seem to get. As time passed though the reports were looking good and I allowed myself a glimmer of hope. When I got it home and started playing I was delighted to find that not only is this game good, it is awesome fun. The single player is well done with varied levels and satisfying combat. Your ability to transform is wonderfully integrated into game play, being achieved with the push of a button. The bosses are impressive, if easy, and the story works. The real meat of the game however comes in the form of the fantastic multiplayer.

   The online multiplayer has game modes to fit all tastes. If you’re a lone wolf that wants to take on all comers than death match is for you. If you like team work team death match is incredible fun. There is also capture the flag, a horde mode called escalation, and 3 player online co-op. The customization of the mutiplayer classes is very satisfying. You can choose from soldier(self explanatory)Leader, scientist(medic) and scout. The scientist heals, the soldier has heavy melee capabilities, the scout can turn invisible, and the leaders can fly. As you gain points for defeating your foes you can customize your play style with an abundant number of special techniques like being able to stay invisible longer, or having the effect of your grenades last longer.

   Overall this game is the complete package, if you are online enabled. If you aren’t, get online. If you can’t than the single player is very good, but I can’t recommend it. If you can get online than you should already have this game. Autobots, transform and roll out!
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. Shane Jay Hayes says:

   June 27, 2010 at 4:12 am

   Transformers: War for Cybertron hit the shelves this week but did the game live up to all the build-up hype? From the beginning this game was fun, beautiful and engaging even if a little frustrating at times.

   GRAPHICS: The design and art in the game is absolutely brilliant and very well conceived. Sadly you are usually in such a rush that you might not even have a chance to fully admire just how great the world around you looks. On more than one occasion though I did take the time to stop and stare off into space and admire the visual awesomeness around me, of course this also lead to me falling to my death on multiple occasions.

   SOUND DESIGN: The sound is very well designed and will immerse you in the world of Cybertron. This is a great game to play either very loud on a good system or through your Turtle Beach headset. Everything from the environmental sounds to the sound of transformation is so well thought out that you will find yourself completely enveloped in the atmosphere of the game. The multiple layers of auditory bliss will have you turning your system up to 11, especially when the cool rock guitars kick in quietly in the background. Oh and don’t get me started on the end credits.

   STORY: The story is interesting and engaging and you may just have a few “ah ha” moments when you realize something you never knew about the Transformers history. Fan boys may or may not enjoy the story but who cares really; when they move out of mom’s garage then their opinion might matter a little more. For normal people who play games to enjoy them they will find the story well done and enjoyable.

   VOICE ACTING: The Autobots got all the love. All of them Autobots sound great and are very well done. The Decepticons on the other hand all “sound good”, but some can be very annoying. Starscream and Megatron will quickly get on your nerves, Starcream is like nails on a chalkboard and the hyper inflated egos of Megatron and Starscream only add to their annoyance factor. While playing the Decepticons chapters you will frequently be wishing you could make them all just shutup.

   LEVEL DESIGN: The level design was very well done and although the game is very linear in its presentation you never feel like you are just grinding through some generic map. Seemingly every few yards you are in a new area of the map that has a completely different feel, look and layout than the last. When you combine this ever changing environment with segments where you must drive or fly you end up with a fun and exciting level that never seems to grind. You will notice though that you always seem to be low on health and/or ammo so always take a couple moments to snoop around and gather up all the resources before heading into the next room, you will need them.

   THE BAD GUYS: There are only a handful of AI models in the game and a number of them can get quite annoying at times and this is one of the few things that will lead to some sense of repetition. You basically have car enemies, flying enemies, snipers, cloakers, annoying spiders, brutes with shields, brutes with massive guns and devastators. The car AI “rollers” are basic cannon fodder and can easily be taken out, however if you let to many of them pile up you may soon find yourself getting blasted from all around as the enemy AI is pretty good at finding cover. The airborne AI are weak hitting but fast moving little suckers, like their bland “roller” brothers they are not terribly dangerous if taken out quickly, but allow them to build up and you can be dead in seconds. They have a weak gun attack but a pretty savage bombing attack that can easily take you out in one pass if you let a few of these guys build up.

   The sniper AI can ruin your little robot life pretty darn fast. Whenever you here your squad alert you to snipers take cover as soon as possible. Since the camera hovers over the right shoulder you can easily take cover and peak out around the right side of an object and get a bead on the snipers above. If you are out in the open and more than one sniper can see you there is a good chance you will be dead very shortly. The snipers can take you out in 2-3 shots easy, so don’t ever be in a place that more than one can see you at a time. They have a very powerful shot with a very long reload time, so peak out and let them take their shot then you can safely peak out enough to take them out in relative safety.

   Cloakers are your basic sneak around and try to get the drop on you type AI. They can be easily spotted as they charge up their plasma cannon or you can just toss a stun grenade into a suspected room and find them in no time. They are not terribly dangerous, just fast and invisible at times.

   The spiders, well they die fast but they come in huge mobs. A simple melee attack will make short work of them. Make sure you pay attention to the ground at your feet. If you can’t figure out what is hitting you, it’s probably a spider trying to crawl up your leg while you look down your scope at that sniper.

   Brutes, the big dudes with the shield and annoying ground slam. These guys are boring and very repetitive, each and every level has them and they get real annoying real fast. You have to shoot them from behind, a task that is made a lot easier using a character with a dash ability. They take awhile to kill and after you kill your first few you will wish they wouldn’t show up on every level. If you maintain your distance you are relatively safe, but if you get in melee range it can quickly mean a trip to the load screen. The ground slam he does won’t hurt you but it will scramble everything and you will briefly lose your crosshairs, making it a little tougher to hit the giant glowing target on his back. These big jerks are not a huge threat by themselves so always take out all the other enemies in the room first so you have room to maneuver around behind him without getting pimp slapped by a cloaker.

   Devastators use the same boring and tired game mechanic as brutes, you have to get behind them and shoot the glowing target to get them out of vehicle mode. These guys however are much easier to get behind since their vehicle mode is a giant lumbering tank. Once out of vehicle mode they are just big robots you just spam bullets on till they die.

   Overall there isn’t a huge variety of enemy AI and at times this can cause a sense of grinding and repetition, but thankfully the engaging environment helps relieve a lot of that. The AI is smart and very good about taking cover and trying to get the angle on you and depending on the difficulty you are playing in can be very troublesome if you aren’t quick about dispatching them before too many build up.

   BOSS FIGHTS: The boss fights in Transformers: War for Cybertron are in one word, EPIC. They are very well thought out and always a true challenge. You will find your time split between hunting for health and ammo refills and actually trying to do some limited damage to these monster bosses. Expect to die a number of times while you figure out a good flow and get a good grip on the map.

   THE GOOD GUYS: Your team is composed of 3 transformers on every level, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. I completed the entire game using nothing but scientists, soldiers and sometimes leaders. The two most valuable abilities in campaign mode are going to be your dash and sentry gun with shield wall and warcry coming in a very close second. Optimus has a warcry that greatly reduces the damage you take and more than once this saved my behind and prevented a certain death especially during the final boss fight. Dash can also be the difference between life and death, it allows you to quickly get away from large groups that get the drop on you or get behind that annoying brute that just won’t seem to die.

   Overall there are a number of different ways to play based on who you choose on each level as your transformer. Sadly the AI on your squad usually sucks at hitting their target leaving you to do most if not all of the actual fighting while they make humorous comments. Thankfully they are all pretty much invulnerable, except for one fight where Ratchet is healing Omega Supreme, so let the AI run out there and draw fire while you work on flanking routes to get the drop on the bad guys.

   WEAPONS: There are a decent number of weapons available each with its own purpose and intended use. The basic classes are assault rifle, sniper rifle, mid range scoped rifle, gatling gun, grenade launcher, shotgun and plasma cannon. There is also a repair gun used to repair sentry bots and friendly AI, although they will never need it.

   ROBOT MODE GAMEPLAY: While in your natural robot mode the controls are intuitive and easily managed. The hit detection is solid and you always know if you are actually hitting what you are aiming for. The solid mechanics and diverse abilities make the game fun and exciting and you will rarely get frustrated due to gameplay mechanics alone. The same cannot be said for vehicle modes.

   VEHICLE MODE GAMEPLAY: The best way to describe it would be like driving a bumper car on an ice rink. There is no real sense of speed and the loose controls lead to frequent inadvertent wall bumping which will bring you to a quick stop. Flying is only marginally better since you don’t run the risk of running into as much stuff but it still suffers from the same sense of lack of control. Even with the lackluster vehicle modes the game remains solid and enjoyable. Vehicle modes may be lacking but still serve a greater purpose, a well timed transformation and sprint from danger will save your life. Transforming lowers your profile and give you a quick get away when surrounded by enemies. Additionally if you are out of ammo in your robot form you always have the vehicle weapon on reserve. Levels with extensive vehicle use, like Aerial Assault, can be frustrating and annoying. Overall the vehicle modes serve their purpose but are definitely poorly designed when compared to robot mode gameplay.

   DIFFICULTY: The game itself is not particularly difficult. Experienced gamers who have some time playing third-person shooters under their belt should start on medium difficulty on their first playthrough at a minimum. However there are a few fights that will take you a couple attempts to get the hang of, particularly where the health power ups spawn and where to get more ammo. Trying to figure out WHAT to do is never that hard as your squad members, who never shutup, will basically walk you through it and tell you what you need to do in order to defeat your enemy. I completed the game on first playthrough, medium difficulty, in about 16 hours of gameplay. It can probably done in less but I spent a lot of time trying to explore and search for collectibles.

   COLLECTIBLES: There are 25 Autobot and 25 Decepticon symbols spread throughout the ten levels. You have to shoot or otherwise destroy these well hidden symbols in order to “collect” them. For the achievement hunters out there I would recommend completing the game first on your selected difficulty then going back in easy mode and looking for these symbols. Some of them are very well hidden and can only be found in the midst of some pretty difficult fights.

   ACHIEVEMENTS: Out of the 50 plus achievements you should expect to get about 20+ on your first playthrough. Many if not all of the combat “Kill x number of y” achievements you will get just going through the game. There are a few other level specific challenge achievements that would be best to gather on an easy mode run through after completing the game.

   CAMPAIGN: Overall the campaign as a whole is fun and will keep you interested. There are some vehicle specific sections that are lackluster but they don’t hurt the campaign as a whole. The campaign can be done either on your own or in three player co-op through Xbox Live. I actually completed the game in co-op mode but not once did anyone ever join my campaign, once people get a chance to really start playing it this weekend I would expect a few more people to be around to join your fight for Cybertron. Playing through the campaign in co-op looks like it will be great fun, of course then I have to listen to real life people say annoying things in addition to the already talkative AI.

   MULTIPLAYER: The multiplayer mode features a level-up and unlock system similar to any modern multiplayer game out there. There are 8 maps and 6 modes to play around with but nothing truly stands out to make this a truly exciting multiplayer experience. The maps are small arenas that are claustrophobic and will take some getting used to. The multiplayer mode uses the same classes as the campaign and allows you to customize your characters weapons, abilities, look, perks and more. Even with all of this customization the multiplayer mode won’t be drawing people away from their Modern Warfare 2 of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 anytime soon. After a few rounds it will grow on you, but it isn’t likely to become your favorite MP game. It is more of a side-note to a fun and exciting campaign game.

   ESCALATION: I have not had a chance to get into this mode yet, but once I do I will update this review with all the pertinent details. From what I have seen it looks like fun but once again only a diversion from the campaign game.

   OVERALL: Transformers: War for Cybertron is a great game that is well thought out and engaging to play. It is full of exciting battles and challenging gameplay that will keep everyone from the casual to the hardcore gamers interested from the very beginning to the final epic battle. A lot of time was spent on the details in the game and it shows, all the attention to detail adds to the immersive game experience and makes it that much more enjoyable. From the sounds around you to the expansive visuals you will feel like you really are fighting for Cybertron from the very beginning. Vehicle mode can be annoying and is certainly not at thought out as robot mode but it does little to take away from the otherwise well built game. Multiplayer mode is more of a side note and won’t catch on for the more serious gamers but will likely be a draw for the casual crowd and the young gamers out there who just want to “pew pew” things.

   SCALE (OUT OF 10):
   
   Graphics: 10
   
   Excellent, brilliant and at times downright breathtaking (when jumping across debris out in space in the first Decepticon level take a moment to look back toward the planet)

   Sound Design: 10
   
   The sound is clear and will immerse you completely in the world of Cybertron. The 80′s guitar licks (ala the cartoon movie) don’t hurt either.

   Story: 9
   
   Solid story that stays on point and gives some insight into the history of Cybertron. It’s best to play all the Decepticon chapters first then Autobot so the story keeps its flow.

   Voice Acting: 8
   
   The voice acting is probably a 10 but Megatron and Starscream are just so darn annoying. You might have nightmares featuring a Starscream voice over.

   Level Design: 8
   
   The maps are well designed and you never feel like you are just grinding through. Sometimes though you find yourself completely lost and not sure where to go (especially in Aerial Assault). Would have been a 9 if it weren’t for vehicle specific segments that detract from the overall quality.

   The Bad Guys: 8
   
   The AI is smart and can be ruthless at times, it is however pretty repetitive and clichéd at times (ie. shoot em’ in the back).

   Boss Fights: 10
   
   The boss fights are epic and will take some getting used to, but they are well thought out and executed.

   The Good Guys: 9
   
   You AI partners are better comedians than they are marksmen but overall they are pretty decent guys. Your ability to choose classes makes the game adaptable to multiple playing styles.

   Weapons: 7
   
   Nothing spectacular, nothing truly stands out as an “awesome” weapon. Typical shooter classes of weapons.

   Robot Mode: 10
   
   Life as a robot is good. Easy controls, intuitive interface, simple yet educated HUD and great animations.

   Vehicle Mode: 6
   
   Life as a vehicle, well is not so good. Clunky controls, no sense of control or speed. It serves its purpose though, sprinting away from danger and lowering your profile couldn’t be done without it.

   Difficulty: 8
   
   Suitable for the casual gamer or those who want a challenge in Hard mode. Boss fights can be challenging are will take some practice for those going straight to the hardest difficulty. Or you could just cheat and read my step by step guide to the boss fights.

   Collectibles: 10
   
   Why a 10? Well there are enough, 50, without being TOO many and unlike most collectibles; some of these are hidden in the craziest places. Like the Decepticon symbol that is actually IN a wall in the arena when fighting Trypticon. Yeah you have to get him to destroy the wall so you can get it out.

   Achievements: 8
   
   In general it is a group of easy and manageable achievements with some being a little more challenging than average. I gave it an 8 because there were a few too many multi-player achievements which are more annoying than anything. Not sure when devs will realize that the achievement hunting crowd is not the same as the multi-player crowd.

   Campaign: 9
   
   Engaging, challenging at times and fun from the beginning to the end. Lost one point for the extended vehicle only segments, but otherwise campaign mode is near perfect.

   Multiplayer: 6
   
   Highly customizable classes and the basic rank and unlock system but confined to tiny maps that lack any real forethought. Enjoyable for brief periods of time but nothing truly remarkable that makes it stand out against the offerings of games that have come out in the last year.

   Escalation: NA
   
   Not yet reviewed

   OVERALL: 8.5
   
   A good game with solid campaign worth an early purchase.

   [...]
   Rating: 4 / 5