If you grew up in the 1980′s odds are Transformers has a special place in your heart, and even if you didn’t, with the release of the Transformers movies many have taken an interest in these humanoid transforming robots. You’d think at some point there would have been a good video game based off the long-running franchise but that hasn’t been the case. In fact, most of the Transformers video games (like most video games based on movie and television franchises) have been down right terrible. Transformers War for Cyberton looks to change that.
Developed by High Moon Studios (known for such titles as Darkwatch and The Bourne Conspiracy) and published by The Borg… oops, I mean Activision, War for Cybertron feels a bit like Gears of War with its third person shooting gameplay. The difference is that you have the ability to Transform into a vehicle or weapon of some sort based on the character you pick. The controls and gameplay are so-so. First off, there’s no cover mechanic. While I don’t believe every third-person shooter necessarily needs a cover mechanic, War for Cyberton would have greatly benefited from it and contributes to a slightly outdated feel. Also, instead of grabbing weapons from fallen enemies the game has you break open creates to get weapon refills. To make matters worse, there aren’t enough of these crates around and I found myself running out of ammo completely on more than one occasion. These are the Transformers and you’d think that at least some of their artillery would auto-recharge. Scavenging for ammo is nothing short of annoying. To me it feels like a major design flaw rather than a strategic attempt by High Moon. The variety of weapons is okay but there’s nothing exceptional here. Thankfully transforming between a vehicle and a robot is easily done with a tap of the analog stick and feels perfect. Transforming allows you to use other weapons and gain different abilities depending on which Autobot or Decepticon you’re playing. Levels where you take flight playing characters such as Starscream are ultra satisfying and truly make you feel like you are a Transformer.
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The story is (much to my delight) based on the 80′s cartoon rather than the movies. It’s set before the television series and before the Autobots or Decepticons crash land on earth. The story begins as Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, attempts to gather dark Energon for his own diabolical purposes. You start off playing the Decepticons (though you can choose to switch over to the Autobots). Then about halfway through you switch to the Autobots side of things. The story is certainly the strongest part of the game and will keep you playing despite some gameplay annoyances. When it’s all said and done each side has a campaign that lasts around 6 hours each making for a lengthy and satisfying experience.
The graphics look alright. Most everything is metallic and dark and there’s not a ton of variation. The character designs are good as are each character’s transformation animations. A lot of love and care has gone into each of the characters, so much so that I’d say many of those involved in this project were probably fans of the 80′s animated series.
The voice acting and music are all top notch. Peter Cullen reprises his role at Optimus Prime and while not all of the cast is original, the dialog feels as natural as it can for giant transforming robots who talk to one another can sound. The banter between characters is terrific and at times even quite witty and humorous. The music is orchestral with some great 80′s homage rock ballads thrown in.
In an age where every game seems to think it has to have an online mode, War of Cyberton jumps on the bandwagon. The main competitive modes are similar to the Call of Duty games with yet another level up system that unlocks ad-ons. The class you play determines which ad-ons and special abilities you unlock. There are a variety of game types including capture the flag, deathmatch and team deathmatch. For those interested in competitive play, it’s a proven formula that works. For others like myself who could care less, the co-op mode also works pretty well though there is some lag and the occasional drop-off. Up to three teammates can join forces and go through the story mode together. Depending on your settings, players can jump in and out though this must be properly configured within the co-op mode itself rather than starting a single player game. You can also configure private matches and add a buddy straight from your friends list. Escalation is another online mode where you and your friends will face wave after wave of enemies (think Nazi zombies from Call of Duty) in an attempt to survive. This mode is a lot of fun and something that players will probably continue to come back to.
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In closing, Transformers is a good third-person shooter that targets long-term fans of the franchise but does more than enough to suck even casual fans of both Transformers and third-person shooters in. It’s not on the level of an Uncharted 2 or Gears of War 2 but there’s a lot of fun to be had here and certainly more than meets the eye.
| STORY: | 8 |
| GRAPHICS & DESIGN: | 7.5 |
| SOUND: | 9 |
| GAMEPLAY: | 7.5 |
| FUNFACTOR/TILT: | 7 |
| OVERALL SCORE: | 7.5/10 |
-Jason Glasco
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