GameXplain reviews single player and multiplayer separately

Finally a Transformers game in its Prime.

The original Transformers television series was slightly before my time.  I only had the slightest of recognition when someone said Autobots or Decepticons or the myriad of other terms the show created.  Instead I grew up on the Beast Wars: Transformers series.  I enjoyed the show but was never a devout follower.  Eventually I learned about the original series and while I never watched it, I understood its popularity and iconic characters.  The reason I'm mentioning this is because anyone who has even a passing curiosity in Transformers, even if it's just the recent movies, will find a lot to love in War for Cybertron.  I'm willing to bet that even those without any interest in the series will enjoy it.  The reason is quite simple: the developers at High Moon Studios concentrated on making a good game before a Transformers game.  That decision worked.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is a prequel to the original series, known as Generation 1 or G1, and has been approved as official canon by Hasbro.  Picking up at the tail end of the civil war between the power-mad Decepticons and the noble Autobots, the story is split into two campaigns that can be played in any order.  Chronologically, the Decepticon story takes place before the Autobot's and focuses on Megatron attempting to return Cybertron to his vision of its golden age.  He is willing to do whatever it takes to realize his goals and his actions directly affect the Autobots campaign.  The Autobots start out finding themselves on the brink of destruction and desperately trying to fight back.  It's in this setting that Optimus is thrust into a leadership role he does not want despite his destiny.

The story, while still accessible to kids, is much darker than the typical Transformers story.  It doesn't answer every question it raises and makes a few nods to G1 that will leave casual fans like myself scratching their heads.  The overall plot is still entertaining though and contains enough dialog that each Transformer, despite the sheer amount of them, has a unique personality.  It won't take long for favorites to emerge after a few hours of play.  Sideswipe quickly became a favorite of mine, and I had never heard of him before playing War for Cybertron.  It's a testament to how well the story is written that these mechanical beings with so many moving parts can become relatable and likable.

The gameplay is a straight-up shooter with a few sections of basic platforming.  Unlike most modern shooters there is no cover system, but there is enough debris that can be hidden behind when things get particularly hectic.  A two-gun system is in place but there are so many different weapons provided at one time that it never feels limiting.  All the standard picks are in place but are given a Transformers flair.  Each gun actually fuses to the Transformer's body which carries over to turret use where the Transformers actually fuse their lower body with the gun before letting loose.  It's those kind of details that makes the basic shooting mechanics so much fun.  Every level of the game also features a three man squad which can be fun in multiplayer but is inconsistent alone.  Sometimes the AI would work right alongside you and help flank enemies while other times I would find them emptying clips into a wall.  It isn't a major issue on the whole but sometimes you could really use the help.

If that's all there was to the game, it wouldn't be nearly as good as it is.  The Transformers brand adds a unique feel to what could have been just an average shooter.  At any time you can transform into your vehicle form which can range from cars to trucks to tanks to planes.  Transforming provides an immediate speed boost and unlocks a third and sometimes fourth gun to your arsenal.  The transformations are smooth and satisfying, especially when you ram an enemy then change into your bot form and whack them with your melee weapon.  Every level is built around transformations and rarely do you find yourself in tight corridors.  Just about every Transformer feels different and have their own abilities, starting weapons, and transformations. 

The only real problems that arise are the random spikes in difficulty, long load times, and the sometimes repetitive nature of the combat.  War for Cybertron has an average challenge level throughout most of the game but certain sections can get ridiculously challenging.  Many times a simple mistake will lead to instant death, and it can quickly get frustrating.  Thankfully checkpoints are frequent so it never becomes impossible.  Unfortunately the loading times, at least on the PS3 version, are ludicrous in their length especially since there is a mandatory install.  It loads between each reloaded checkpoint and even before the main menu.  The game streams well during gameplay but when the difficulty spikes, the load times will work your last nerve.  Transformers also suffers from repetition during long stretches of nothing but shooting.  It didn't affect me until I was halfway through the game and playing through the Autobot campaign.  Up to that point I had been completing the same kind of objectives:  take out enemies, flip switches, all the standard tropes.  However, every time I got close to being completely bored something new and exciting would happen, particularly in the Autobot campaign.  Many times I would go from shooting enemies to a high speed chase or being hunted by an unstoppable force or even an aerial dogfight.  There isn't a lot of variety on the whole but enough to hold your interest throughout the entire game.

The graphics are perhaps the weakest aspect of War for Cybertron as many of the textures are blurry on both the levels and characters.  While this can be distracting at times, the art style makes up for it.  Each character has a new design that feels distinct from their original one while also maintaining enough similarity that they are instantly recognizable.  Some may complain about the changes to some of the characters' transformations, but would you really want to play as Soundwave when he becomes a boombox or Megatron when he turns into a gun?  Cybertron itself has a surprising amount of terrain considering the planet is made entirely of metal.  Some sections look like previous levels but most of it feels completely new.  Add in the fact that there's no slowdown even at the most chaotic and Transformers visuals get the job done.  On the other hand, the sound design for the game is spectacular, particularly the voice acting.  Peter Cullen returns as the voice of Optimus Prime and leads a group of actors that are well-versed in both videogames and animation.  The acting is half the reason the characters come to life so well and their banter during levels only helps to elaborate on their personalities which come across as natural and believable.  Unlike banter in most other games, it rarely repeats and can actually elicit a laugh or two.  The music does a good job of setting the mood but the credits theme is by far the most memorable.  I dare any Transformers fan not to crack a smile when they first hear it.

Between Batman: Arkham Asylum and Transformers: War for Cybertron, it appears that developers are finally realizing that licensed games can be a lot of fun if the appropriate time and attention is put in.  For fans and non-fans, Transformers is a ten hour summer thrill ride that is well worth your time.  Here's hoping other developers take note.

Plenty of options, if only I could find a match.

For those who are looking a lot of options in their multiplayer, Transformers just might be for you.  First up is online co-op where up to three players can work through the campaign together.  This is definitely preferable to the single player AI as long as you get an intelligent squad.  Three good players that can work together well can tear through the campaign like it was nothing, but if someone is slacking, it can be a nightmare.  There is a revive option if a player gets taken out but if neither of your teammates reaches you, it's over and you'll have to restart at the nearest checkpoint.  It's a great feature though I wish there was an option for local splitscreen.

The other co-op mode available is called Escalation which plays similarly to Gears of War's Horde mode.  Up to four players must survive fifteen waves of progressively difficult enemies.  Like Horde mode team work is a must but Escalation adds some original ideas.  Each kill nets players points which can be spent at key areas around the map.  These areas provide health, ammo, grenades, better weapons, and opens up blocked off portions of the map.  Once more of the map is unlocked players are given more room to fight and better items to buy.  Along with just surviving, it adds a layer of strategy to the gameplay and quickly became my favorite of the multiplayer options.

Competitive multiplayer covers the same modes often found in other online shooters.  Along with Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, there's Conquest which plays like Battlefield except that while positions are held points continually go up.  The game ends once one team reaches 400 points.  Countdown to Extinction has teams taking turns on offense and defense with one team trying to place a bomb in the other teams base.  The best two out of three win the match.  Power Struggle plays like Capture the Flag and Code of Power is the shortest of the multiplayer modes with teams each getting two and a half minutes to capture a special weapon as many times as they can.  Each mode is fun in their own right, but I found myself enjoying Code of Power and Countdown to Extinction the most.  War for Cybertron also has special areas where players can jam the other teams special abilities for a short time or activate a slow healing effect for everyone on their team.

Transformers borrows from both Modern Warfare and Battlefield when it comes to character selection.  There are four classes available that can be customized with paint schemes and chassis from existing Transformers.  Leaders have the second highest health and are a good all-around selection that transform into trucks.  Soldiers have the highest offense and defense but are the slowest and can transform into tanks.  Scouts have the lowest health and low defense but they are quick to get around when transforming into cars.  Finally Scientists are the medics of the battlefield and can transform into jets.  Each class comes with its own starting weapons and abilities but experience earned during multiplayer can unlock more choices along with perks so that each player can customize their characters exactly how they want them.  Once every class has reached a level of 25, Prime mode can be activated which acts the same as Prestige mode from Modern Warfare.

While there's a lot borrowed from the most popular multiplayer games out there today, it feels different thanks to the elements that the Transformers franchise brings.  Matches are fast and furious with players constantly transforming in order to better their chances for each situation.  The classes are well balanced and each is fun to use.  The only problem, at least with the PS3 version, is that there's not many players online at any one time.  I saw an average of around 4,000 players every time I played and this lead to matches sometimes taking a long time to start.  This could just be early server problems but there were times where I was waiting ten minutes for a match to start after I entered the lobby.  The modes were always a great time but getting there could be a problem.

Note: This game was reviewed on Playstation 3