Transformers: War for Cybertron Review [Xbox 360]

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Overview

The Transformers are back with [War for Cybertron] and it looks to capture fans that were disappointed with the previous Transformers games. High Noon, the developers went with the bullet proof Unreal engine which is always a good start. In Transformers: War for Cybertron the aim for players is to become the ultimate weapon in the final, epic war that will determine the survival of their entire race. With an arsenal of lethal, high-tech weaponry at your disposal and the ability to transform from robot to vehicle at any time, players are sent into epic battles on land and in the air. This is third-person action shooter set in Cybertron, a war-ravaged homeland of these grand robots. Players can compete in several multiplayer modes, or work your way through story missions alone or with others in a drop in/drop out online co-op mode. In multiplayer mode you can also create your own Transformer character to use in competitive head-to-head multiplayer modes. Transformers: War for Cybertron is published by Activision.

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Gameplay and Features

War for Cybertron is a visually appealing experience, crisp with good use of colour to create an authentic looking Transformer world. The Transformers are well designed and vary nicely in look from each other. It is not exactly a graphic Tour de Force’ and there is some clipping, but overall it is a very visceral rendition of a war torn Cybertron. I found the sound better than the visuals and while sci-fi is far from my comfort zone, with the stunning voice acting, great sound effects and sound in general, the boy in me was pretty caught up in the Transformer world. I played the previous Transformers’ games and if you did to, then you can expect a night/day difference in design – for the good that is.

In singleplayer mode you can play from either the Autobot or Decepticon point of view in two inter-connected campaigns that allow gamers to get the story from both sides of the war. You can choose from multiple character classes including Leader, Scout, and Soldier all with their own abilities that differ from the other classes. The gameplay itself is solid with a few flaws. The lack of a cover system being my biggest grip and it makes the experience slightly old school in terms of gameplay. The AI is not the sharpest and the missions are repetitive to a degree but the gameplay negatives were not enough to deter from the fast paced addictive action and I was more than happy to play through it.

You can also be joined by other players in the campaign making for a solid three person co-op experience in a drop in/ drop system to keep the campaign flowing. Unfortunately the co-op mode is over live only, so no split-screen. War for Cyberton has an overall deep multiplayer player mode and this is definitely the best part of the game. The online multiplayer competitive mode is hugely addictive – with the customization ability to make your own Transformers and the different classes again being used, this aspect should keep fans active for some time to come making this a good value for money title. I did experience some lag online which I hope is patched, but it is still very playable. Within it, there are four playable character classes, and each class has an individual upgrade path, encouraging you to play each. Similar to the campaign mode, the different classes provide different benefits.

Another very interesting aspect in multiplayer online mode is the Escalation mode where players can team up with friends to combat waves of enemies, either as Decepticon or Autobots [similar to ‘Horde’ mode in Gears of War]. You get to upgrade your weapons and abilities as you level up which helps with strategizing as the Escalation evolves. Again this aspect of multiplayer was hugely addictive and I spent many hours in this mode alone. So overall the multiplayer mode is well rounded, deep and a heap of fun. It should win any fans.

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What I liked

  • Solid controls
  • Good graphics, excellent sound
  • Weapons are great and there’s a good variety
  • Solid gameplay
  • You can play story from both sides
  • Deep multiplayer modes
  • Drop in/ Drop out co-op
  • Escalation Mode

What I disliked

  • AI is inconsistent
  • Some lag online
  • Some clipping and other visual inconsistencies
  • Having to tell my wife I am playing a Transformers game

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Conclusion

Transformers: War with Cybertron has an old school shooter sort of feel to it. Some of you might remember when shooters were all about dodging, jumping and shooting… allot. They were simple yet you could play them for hours on end. Transformers fans can sigh in relief as they finally have a good game to play. War for Cybertron depicts the Transformers world well and fans that know more about it should be thoroughly blow away with this one. Hell it might have even made a slight fanboy out of me despite not being from the Transformers era. It has its flaws, it is not the prettiest, not the cleverest, it does nothing out of the ordinary, it might not blow you away by any means. But my word does it measure high on the fun factor.

Best Transformers game, by a country mile.

Zombiegamer rating:

Nom Nom

 

 

 

Transformers: War for Cybertron is suitable for teens and apparently grown men to. It is also available on Playstation 3. For more visit the official game site.

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