Transformers: War for Cybertron

Genre: Shooter
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox, Wii, PC
Allegiance: High Moon Studios
Vintage: 2010
Rating: T
Intelligence Agency Report by: Shadow
War has ravaged Cybertron for centuries. Megatron has formed some new scheme to gain the upper hand in the centuries-long vicious battle. He travels into space in search of his new prize, Dark Energon and the space fortress, and takes no prisoners. Megatron ultimately gets what he wants, and is the first being to successfully manage the immense power of Dark Energon. The Decepticons go even further on the warpath, decimating Iacon city and Zeta Prime in the process, leading Optimus (who had been rejecting his birth right from the start), to finally take on the mantle of Prime. Optimus and his Autobots continue the fight to restore their planet and stop the Decepticons. Be ready to witness the events that finally bring the Autobots to the brink of destruction, and watch their heroic fight for survival. Take up arms, find what you can, and get ready to fight.

Weapons Expert Report by: Shadow 
Story/Premise
Gameplay
Impact
Visual
Audio
8.00
7.00
4.00
8.75
8.00
Overall 6.50
(not an average)
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 3 Finally, a Transformers game that brings back the good old days! This isn’t Michael Bay’s rehash and the games that go along with it, essentially destroying what most of the older fans remember. There is the modern era version of Transformers of Bay’s world, and the 80’s age version that the older fans and game players remember. This game goes back to its roots, and back into the past of the Cybertronians themselves. What many of us remember is a Bumblebee the size of a bug that would constantly catch the planet’s biggest butt- kicking and keep on moving, never giving up. Many of us remember a Megatron that was more of a blockhead in body than he was in brain. Many of us remember Optimus Prime tearing up things with a heat axe that would put Paul Bunyan himself to shame. And that’s exactly what you get in this game. War for Cybertron begins in the heat of the deadly war between the war-driven Decepticons and the peaceful Autobots. This game takes advantage of a few alternate story lines (such as Starscream not beginning as a Decepticon), but stays very true to the roots from which the game came. The player handles both sides of the battlefield, both Decepticon (in the first half of the game) and Autobot (second half). If you hate playing one side or the other, this would be the one time that you NEED to do it. It helps to fill in a slight bit of backstory that is very much worth it if you’re an old school fan. 

As mentioned earlier, you play two different phases of the game between the two sides. But at the same time, you only play a limited part of things . How is it possible that the game has about 12 hours of action to it but that you only play a bit? That brings you to the first issue of the game. You are actually very much limited to Optimus Prime or Megatron, depending on where you are in the game. Sure, you have the ability to pick between three different robots, but only a handful can actually be used to their maximum potential. Other, weaker characters, especially in the harder difficulties, become obsolete and instead will create more frustration as they keep getting blasted to robo-bits. Regardless of which character you choose to play, you must still perform all actions and get all the dialog, which can be very humorous. 

The combat system to the game is nothing new; it’s a third person shooter combined with the occasional melee attack. If you’ve played Modern Warfare, then you know what you’re doing already. It’s a simplified combat system that makes the game easy to get into because you can focus on moving around and doing what you need to do while also being able to take the time to listen to what others are saying and occasionally what they are doing. The only real issue with the combat system is how you can take a weapon and find a ridiculous amount of recoil for a robot as big as Optimus, yet the smaller robots experience the same effect when they should experience more. 

A major sticking point to me was the lack of weapon options, as well as the ridiculously low ammo count. It makes it excessively hard to engage in a fire fight when you’re starting to hear your ammo case clinking, letting you know that you’re almost out, when you just picked the weapon up thirty seconds ago. I was reminded by a friend, that in this time frame, weapons and ammo were short on Cybertron, but the realism behind it becomes a bit of a killjoy, especially when battling Trypticon or Omega Supreme, and there are literally NO replacement guns nearby, and all attacks are ranged. Despite this shortfall, the weaponry was fun to handle, and I enjoyed playing with the different weapons and grenades. 

Multiplayer is also a good feature to this game; customized robots, weapons of choice, and tactical thought into when to transform and not, and also when to flee for your life. Yet another reference to Modern Warfare: if you have played it, then you can play this game in multiplayer. Once more, you find that you’ll be limited to the tougher characters, especially if you like to play on the front lines. There are different game modes to try from, including favorites such as capture the flag, and just flat out annihilating your enemies as many times as you can. 

Despite the issues with the game that were glaringly obvious, there were two things that made this game worth it. The first is the graphic detail that goes into it. It’s not nearly as detailed as the last Transformers games, but using the Unreal engine, they actually managed to make our favorite robots look a bit closer to the cartoon. The second, and best, good thing of the game was the storyline itself. It was nice to learn more of Cybertron’s history and to see how the Autobots survived such a grueling encounter with the vicious Decepticons. 

Overall, it was a good game. For those that do not like to play multiplayer, then this game is a one-time play, and best rented. For those that love to get online and blow their way through others, then this game will be loads of fun long after you initially play through the story line. The game is hampered by its weapon choices, low ammo, limited character selection, and character limitations. At the same time, it is buoyed by nostalgia, graphics, and a wonderful and engaging storyline that keeps you busy.