Console: Xbox 360 Reviewer: Jon
Pros
* Great campaign, features countless “WOW” moments
* Multiplayer can be very fun and addictive
* Plenty of G1 “Fan Service”
Cons
* Small cast of Playable Characters during campaign
* Would have liked more options in Escalation Mode
* Waiting for the next Sequel
Transformers: War for Cybertron was something truly special. Not only did we get an Official Transformers Game, but we got a solid action title that paid homage to arguably one of the best periods in pop culture. With stellar action, solid gameplay, and enough Transformers to make Stan Bush proud he was presented with a “Game of the Year” quality title.
High Moon Studios now presents us with their follow-up Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. Does this one live up to the original? Are you going to be blown away with G1 references? Are you ever going to be able to leave the couch again with the customization available in Multiplayer? These are the questions we set out to answer, and rest your pretty little Fanboy Self ………this one is Great!
Presentation : A
Let us try something a little different. If you are even remotely interested in this title, you are likely a Transformers fan right? Of course you are! You may be asking yourself if it is even possible to overshadow the previous campaign and accurately portray the scale of a global Cybertronian War. How about a short test? If you want some insight into the production value and sense of scale to this game, give this Cinematic Trailer a quick watch.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3E358n7pcI]
Do you feel that? That is how you will feel throughout the entire Single Player campaign. That’s right, it’s that good. While it could stand to be a little longer, it never out stays its welcome. It hits hard and never stops delivering “Fan Service”. As a huge G1 fan, I went through the campaign with high expectations and never felt let down by the experience. Throughout this mode you will presented with so many “Wow” moments that manage to get your adrenaline pumping in all the right places. I found myself saying “Awesome” on so many occasions. I would go into more detail about these moments, but I would hate to ruin the self discovery by spoiling some of the best G1 nods I have seen in a game yet.
The production value is top-notch. With huge set pieces, Fall of Cybertron really puts players in the right state of mind and helps to sell the Global Scale Warfare. Seeing hundreds of Decepticons flying overhead really adds a whole new feel to this entry into the series and always manages to add tension to every battle. All of the character models look great, and I don’t care how many times you do it….the ability to transform whenever you see fit never gets old.
Peter Cullen makes his usual return as Optimus Prime, but one really great addition in the sound department is Gregg Berger. Who is this you may ask?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf48qnmRsfg]
Ok…I’m done with the video clips. But what can I say? Fall of Cybertron gets you excited to be a Transformers fan and manages to combine all the right elements to present one spectacular package.
Single Player : A
With all of the gushing about how great this game looks and sounds, you may be asking yourself how is the gameplay? For the most part, this game plays identical to Transformers: War for Cybertron. You are able to Transform with ease, Weapons feel solid, and Combat is a blast. One of the new additions however, is the ability to switch your shooting hand with the click of a button. This may not sound like much, but with the complete lack of a cover mechanic this provides a useful method of avoiding damage when things get tense.
Speaking of the lack of cover, I did actually notice the absence of the ability this time around. It was never a big deal, but on occasion I found myself wishing it was there. Watching enemies duck and dodge to avoid the gunfire felt like a slap in the face at times given my lack there of. Regardless of my occasional urge to slam my robotic shell into a crate and blind fire at my enemies, I did wonder if the addition of a cover mechanic would potentially slow down gameplay too much. Having to maintain a constant readiness in the heat of battle is half the fun, so perhaps this was left out intentionally. Either way, the void of not having this feature never lasted long and I quickly came to appreciate the fast pace all over again.
Combat for the most part sticks to the previous formula of including some great gun play. One of the most important things a shooter can do for the player, is make the weapons feel powerful. Ranging from the lighter scattershot type of rifle that smaller characters typically have or the insanely powerful Rifle that Optimus Prime uses, all of the weapons feel spot on. They also bring with them (Just like each Character) a sense of individuality. There is actually an in-game store mechanic that is introduced this time that allows you to purchase Weapon or Character upgrades as well as one-time use items. While a few of these stand out like doubling your health, or faster cooldown time for your special abilities, I found the single use items to be the most useful. With a deployable shield, the combat makes an even heavier use of the “shooting hand” mechanic that can drastically change the battlefield dynamic.
Special abilities are unique to every character and High Moon did a great job of providing a good mix of abilities. When I first looked at this feature I suspected that I would be seeing a “cookie cutter” type formula, but I was quickly proven wrong as every ability is unique and very useful. Whether you are adding heat seeking rounds to your rifle, hovering through the air, using Cliff Jumper’s cloaking device, or just breaking out Jazz’s grappling hook you will find a wide variety of useful and fun abilities at your disposal.
These abilities tend to play into the level design as you no longer have the ability to select which character you wish to use at the start of each chapter. It was stated that the reasoning for this allowed the developers to tailor each level to which character was being used and helped to create a better campaign by providing more opportunities for each Transformer’s abilities to stand out. I would say that for the most part they succeeded, however I found myself still wanting a bigger playable cast than what was offered. Don’t get me wrong you will still see both sides of the coin in the form of Autobots and Decepticons and play as quite a few fan favorites, but with so many iconic personalities within this series I would have liked to see some old favorites be included. I would almost be willing to accept the trade off of more “generic” level design in exchange for a ridiculously huge cast. But that is just on the wish list and in dealing with the hand that was dealt, I feel no need to complain about the amount of playable characters.
Throughout the Campaign, there were quite a few moments that make an effort to mix up gameplay. One of these moments is in fact the above mentioned Grimlock. Yes, you get to play as him and it feels awesome. This is one of the few moments in the single player campaign that drastically changes the mechanics. With Grimlock, you are no longer worried about shooting Decepticons as you are given a large sword and allowed to lay melee death to all that oppose him. This was perhaps the most enjoyable moment in the whole game for me. With what seems like unlimited health, uncanny strength and the ability to go over the top with his T-Rex transformation, Grimlock is a beast to be reckoned with. In one of the final portions of the single player, you really get to witness how tough they actually made him due to what seems like an infinite amount of Decepticons. His transformation mechanic is also slightly different due to the inclusion of a rage meter. Once this is built up from taking out enemies, you will have the ability to trigger the T-Rex mode. I was actually worried about this due to the popularity of Grimlock and had concerns on how much time I would be able to spend in Dinosaur mode. Worry not, you will plenty of opportunities.
Multiplayer : B
Multiplayer comes in the form of two modes. Escalation is a horde type of mode that lets you fight off fifteen waves of naughty Decepticons. With only four levels to choose from, I found myself disappointed in the lack of variety. The arenas are a pretty decent size, however function somewhat similar to zombie mode from Call of Duty. There are unlockable doors to new areas of each level, weapons for sale and health to buy. I found this mode pretty difficult if played by yourself, but with others it doesn’t present nearly as much of a challenge. Don’t get me wrong, by the time you pass wave ten you are fighting some tough opponents, but when played with three other players it’s not all that hard to progress.
Each level chosen has a unique selection of four characters to select from. With a four player limit to this mode that means all the available characters get used up since you are unable to pick the same Autobot or Deception. I found this extremely disappointing. Once again, there is a huge cast that could have been included and this really seems like a missed opportunity. Having said that, I did actually had a fair amount of fun with what time I spent in this mode.
The meat of this section would easily be the standard multiplayer. With four game modes to pick from, ten maps to battle in and more Transformer customization than you could ever ask for, this mode stands out to provide some great experiences. My favorite aspect of this mode lies in the character customization. Finally you are given the opportunity to select individual parts to your character right down to the most suitable head, arms, wings, shoulders, legs, and color scheme. While we don’t get the Elder Scrolls level of variety, there are still a ton of possibilities right down to picking which chassis best suits you. (This determines what vehicle you transform into)
There was nothing more satisfying than hearing the match start and seeing my character change into a jet and launch into the sky. Whether you choose to fight on the ground or in the air, there is a likely a character type you will indentify with. I honestly expected a mediocre experience in this department, but found the multiplayer to quite fun and addictive. There is plenty of action to be had and with the inclusion of it’s own experience system and upgrades this mode will provide you with quite a few extra hours of mechanical destruction.
Replay Value : A
Here is the thing….. If you enjoyed War for Cybertron or have any kind of Transformers addiction, you will want to keep this one in your collection. Some of the moments I experienced in Fall of Cybertron were truly amazing and worth replaying. It became very obvious that High Moon Studios had be to very big Transformer fans with as much “Fan Service” as they included in this one.
With a single player hitting around the 9-10 hour mark, a fairly decent escalation mode, and an incredibly addictive multiplayer this one has earned it’s place in the series.
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If you have made it this far, it’s pretty clear I am a Transformers fan. I know I am not alone, and if you are reading this review it’s likely you share the same passion. Just do yourself a favor and go pick this one up.
