Thrusted into the Transformers universe in Activision’s Transformers: War for Cybertron single player campaign, I immediately sensed the immense scale that the developers were trying to portray. As the Autobots mobilized, it quickly becomes apparent how much is actually going on as you progress through the mission. Progression was relatively linear; the battle-drive-battle-drive formula works quite well, especially given the rapid, but steady pace. The story unfolds during gameplay – there a few breaks for cutscenes, but they never interfere with the frantic pacing. The game is presented in such a manner that lets the player feel either the uneasiness of the outnumbered Autobots or the haughtiness of the Decepticons as the decisive Cybertronian civil war unfolds.
Combat is a simple run-and-gun style, but well refined. The first chapter offered a solid amount of interesting weapons that were dropped by downed baddies, including a giant plasma rifle and a chargeable laser cannon. Each robot only has one melee attack that I noticed, disappointingly.
I will admit however that Optimus’ giant axe is so cool that I often risked death just for the opportunity to utilize it in the process of transforming from vehicle to robot. I was quite pleased when I found that the entire exchange happened exactly the way I wanted it to. Aside from the transforming dynamic, there’s nothing new to see in terms of gameplay. Though not available in the E3 demonstration, we can expect pure flying stages in the full version. Hopefully, this should prove to mix things up enough to keep it interesting.
The transforming process occurs seamlessly and never interrupts combat (yes, the sound is there, too). It’s worth repeating the fact that transforming to and from vehicle mode becomes part of combat, not a hindrance to it. Both the animation and gameplay transition during transformation process is smooth and concise; it barely takes a second, yet it’s easy to see how elaborate the process is. Keep in mind that this game takes place on Cybertron prior to the Transformers arrival on Earth, so vehicles in War for Cybertron consist of futuristic-looking hovercars, jets, and tanks.
Transformers: War for Cybertron has a concerted effort to please Transformers fans. Little things like loyal character designs (Soundwave looks perfect), Peter Cullen’s voice, wisecracking Autobots yelling “Decepticreep”, and the transforming noise are just some of the e-fistbumps thrown into the game to create a true Transformers gaming experience. Also, teenage boys who control the fate of the universe are notably absent.
With five chapters per faction, multiple selectable characters and a full-on multiplayer mode, there’s plenty to do. Rejoice, Transformers fans, Michael Bay never had the opportunity to pee on this one. Look for it on June 22 for PS3 and Xbox 360.
