Review: Transformers Shooter Cribs From the Best

I’m not a Transformers fan. I never watched the cartoon as a kid. I never read the comic books. I’ve never seen any of the movies. I’ve never even so much as held a Transformers action figure in my hands.

I am, however, a fan of Activision’s Transformers: War for Cybertron, released Tuesday for Xbox 360 (reviewed), PlayStation 3 and PC. In a recent interview, developer High Moon Studios said its goal for the title wasn’t just to please the Transformers faithful but to create an “awesome action game for any shooter fan.”

The fruit of High Moon’s labor is a game that combines Gears of War-style third-person shooting with a multiplayer setup reminiscent of Modern Warfare 2. No, War for Cybertron isn’t very original. But the gameplay it cribs from other shooters is nicely polished.

Joining one of Transformers‘ battling robot factions, either the Autobots or the Decepticons, and blasting the other side feels great. While the weapon variety is somewhat limited — you would think that a game based on robots that turn into cars would have more esoteric weaponry than the standard loadout of assault rifles, sniper rifles and the odd rocket launcher — the weapons themselves pack the appropriate amount of weight. Shooting them feels satisfying.

Even it borrows heavily from its contemporaries, Cybertron is still very much a Transformers game. Everything central to the series, from the characters to the original voice actors, is kept intact. But as an outsider, I was more interested in the game design rather than the fan service. The one aspect of the franchise that most contributed to Cybertron‘s mechanics was, of course, the transformations from everyday vehicle to battling bot.

The game’s 10-hour single-player campaign means there’s plenty of time for the crazy transformations to strut their stuff. You can morph your hulking, mobile mech into its vehicle form at the push of a button. Each type of vehicle — jets, tanks, trucks, sports cars, etc. — has its own abilities, which allows for more dynamic gunplay.

For example, you can take a few potshots in robot form, then transform into a jet for a quick getaway. The one-button swaps and the speedy transformation animation means you can apply strategies quickly and easily.

The transformations get put to good use in situations other than combat, too. Interspersed between the shooting levels are excellent vehicle sections. These bombastic sequences, loaded with high-speed driving and flying, have a lot of visual business going on, such as explosions and debris flying everywhere. In many ways, the intensity in these sections is similar to the finales of the Halo games.

The ability to transform into a vehicle and make a quick escape lends some surprising strategies to Transformers: War for Cybertron's multiplayer mode.
Images courtesy Activision Blizzard

Between these vehicle sections and some rudimentary platforming, Cybertron delivers a good amount of variety. But the best part is the combat, and the game designers know it. The levels quickly funnel the player from one shooting section to the next. The other parts of the game are chances to catch a breather, but they don’t last long. Before you know it, you’re back in the trenches.

As you progress, Cybertron makes its designers’ fondness for huge set-piece battles more and more obvious. Wide, roomy arenas pop up everywhere. Even so, the game can sometimes feel like a shooting gallery, with enemies sometimes standing in one place, not even bothering to move when you throw a grenade at them. But what the enemies lack in intelligence they more than make up for in sheer numbers. The result is that the battles are long and chaotic — especially the big boss battles at the end of each mission — but never to the point where things feel repetitive.

Cybertron also features robust, if derivative, online multiplayer gaming. If you’re familiar with Modern Warfare 2, you’ll feel right at home. You gain experience points by accomplishing various tasks like killing an enemy or capturing points on the map. Gain enough experience points and you level up, allowing yourself access to new abilities and perks.

Multiplayer mode features the standard array of variations on deathmatch and capture-the-flag gameplay that’s as fast-paced and chaotic as the single-player mode’s. The transformations, however, lend a spark of originality to an otherwise completely derivative game. Players who use them cleverly can dominate the battlefield with their increased mobility and sometimes-unorthodox strategies.

I think Transformers: War for Cybertron‘s full impact was slightly lost on me, since I have no fond childhood memories to attach to the action. I didn’t squeal in delight when my favorite Transformer appeared because I don’t have one. But if the goal was indeed to create a game that could appeal even to the rawest Transformers newbies, then High Moon has succeeded. You can call me Exhibit A.

WIRED Appeals even to non-fans; speedy pacing; bombastic driving sections; transforming adds variety to combat.

TIRED Derivative design; dumb-as-a-doornail enemies; lack of unique weapons.

$60, Activision

Rating:

Read Game|Life’s game ratings guide.

See Also:

John Mix Meyer

John Mix Meyer is Game|Life's intrepid intern/mascot. When not following the sadistic whims of his editor, he plays videogames and sleeps.

Read more by John Mix Meyer

Follow @Hexjackal and @GameLife on Twitter.