I had no idea what I was getting myself by buying this game until I was twenty minutes into the single-player campaign that I realized that this was a game which is going to leave an impression on my outlook of third person shooters. I was never a fan of huge talking machines and the only reason I picked this game off the shelf was for the sake of spending money but this was somewhat more than what I bargained for.
Transformers: War for Cybertron is the prequel to the cartoon series which you might know as G1. The prequel telling the story of how the Transformers left Cybertron and took roots on planet Earth as well as revealing major incidents of how Optimus rose to power after Prime’s defeat and Starscream’s admittance into the Decepticon army. The planet Cybertron is in turmoil and the war for power is going on between the Autobots and Decepticons but it remains that only one shall stand and one shall fall.
The story mode is divided into ten chapters; five for the Decepticon campaign and five for the Autobot campaign. At the start of every chapter in both campaigns you are required to choose a Transformer which you will control throughout the chapter. The choice is restricted to only three sorts, namely the leader, the scout and the scientist, each with its own abilities and weapons. The Decepticon campaign sees Megatron’s pursuit to the core of Cybertron in search of Dark Energon which he believes will win him total dominance over the planet.
On the other hand, the Autobot campaign is led by Optimus who takes control after the fall of Zeta Prime. Optimus along with his allies tries to safeguard an almost Decepticon-occupied Cybertron. Both campaigns offer dense action but are fairly short. The Autobot campaign proves somewhat more exciting with better boss fights, more variety and that sense of right doing which you get while being one of the good guys.
The story is not actually what accounts for the impressiveness of this Transformers game. The real strength of this game is its rock solid gameplay. The controls are seamlessly designed to handle each Transformer. There’s a perfect blend of the heavy-paced machinery with the ongoing fights without giving you that feeling of sluggishness. A wide range of weapons, extending from turrets to miniguns and plasma guns to assault rifles, only add to the gameplay experience. What needs to be noted here is the limited amount of ammunition which requires you to utilize it sensibly and there is absolutely no room for mindless shooting.
Each Transformer has two abilities which range from a worthless dash to a much useful energy drain. The abilities can be recharged by collecting Energon chips acquired from fallen enemies. All the characters are designed for different skill levels. The decision of choosing your character does not really affect your performance in the battlefield but it can have quite an impact on the result.
Any transformers game is incomplete without the vehicular mode which is what Transformers are known for. The Transformer’s vehicles have simple controls which offer flawless maneuvering. The vehicular weaponry may not be as powerful as the weapons possessed in the alternate form but can cause a huge chaos if used sensibly. The maneuvering is excellent and you also have an option of a speed-boost. Only two chapters can be played with jets but contribute in a major way towards the story’s progress and renewed interest in the game.
Multiplayer plays a huge role in War for Cybertron and even though I have only spent an hour into its multiplayer, the impression was pretty definite. Players can create their own machines from four classes. Leaders can transform into trucks, soldiers into tanks, scientists into jets and scouts into cars. The multiplayer modes, apart from co-op campaign and Escalation, lack detailed customization. Giving yourself a paintjob from limited palette of colours does not really mean customization in this era of videogames as the levels of customization have been elevated to the point of visor color customization.
The multiplayer offers many game modes such as Countdown to Extinction, Escalation, Code of Power, Power Struggle and a couple others. Power Struggle is the typical territory occupying game and then we have Escalation which starts off as a basic wave-defeating game but as things buckle up you soon realize that this is literally the most rear-kicking mode out there. Experience points are earned in every game which can be used to purchase weapons, ammo or health.
The multiplayer can be a little frustrating with no real exhibition of skill. There is no pleasure in taking down an enemy in a couple of shots. In the end it all comes down to luck whether you win or lose. It can be a superb experience with the right players and the right game. The most important thing for any game’s multiplayer is its fun-factor and WFC multiplayer is a steaming pot of fun, destruction and rear-kicking.
Transformers: War for Cybertron can possibly be a good contender for many as the best third person shooter but there is no denying that there is a lot of room for improvement in the game. The AI of the game is pretty dull; it only requires a couple of shots to down an enemy. The graphics section of the game can use a bit less of the metallic grayish scenery to a more solid colored environment (no, I’m not asking for meadows and daffodils); more effort can be put into bringing out the potential in the multiplayer and a little more depth in the story wont hurt either.
I think it can easily be said that Transformers: War for Cybertron is probably the best game the franchise has seen so far. A Gears of War 2 and Unreal Tournament hybrid can only get any better. The metal-crunching satisfaction and the exciting witty narration make the game one heck of an experience. If I had to describe the game in one word then it would be: variety. A refreshing take on third person shooters War for Cybertron might be under-rated but it has certainly carved its mark upon those who played it.
Score:
Presentation 9.0
Lacks some visual element but overall excellent narration combined with great characters.
Graphics 9.0
Good character designs but having a few frame rate drop issues
Multiplayer 7.0
Not exactly one of the best multiplayer experiences but it has potential.
Sound 8.9
Great dialogues and great sound effects. Now who doesn’t like the sound of metal crunching?
Gameplay 10
The gameplay offers solid combat controls. Vehicles have easy maneuvering; the AI may be a bit dumb but the combat compensates for its loss in every way.
Overall 8.9
I’m being a bit harsh giving the game less than a 9.0 but Transformers: War for Cybertron is among the best games this year. Great storyline and dialogue are the key components of this game.
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Special thanks to ReZoN for helping me out and i wish the mods had been a little bit more helpful.
