Transformers: War for Cybertron Review - Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

Let me just start off with this: I hate, HATE every prior game of Transformers because I am a Transformers nerd and every game I have tried that has the Transformer name has SUCKED. I have most of the generation 1 Transformers toys, I followed the story line even after the original movie came out back in the 80's. I hate Michael "the douche bag" Bay for f**king up the Transformers story line because he wants to turn it into total-drama-one-tree-9021-hunger-force with robots blowing shit up. Then he decides to off certain key Transformers because "he doesn't like them". So if I go off on a tangent in this game that you don't understand, just chalk it up to the fact that I am a Transformers nerd and leave it at that.

I was really reluctant to download the demo on this for the 360. REALLY RELUCTANT. I for one don't enjoy having my ass handed to me then tea-bagged by some squeaker and every Transformers game before this has suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked (like Halle Berry) but I try and give all Transformers games a chance to disappoint me in person. Since it was a demo I was not expecting the full game experience so the fact that I could only play online didn't bug me that much. I found the transforming between vehicle and robot to be pretty smooth and the action pretty fast pace. You could even level up your toons to have more gear which was good in a way but I can see how if you are going to go one-on-one with a guy who has no life and has maxed out his toons will be no fun. Still it was enough for me to pre-order.

Graphics

Not bad, not bad at all. Everything from cut scenes to action are pretty much on par with what out there. The designer of the robots took great care into designing the robots to represent the 80's type of transformers. You can easily pick out Bumble bee, Side Swipe, Optimus, Iron Hide, Ratchet, Soundwave, Starscream, and if you got the downloadable characters Jazz and Shockwave.

Cybertron looks massive and huge. You are supposed to be in the middle of a war and it feels like it! The background is forever changing with lasers, war ships, Aerialbots, Decepticons, If you are inside you see the effects of the war that have been tearing things apart. I think they could have done a better job with the graphics but not by much.

Sound

Calling the original voice for Optimus! Thank you for showing up, Peter Cullen.

The sound, music, cut scenes, dialog (well most of it) are all awesome. Having the original voice of Optimus really makes the story stand out from the rest of the games. Soundwave sounds great too and you hear a lot more of him while doing the Decepticon missions and even some of the Autobot missions. The music is present but doesn't take over the gameplay nor is it soundtrack worthy but it does let you know it is there. I was really surprised to hear it to tell you the truth.

Story

They did their homework and delivered an excellent pre-earth story. There is a reason behind the war rather then we hate them because they are Decepticons / Autobots. Megatron is trying to restore order by putting his boot on your throat "Peace through Tyranny" type thing. He wants to be the Leader of the Transformers and by him you will have peace. Of course only those that kiss his ass will be among the ones that have a comfortable life.

The Autobots are trying to resist and are loosing. This is where they loose grip of the 80s story line and follow the Douche bag. There are many Primes with the one of the last ones alive being Zeta Prime. The matrix of leadership does not exist and apparently you are born/made as a prime. In which Optimus is now the last prime. GET THE MICHAEL GAY COCK OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!! There is only ONE Prime at a time and it is mutually decided between the Autobot counsel and the Matrix of leadership. Thereby any transformer that is worthy enough to obtain the Matrix has the opportunity to BE a Prime but can not unless the Matrix chooses them as well. That is why Ultra Magnus and Galvatron could not be Primes because the Matrix did not choose them. That is also why Hot Rod became Rodimus Prime.

Other than the bullshit that was copied off the Douche bags film the rest of the story is very good. You find out how Megatron and Starscream meet, you find out how Bumblebee and Optimus meet. Even though they kept the 80's look to it the story was still convoluted by the cock gobblers' renditions of the last two movies. Ratchet and Ironhide play a huge role in the game but nothing from the real twins (Sideswipe and Sunstreaker) Hound, Grimlock, Jazz, Prowl, or Ultra Magnus.

The story starts off with Megatron looking for Dark Energon. It continues through until you reach the planets core fighting Zeta prime and Omega Supreme along the way (2nd and 4th hardest fights in War for Cybertron). After that it moves over to the Autobots where you play to free the planet of dark Energon and regain some footing over the Decepticons. Along the way you fight Starscream, Soundwave and Tripticon. Of course for some reason when you fight the ones you can play (Soundwave and Starscream) they seem to be buffed up to the point of annoying the hell out of you.

Chassis

Scout: Light weight and fast. You can even flip your vehicle in the air. This makes for some awesome action when you are fighting.

Scientist: For some reason these are only flyers. Unfortunately this applies to the Decepticon side in which Starscream and the seekers are classified under.

Leader: A LOT of Autobots are classified under this although they don't need to be. This is a big truck chassis and can give other team members buffs although the only one to buff you is Optimus.

Soldier: This is a mini tank. They are as big as the leader chassis and have a lot of health. Usually hits hard not only in vehicle but robot form as well.

Characters

There are two unlockable characters that you can get in game as well. Arecee for the Autobots and Slipstream (I have never heard of her) for the Decepticons. Either way you really don't give two shits about it since they only unlock different forms of the multiplayer part of Transformers: War for Cybertron.

Characters not used that should have been in game

Having this type of selection in game would have been great. There was not a lot of character development of anyone besides Megatron and Optimus so having the choice of these guys would have been awesome and could have added more missions to where Megatron or Optimus would have had to fight the combiners listed above.

They could have also added another couple of chassis to the game and called it warrior and fighter. That way they could put the Transformers into proper categories and had different builds for some of the characters.

Gameplay

Smooth. Fluid. Awesome. While playing as Thundercracker I would dive bomb some enemies, kill one, transform while landing, dash to the next enemy, melee kill it, transform, and take off. It makes everything you do in game epic!

There are two parts to the gameplay: Story and multiplayer. Since I will go off on multiplayer a little later I will tell you about the story line here. Along with the epic story that was given to us the levels in the chapters are just as epic. Whether in vehicle form to get from point A to B quickly, spearhead an attack, or get out of danger quickly or in robot mode to rain death from you weapons.

The gameplay is along the lines of 3rd person shooter. It is great that was so that you can see yourself transform and see the details that they have been put into the robots. Each Transformer has its unique way of transforming. From Bumblebee that is quick and fast to Brawl who looks like he is taking his tank parts on his back and slamming them into the ground to sideswipe who likes to show off while transforming.

Each Transformer has a couple of special abilities that are given to him at the start of each level. Some of these abilities are: Group buff (increases armor and attack), dash, hover, whirlwind (taking your melee weapon and whirling it around your body), push back, sentry spawn, and Energon shield. While each plays their part for a guy that loves to get up close and personal for a kill the dash and whirlwind combo for me made me giddy. As Sideswipe for a level I could transform into my vehicle, punch the booster and transform into robot mode in a group of guys, hit the dash to put me in the middle of them and hit whirlwind. Bad guy parts end up going everywhere and they have no f**king clue of where I came from!!!

Learning your special abilities for each character drastically changes the play style of each character. While you might want to go in to melee fight with Ratchet I would stay back and snipe so that you don’t die. While it is important that you have all three characters with you while playing they really don’t do much nor do they die. I have seen Megatron get curb stomped right in front of me and then reappear right next to me. So playing as the healer really doesn’t do you any good in one person story mode.. Yay, I have 2 buddies. Too bad they don’t do shit.

The biggest trouble is the cock sucker that came up with the button programming. All too often I would transform when I wanted to dash-and-bash and end up getting the crap kicked out of me. You could change the transform button but then every time you wanted to change your weapon, you transformed. It would have been better for them to let you pick your buttons.

You don’t get to pick your team which sucks hardcore! I paid to have Jazz unlocked (or Shockwave), I want to play as HIM! Now, I can only do that in multiplayer or the Escalation mode. So you are stuck with the team that they pick for you but I see it as a wasted area of game they could have VASTLY improved on. Instead of having a team picked out for you they could have given you choices Like: Choose your team, you must have Megatron and then pick two others that aren’t seekers List the Combaticons: (no Vortex or Blast off since they are flyers), and continue servicing the 80’s fans of TF with choices like the Stunticons, Constructions’, Predacons, and Terrocons in the choice of team. Then when it comes to a flying level do the same. Then do the same for the Autobots!

Yet out of the entire gameplay my only two bitches are 1 button out of the button set up and you cant choose your characters I am striving to find something to nit pick about. The gameplay is just too awesome to let these small things bug me.

Fights

Not really something to rate more than rant on. There are a total of 10 chapters in Transformers: War for Cybertron: 5 chapters for each faction. In every chapter but the last one you have 10 sections. So while the game looks short it is surprisingly and refreshingly long. Until you get to some of the end bosses.

The fights that stand out are: Tripticon, Omega Supreme, Soundwave, Zeta Prime, and to some degree Starscream.

Multiplayer

Although fun it still is a pain in the ass that I can't let anyone else in my house play with me online. I guess they think that multiplayer is only for online and you couldn't POSSIBLY have friends over that you want to play with. Even with how much I like this game its not worth getting a second TV, Xbox, and game just so I can have multiple players in house. I game to have fun with friends. Not to provide them with gaming platforms just so we can game together in the same house.

Overall

This game is an underrated gem. With the past crappy Transformer games still lingering in everyone's mind this game will probably be overlooked by a lot of gamers not interested in being disappointed. As a Transformers nerd I urge you to look past those games and pick this up. You will be pleasantly surprised.